In 2016, Samsung announced its aim to launch a “revolutionary advancement that changes the refrigerator category in meaningful ways.” Since then, the subsequent versions of the Family Hub have continued to get better and better. At CES 2019, Samsung unveiled the new Family Hub, one of the company’s most anticipated products that has been packed with upgraded features.

The new Family Hub is all about giving over more time to the family, offering them a communal, emotional and cultural experience in the kitchen. Popular smart features – including built-in view cameras, voice recognition technology and music and radio streaming – are all there. But Samsung has taken it to the next level by enriching the core values of the Family Hub with enhanced AI and IoT capabilities. Let’s take a look at what the company has put in the new smart kitchen assistant.

Share Memories and Memos on the Family Board

One of the most exciting new features is the Family Board. Families around the world use their refrigerator doors as bulletin-boards to share various things with each other – whether it’s by posting each family member’s schedule and the weekly menu, attaching travel magnets of the countries that they have visited, or proudly displaying the kids’ artworks for everyone to see.

According to a survey conducted by Samsung, over 60% of Family Hub users in the US are families with children. That’s why Samsung paid close attention to updating this distinct feature. The Family Board allows family members to interact with one another and share countless memories, giving the refrigerator’s screen a familiar, analogue feel. Meanwhile the Home Screen offers a digital service experience with an overview of important information and apps. The new Whiteboard has been updated with smart calligraphy that can recognize handwriting and a drawing function that can identify the objects depicted.

There is also a dynamic screen saver feature that can be used to display precious family moments or blend into your home with ambient mode when Family Hub’s touch screen is not in use.

Experience Seamless Home AI with the New Bixby

Another feature that sets the 2019 Family Hub apart from previous iterations is support for the new Bixby.

The new Bixby offers more services, allowing users to seamlessly control and monitor home IoT devices and services from the kitchen with your voice alone. For example, when you run out of ideas on what to cook for dinner, you can ask the new Bixby to search for recipes that cater to your taste and new Bixby will respond with suggestions. You can also check the weather forecast ahead of time, so if new Bixby tells you that rain is on the forecast, you can set a reminder to tell the family to take an umbrella. With a 21.5-inch touchscreen, users can also check at a glance whatever weather charts or recommended restaurant lists and ratings that the new Bixby finds.

Enjoy More Home Entertainment Features

A lot of multitasking is required in the kitchen, so it can get quite hectic when you have to chop, prepare, and cook dishes at the same time. It gets even more tricky when your phone starts to ring. With an enhanced Smart View, multitasking is made easy, as you can mirror third-party apps on Family Hub’s screen seamlessly from your Galaxy phone, without the need to run the Smart View app on the fridge. Not only does the new Bixby allow you to answer a call hands-free, you can also browse through the millions of third-party apps available for the kitchen.

It’s now even easier for users to manage their apps on Family Hub, with efficient installation, updates and deletion from the Apps menu. On top of that, the Home Service can set the mood with music when you are preparing a small gathering or turn on your favorite playlist while you are cooking.

Get Smart about Food Management

Last but not least, the kitchen experience has become more intelligent and efficient with updated features for Food Management. With the new Family Hub 2019, you can search for healthy recipes or preset the oven directly from the Recipes app with easy-to-use voice features. You can also add items to your Shopping List or tag items for reminders and expiration dates.

CES 2019 has officially begun, and Samsung’s booth is abuzz with people eager to get a closer look at the company’s latest groundbreaking innovations.

Located in the heart of the Las Vegas Convention Center, ‘Samsung City’ is a must-see site for attendees of the tech industry’s biggest event. With ‘districts’ showcasing the company’s newest TVs, monitors, appliances and more, this innovative hub allows visitors to experience, firsthand, Samsung technologies that are taking AI, IoT and connectivity to the next level – and changing the way people live, work and connect.

If you won’t be able to make it to CES to see the company’s innovations in person, don’t fret. Here’s a handy roundup of five key themes that sum up this year’s showcase.

