Samsung, India’s No. 1 refrigerator brand, today announced that it became the first brand in India to receive a 5-Star rating by Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) for its 653L Convertible 5-in-1 Side-by-Side refrigerator. The 5-Star rating indicates that consumers can save 444 kWh (Kilowatt-hour) electricity annually and the refrigerator emits 359 kg lesser carbon as compared to 1-Star rated models.

Besides the 5-Star rated Side-by-Side refrigerator, Samsung has received 3-Star rating for rest of the  Convertible 5in1 Side-by-Side refrigerator models, making it India’s first complete star rated Side-by-Side refrigerator range in the category. The 3-Star rated refrigerators will help consumers save up to 259 kWh electricity annually while bringing down the carbon emissions by 210 kg per year as compared to 1-Star rated models.

The ‘Made in India’ Side-by-Side refrigerator range is Wi-Fi enabled and equipped with Smart Things app functionality. It comes with Convertible 5-in-1 mode for customisable storage space, Samsung’s Twin Cooling Plus technology for precise cooling and Curd Maestro that allows users to make curd at home in a healthy and hygienic way. To allow better space utilization, consumers can now detach the curd-making compartment, when it is not in use. This range also features IoT-enbled FamilyHub 7.0 to offer unlimited entertainment and a connected living experience.

This range comes in stylish and classy BESPOKE Glass Finish colour options – Glam Deep Charcoal, Clean Navy, Clean White and Clean Pink – that go perfectly with the modern design taste of Indians.

“As the No. 1 refrigerator brand in India, we make continuous efforts to promote sustainability and energy efficiency while reducing carbon footprint for a better future. The energy efficiency ratings by BEE for our Side-by-Side refrigerator range is a testament to our commitment. Our Side-by-Side refrigerators have found great resonance among Indian consumers due to its outstanding aesthetic appeal. With the BEE ratings, we are confident that these refrigerators will interest more individuals who seek high-performing products that add value to their lives in more than one way,” said Saurabh Baishakhia, Senior Director, Digital Appliance Business, Samsung India

Price & Availability

Priced at INR 110,890 onwards, the line-up is available across offline and online retailers, in 653L net capacity.

Warranty

The new line-up comes with a 20-year compressor warranty on its compressor, thereby offering promising durability of the product and in turn, providing consumers with complete peace of mind.

Key Features of Side-by-Side refrigerators

Convertible 5-in-1 mode

The feature offers consumers more storage space and convenience by allowing them to choose from the five modes – Normal, Seasonal, Extra Fridge, Vacation and Home Alone. In the normal mode, the refrigerator will have both fridge and freezer mode, in both Home Alone and Vacation modes, the refrigerator will only have the freezer running while the fridge will be turned off. On days, when one wants more storage space, the feature allows consumers to convert their freezer into fridge, thus giving more storage space.

The Twin Cooling Plus technology in this feature works with two separate evaporators for fridge and freezer to minimise temperature fluctuation. This innovation adds a new level of convenience, making it possible to control optimal humidity and temperature that prevents odour mixing and ensures freshness of food for a longer duration.

Family Hub 7.0

The Family Hub 7.0 feature provides efficient food management by suggesting meal ideas to its users and giving a view of what’s stored inside the refrigerator, among others. Consumers can also play their favourite music using Spotify, TuneIn and can simply enjoy their favourite web services without other devices. To ensure unlimited family fun, the feature also offers an analogue bulletin-board that curates precious family moments by video, photos, and memos. For users to enjoy seamless connected living and turn their home smarter, this feature lets them control their smart appliances and IoT enabled devices via SmartThings App.

AI Energy Savings mode

With this mode activated, consumers can easily meet their monthly electricity cost target by optimising fridge and freezer temperatures. The feature uses artificial intelligence to understand the usage pattern and set the temperature accordingly, thus ensuring energy efficiency in the process.

