LAS VEGAS – Samsung announced a number of new products Tuesday which the Korean company says will leverage the Internet of Things (IoT) by always being connected to the Internet (assuming we’ll want that).
The company also revealed a new bezel-less curved SUHD TVs with Quantum dot displays, a refrigerator (pictured) so advanced it looks more like a giant smartphone that keeps your food cold, a new smartwatch and a large screen Windows tablet, the Galaxy TabPro S that looks like the Microsoft Surface.
“Samsung has continuously worked to help people live smarter lives, and this year we have taken a huge step forwards with our diverse, IoT-enabled products and services,” said Tim Baxter, president and COO of Samsung Electronics America. “We will continue to enhance consumers’ quality of life by listening to their needs and strengthening our ecosystem.”
Samsung’s new SUHD TVs feature the world’s first “bezel-less curved design” and like LG, who presented earlier in the day, they stressed how their TVs will provide a “premium high dynamic range (HDR) experience.” In this case with a 1,000 nit HDR minimum for a higher level of contrast between light and dark images. In Canada, Rogers has made a strong commitment to Ultra HD as well as HDR.
Built on the Tizen operating system (OS), the new Samsung Smart TV eliminates the need to juggle multiple remote controls and will automatically recognize the type of set-top box, game console, OTT box or home theater system that is connected to the TV. This enables users to control all of the external devices with its Smart Control remote by just plugging them in.
All new SUHD TVs feature IoT hub technology, developed by Samsung with “SmartThings.” The SUHD TV can connect with and control over 200 SmartThings compatible devices – “whether it’s to see who is ringing the doorbell, lock the doors or turn off the lights – all from the TV.”
The company also revealed the first Ultra HD Blu-ray Player, the HDR-compatible UBD-K8500, which offers four times the resolution and 64 times higher color expression than conventional Blu-ray players. It will be available in March 2016 in the U.S.
Samsung also debuted its premium Galaxy TabPro S, combining what it says is the best of the Galaxy Tab and the benefits of a Windows laptop in the thinnest and lightest 2-in-1 tablet on the market.
But the focus of Samsung’s CES press conference though was its new fridge that it calls the Family Hub Refrigerator, which literally can control your whole home. The company says they designed the fridge to help “families connect, and provides new ways to manage, shop and prepare food.” The fridge door actually contains a 21.5” full HD LCD touchscreen, which it calls a “digital command center for the connected home.”
The fridge contains three built-in cameras that take a photo of the inside of the refrigerator every time the door is closed so users can always see what they have wherever they go, via their smartphone. Samsung has also partnered with MasterCard to offer a seamless online shopping experience through the Family Hub Refrigerator. Using the app on the refrigerator’s touchscreen, consumers can easily find and purchase items from multiple retailers, directly from their kitchen, all finished with a single, simple checkout process that accepts U.S.-issued credit and debit cards.
The fridge also allows you to write notes, post photos, share calendars and artwork, right on the refrigerator’s touchscreen, or by using a smartphone. Since the fridge is IoT enabled, consumers will be able to check that their home’s doors are locked and turn off the lights, all right from the Family Hub screen.
With a fridge like this, why would you ever leave the kitchen unless you wanted to catch some TV? But no worries, this fridge, with built-in stereo speakers, allows user to stream their favourite music service or TV content from their Samsung Smart TVs directly to the touchscreen, as well as connect to their own Bluetooth speakers.
So in the near future I won’t have to fight for the TV remote anymore, but if the kids are streaming YouTube to the fridge I guess I’ll be ordering out using MasterCard if I don’t want to go hungry…