#1 Appliances Get Better with Bixby

Many of the innovations on display in the booth demonstrate dynamic ways that the latest version of Samsung’s intelligent platform, Bixby, will change how people manage daily life.

Housework is a breeze with Bixby-enabled appliances, which allow users to easily automate common household tasks and take the guesswork out of others. For example, when users place their clothes into Samsung’s new Air Dresser, Bixby helps the device select the optimal setting to treat them. It can also help users find the perfect cycle to finish their laundry with the new WF6300R Front Load Washer. Once the laundry load is done, Bixby will automatically set the dryer to the appropriate setting.

In the kitchen, Family Hub’s Bixby integration allows users to streamline everything from meal prep to entertainment. Whether you want to preheat the oven or find a delicious new recipe, with Bixby’s voice support, all you have to do to is say the word.

And thanks to its deep integration with Samsung’s 2019 QLED TVs, you can also command Bixby to tell you more about a particular show or film you’re watching, manage playback controls, and help you find more content you’ll love.

#2 Samsung’s Steering the Future of Display Technology

Speaking of TVs, Samsung kicked off CES 2019 with the reveals of a number of innovative displays that demonstrate how the company is leading the future of this technology – setting new standards for immersion, and making the screen ‘the center of the AI era‘.

Perhaps the most eye-catching addition is the new, 219-inch, 6K version of Samsung’s modular Micro LED display, The Wall. The follow-up to last year’s debut model seamlessly blends into any space – whether it be as a 219-inch 6K screen, a 16:9, 146-inch 4K display, or a 21:9 aspect ratio wide screen. It also features a fresh new user interface, as well as Samsung’s Quantum Processor 8K chip – the industry’s first AI-powered picture-processing engine.

With the push of a button, visitors to the interactive exhibit can see for themselves how the revolutionary processor, which is featured throughout Samsung’s 2019 QLED 8K lineup, upscales any content – regardless of the native resolution – to near-pristine 8K quality.

The combination of pristine QLED picture quality and likewise beautiful aesthetics allow Samsung’s newest lifestyle TVs, The Frame and Serif TV, to offer a TV experience unlike any other. Both feature award-winning designs that elevate the décor of any living space, as well as enhanced smart features that offer users greater control over their content.

#3 Taking Gaming to the Next Level

Visitors to Samsung City will find plenty of fun and excitement, especially when they see what Samsung has in store for gamers.

When gaming, a monitor’s performance can mean the difference between experiencing the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. Samsung optimized its new, 49-inch CRG9 gaming monitor with gamers’ needs in mind, combining standout specs – including HDR10 support, a peak brightness of 1,000 nits, a 120 Hz refresh rate, and a 5120 x 1440 resolution – to offer users an edge over the competition.

The result of the company’s efforts is the world’s first Dual QHD super ultra-wide gaming monitor, and an official Honoree in the CES 2019 Innovation Awards’ Gaming and Computer Peripherals product categories, respectively. Visitors to the booth can see for themselves how the monitor’s premium performance, immersive design and comfort-enhancing features elevate the entire gaming experience.

Also featured in the showcase is the latest addition to Samsung’s powerhouse lineup of gaming laptops: the new Notebook Odyssey. This year’s model is packed with enhancements that foster next-level gaming experiences, including a flawlessly smooth 144 Hz G-Sync display, an innovative Jet Blade cooling system that ensures smooth performance during heavy gameplay, and other performance-minded enhancements.

#4 Shifting the Connected Car from Concept to Reality

Samsung’s CES 2019 lineup demonstrates exciting ways that the company is steering the future of connected technologies. And perhaps no single exhibit encapsulates Samsung’s role as a driver of innovation quite so effectively as the demo for the latest version of its Digital Cockpit platform.

This year, Samsung is inviting CES 2019 attendees to experience for themselves how the company’s latest advancements in 5G, AI and IoT technologies have allowed it to create a connected car experience that not only adds new layers of comfort to users’ daily routines, but is also seamless, intelligent, and above all, safe.