Curd Maestro+

The Side-by-Side refrigerator range comes with Samsung’s patented Curd Maestro technology that allows users to make curd at home in a healthy and hygienic way. However, taking the experience, the 2023 range comes with a detachable Curd Maestro+ that users can remove as per their convenience.

BESPOKE & Auto Open Door

From a design perspective, the line-up comes with BESPOKE’s Glass Finish panels, thus making the range of products glamorous. Keeping in mind the challenges in Indian cooking, the 2023 range comes with another interesting feature — Auto Open Door that uses ‘touch sensor’ and opens the door. Therefore, in case of dirty hands, consumers can simply keep their hand on the door sensor and it will open.

Non-plumbing Dispenser

The refrigerator comes with a 4.5L water tank for its non-plumbing ice and water dispenser. This feature makes the refrigerator easy to install at any location without being connected to a water supply. Consumers simply need to add mineral or fresh water to enjoy chilled drinks or ice or crushed ice without installing a separate water filter.

Wi-Fi Enabled

To help consumers enjoy a seamless and superior connected living experience, the Side-by-Side Refrigerator range facilitates control using SmartThings app, thanks to being Wi-Fi enabled.

The Family Hub feature on is a convenient way to keep track of your family’s schedule and grocery list, and even play music or watch videos. Accessible via the SmartThings app on your smartphone, Family Hub 7.0 is an excellent tool for modern families who want to stay organised and connected. Its intuitive interface and range of features can help you manage your household and enjoy your downtime, all from your kitchen.

How to connect Family Hub to the SmartThings app:

Step 1: Open the SmartThings app on your smartphone and press the ‘+’ icon
Step 2: Tap on ‘Device’ and select ‘Refrigerator’. After this, select ‘Samsung’ and then select ‘Family Hub’
Step 3: Now, tap on ‘Start’ and select a ‘Location’ and ‘Room’. Tap on ‘Next’
Step 4: Once you are on the Family Hub refrigerator option, swipe down and tap on ‘Settings’
Step 5: Tap on ‘Connections’ and then on ‘Easy Connection’. Once done, tap on ‘Connect’ and wait while the connection gets established
Step 6: Finally, enter the PIN showed on your refrigerator in your smartphone, and you’re all set to use the Family Hub feature

It must be noted that the Family Hub refrigerator and your smartphone need to be connected over the same Wi-Fi network.

Now, let’s show you how to use the Family Hub feature on the Side-by-Side Refrigerator

1. The Family Hub interface can be accessed from the ‘Home’ option on the refrigerator’s screen

2. From the main screen, you can avail a myriad of different benefits such as:

• Calendar: Add important events, set reminders for daily tasks, and view your family’s schedule on the refrigerator
• Memo: Create notes, grocery lists, to-do items, or even messages for your family members
• Analogue Bulletin-Board: Decorate your refrigerator screen with curated boards, capturing precious moments with your loved ones by photos, videos & memos. Simply upload the contents from your smartphone via the SmartThings app
• Shopping & Cooking: Create shopping lists, get recipe suggestions based on food items inside, and even order groceries from your refrigerator
• Entertainment: Play your favorite music, watch TV shows, stream videos using your favorite apps, and even catch live sports – all via the refrigerator. You can also access Samsung TV Plus that comes with 100 free channels to get the best of personalization
• Smart Home: Connect to other smart appliances and IoT-enabled devices in your home, including lights, curtains, door camera, etc to enjoy complete ease of living

3. You can also customize the Family Hub interface by adding apps/widgets or changing the wallpaper. To do this, swipe up from bottom of the refrigerator screen to view all the available apps and then add the desired app; or add a widget. You can also tap on an empty space on the ‘Home’ screen to add your favorite apps, widgets, photos, videos, stickers, memos, drawings, and much more.

4. To use voice interaction on the Family Hub, you can tap the voice command option from below and use Bixby, Amazon Alexa and others

And just like that, you can use the Family Hub feature seamlessly on Samsung’s Side-by-Side Refrigerator to champion food and household management, and stay connected with your loved ones – all using your refrigerator.