Samsung Family Hub Fridge Packs 21.5" Touchscreen For IoT And Grocery Shopping

If there's one thing Samsung loves, it's slapping big LCDs on the front of refrigerators. CES 2016 is no different, and this time it's the Samsung Family Hub Refrigerator's time to shine. Intended, so the company says, to bring back the days where the fridge door was a place to pin up family photos, kids' artwork, and notes, the Family Hub consists of a 21.5-inch Full HD touchscreen and wireless connectivity.

The UI is split into multiple panes, including space for photos – wirelessly beamed to the fridge – to-do lists, a shared calendar, and more.

For grocery shopping, there's the ability to look at the latest photo taken by the built-in cameras which take a shot of the contents of the fridge each time the door is closed. Those images can be viewed remotely from the companion app.

Meanwhile, the fridge can even help avoid owners going to the store. Courtesy of a deal with Groceries by MasterCard, there's support for Fresh Direct and ShopRite, with MyWeb Grocer compatibility in the pipeline.

The app can be accessed from the Family Hub screen, as well as through a smartphone or tablet, with groceries delivered to the door.

With SmartThings, it's possible to switch between different presets – like "Leaving the house" or "Going to bed" – to turn lights off, lock doors, and more. There's also a summary of all the "Things" in the SmartThings network, with a pane showing whether lights are on, doors have been left open, or there's a leak somewhere.

Finally, the portrait-aspect display can be used for entertainment. There's TV mirroring support for Samsung's latest sets, so that shows can be moved between the living room and the kitchen.

Samsung says the Family Hub Refrigerator will go on sale in the Spring, though we'll have to wait to hear about pricing.