Hands-on demos illustrate how the platform’s Bixby and SmartThings support offers users seamlessly control over their home’s IoT devices when they’re in the car, in addition to enabling them to easily manage key vehicle functions from home. The platform also takes personalization to the next level – tailoring seat, temperature and entertainment settings to each passenger – and is compatible with a front-facing camera and driver-monitoring system that helps drivers focus on the road and drive safely.

The exhibit also includes an eye-catching diorama that allows guests to see exactly how Samsung’s connected driving and C-V2X (Cellular-Vehicle to Everything) technologies will transform cities just like theirs, helping people commute more safely and efficiently.

#5 Robotic Companions Are on Their Way

The robotic companions that Samsung is showcasing at this year’s event were created to enrich users’ lives, and help make a positive impact in the world by offering solutions for societal challenges affecting the ageing population, and even the environment.

Samsung City hosts a total of four different types of robots, which are being developed for use in fields ranging from elder care to retail. Enlightening demonstrations introduce the first exciting products of the company’s ‘Samsung Bot’ robotics platform, as well as the mobility-focused Samsung GEMS.

(From Left) Samsung Bot Retail, Samsung Bot Care, Samsung Bot Air. The three Samsung Bots were debuted at CES 2019.

Samsung Bot Care is the healthcare-specialized robot, which can measure user’s blood pressure, heart rate, respiration and sleeping state, and is even capable of reminding them when it’s time to take their medicine. The Samsung Bot lineup also includes Samsung Bot Retail, which streamlines ordering and payments and offers a personalized retail experience and Samsung Bot Air, which uses sensors to detect the precise source of pollution and purify the air.

Short for “Gait Enhancing and Motivating System,” Samsung GEMS assists users with walking, and can also help them strengthen their muscles and improve their mobility and balance.

And thus concludes our roundup of Samsung’s key themes for CES 2019. If you happen to be attending this year’s event, be sure to stop by the company’s booth to experience these and other dynamic innovations for yourself. And don’t forget to stay tuned to Samsung Newsroom for more updates on the company’s latest technologies.

Samsung Electronics today unveiled the next generation of its award-winning Family Hub refrigerator, continuing to innovate and redefine the refrigerator category. Family Hub continues to set a new standard for connected living, bringing the family together in the kitchen while freeing users up to focus on what’s important to them.

As the new generation of homeowners look to technology to define both who they are and how they want to live their lives, there is no better place to do this than in a connected kitchen. And with the Family Hub, which offers the simplified connectivity they’ve grown accustomed to, families can spend more time focusing on the things that matter most to them.

In 2019, with the new Family Board, a communal screen that family members can interact with in a personalized way, Family Hub helps foster true family connection, food management, and a connected home experience in today’s fast-paced modern world.

“When we first launched Family Hub three years ago, it was an app-based experience anchored in food management, family connections and entertainment,” said John Herrington, Senior Vice President, General Manager of Home Appliances, Samsung Electronics America. “Today we are introducing the latest version of Family Hub featuring Bixby with AI capabilities. Bixby now provides a new level of connectivity and intelligence designed to make everyday tasks much easier. When combined with our new Family Board, the Family Hub is the perfect combination of convenience and connectivity.”

Intelligence

Bixby allows for a smarter, hands-free, more personalized way to use the Family Hub. Users can ask Bixby for their Morning Brief while getting breakfast ready for the kids so they know all of their daily essentials like the weather and top news. All of this appears on the Family Hub screen so they can see as well as hear it. And through Bixby’s voice ID technology, each family member’s voice is distinguished, so everyone can get tailored information for their individual needs. Bixby is even smarter and more conversational – allowing users to interact more naturally. Imagine, now users can search for a plane ticket through Expedia, call an Uber and pre-set the oven temperature just by talking to the Family Hub.

Taking intelligence a step further, with the Family Hub’s seamless integration of SmartThings, owners can now see and control hundreds of Samsung and third party smart home devices right from the refrigerator screen and by voice with Bixby.

Family Connections

The new Family Board screen acts as a digital bulletin board in which members can easily stick notes and photos and even doodle right on the screen. Users can now have a devoted screen to share photos, messages and memories on their fridge, and are able to customize their photos with different photo styles, add handwritten notes and stickers, and even change the background color to match their kitchen – all bringing the family closer to elevate the way they connect and share.

The Family Hub displays a dynamic screen saver that can be used to display precious family moments, important information such as the weather, or even artwork. It can also be set to blend with the décor in the kitchen.

Healthier Food Management 

From the beginning, food management with Family Hub has been a cornerstone feature elevating the way homeowners manage their food – whether using “View Inside” to see if they need eggs from their smartphone while at the store or adding items to their shopping list and tagging expiration dates. The Family Hub enables a user to create better and healthier meals with Meal Planner, which customizes recipes based on food preferences, dietary needs and the items in the fridge.

In 2019, Samsung will expand the Family Hub platform across more models to ensure that there is a Family Hub configuration that meets the needs of all consumers.

A 2019 CES Innovation award Honoree in the Software and Mobile Apps product category, the new Family Hub will be featured at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) from January 8-11, 2019 at booth 15006 Central Hall at the LVCC. For more information about Samsung Home Appliances, please visit www.samsung.com/my.

Samsung Electronics today announced how the company’s investment and leadership in AI, IoT, and 5G technologies will serve as the building blocks for its vision for Connected Living. The company also unveiled its future AI-powered robotics platforms, which can be used to manage activities of daily living, such as helping an aging population independently manage their health routine.

“2019 is Samsung Electronics 50^th anniversary, and for the last five decades, we’ve been committed to bringing meaningful innovations to consumers everywhere,” said HS Kim, President and CEO of Consumer Electronics Division, Samsung Electronics. “In 2019, we’re taking things to the next level, and leveraging our industry leadership to make our vision of Connected Living a reality.”

Accelerating the Intelligence of Things with IoT, 5G, and AI  

Driving Samsung’s Connected Living philosophy is the Intelligence of Things – IoT, 5G, and AI working together across devices, to create seamless experiences. At its CES press conference in Las Vegas today, the company explained how its work in these core technologies is enabling innovation throughout its product portfolio.

Since unifying the SmartThings app and introducing the SmartThings Cloud, the SmartThings ecosystem has grown significantly. The number of registered SmartThings users has grown 220 percent and app installs have increased 61 percent. The number of partners participating in this ecosystem has also grown by 44 percent. Today, consumers can enjoy SmartThings experiences with devices from top global brands like Amazon, Google, Bose, Sylvania, and Plume.

Samsung leveraged its telecommunications leadership to make major strides in bringing 5G connectivity to consumers. Samsung is the number one patent holder with ETSI¹, having registered more than 2,000 5G essential patents as of November 2018. And it is the world’s first company to receive FCC approval on its commercial 5G equipment. The company powered the commercialization of home and mobile 5G networks with major U.S. carriers and all three mobile carriers in Korea, with additional trials running in Europe and Asia. Samsung is also committed to putting the power of 5G in consumers’ hands, with a 5G smartphone coming in the first half of 2019.

Samsung believes that AI is most useful when it helps to simplify a complex world. To that end, the company established seven Global AI Centers, and is adopting unique technologies into its products and services. And to ensure that Samsung works with the best and the brightest in the field, Samsung NEXT and the Samsung Strategy and Innovation Center (SSIC) have invested in more than 20 AI-related startups over the last five years.

Bixby, Samsung’s Intelligence Platform, Expands

Bixby started as a smarter way to use your Galaxy phone. Today, it is evolving to become a scalable, open AI platform that will support more and more devices. The company announced that Bixby intelligence will be infused into its 2019 QLED and premium TVs, and smart appliances like refrigerators, washers, as well as air conditioners, mobile devices, AI speakers and more. What’s more, Bixby is expanding to a new Digital Cockpit and robotics platforms.

Uber, Ticketmaster and others are using Bixby to make their services more intelligent. Today, Samsung announced that iHeartRadio joined as a new partner. And, Bixby will continue to grow as more partners, such as Google, join the ecosystem.

Samsung also announced its core AI philosophy: Fairness, Accountability, and Transparency. As it works to advance AI technology, Samsung is committed to ensuring the algorithms it builds are inclusive, the protection of user information and privacy are top priorities, and it’s easy for consumers to understand what the company does with their data and how it is handled.

Next Level Experience of Samsung’s 2019 Portfolio

Samsung also introduced a lineup of new innovations, all of which streamline and simplify day-to-day tasks, and offer a more personalized and unique experience for each user, in a way that only Samsung can.

Entertainment:

Samsung unveiled its 98” QLED 8K – it’s largest yet – adding to its 2019 lineup that features 65”, 75”, 82”, and 85” models. Embedded with the Quantum Processor 8K chip, the 2019 8K line delivers the best in QLED picture quality, design, smart features in more sizes than ever in stunning 8K resolution. Whether a viewer is watching content through a streaming service, set-top box, HDMI, USB or even mobile screen mirroring, Samsung’s proprietary AI-based technology can recognize and upscale any content, regardless of the native resolution, to near pristine 8K quality. This is Samsung’s smartest and most powerful TV yet.

In 2019, Samsung Smart TVs offer more ways to search for content and more compatibility with connected devices than ever before. With an improved AI algorithm that leverages a user’s subscription services, favorite content, and TV viewing habits, the Universal Guide makes it easier for users to find the perfect show for them to watch. Users also have more options than ever to quickly and easily find and control their favorite content with just their voice by using new Bixby and the AI Remote as well as even more ways to control their Samsung TVs through Amazon Echo and Google Home.

In a move to deliver more entertainment options, value and open platform functionality to Samsung Smart TV users, Samsung announced it will offer iTunes Movies and TV Shows and Apple AirPlay 2 support on 2019 Samsung Smart TV models beginning this spring. Support on 2018 Samsung Smart TVs will be made available via a firmware update. In an industry first, a new iTunes Movies and TV Shows app will debut only on Samsung Smart TVs in more than 100 countries. AirPlay 2 support will be available on Samsung Smart TVs in 190 countries worldwide.

Home:

Family Hub 2019 is more intuitive and intelligent than ever before. The new Family Board offers a completely redesigned screen experience, letting family members communicate and share memories in a creative space on the front of the fridge. Honored with a CES 2019 Innovation Award, Family Hub 2019 with the new Bixby lets users interact in natural language to get answers to complicated questions, preset the oven, search for recipes, and even call an Uber. In addition, Bixby visually shows you information on the screen for a richer experience and displays an array of visual information. These new features will also be available via automatic update for most earlier Family Hub models.

The new front load washer, also a 2019 CES Innovation Award winner, can finish a full load in just 30 minutes² with the SuperSpeed feature. With Bixby, users can also control its smart features like getting recommendations for the best wash cycle, scheduling a cycle to be completed at a users’ preferred time, automatically connecting the dryer cycle when the washer is done, or monitoring usage to efficiently manage their laundry appliances.

Work:

Samsung revealed a line of new, innovative products that combine productivity and flexibility to help consumers get things done more conveniently. The redesigned Notebook 9 Pro is engineered for on-the-go modern professionals to help them reach their true creative potential, while the Notebook Odyssey gaming laptop, powered by the new high-end NVIDIA® GeForce RTX 20-series GPU, is ready for both work and play. Samsung Space Monitor leverages its sleek design and functionality to allow users to focus on what’s on the screen and not what’s around it. Its unique built-in space saving solution, a minimalist, fully-integrated clamp stand that grips to the desk, tilting back and forth to free up space for optimal user productivity. Beyond aesthetics, Samsung’s Space Monitor is a feature-rich, high-performance monitor. The 27-inch model offers QHD resolution for incredibly detailed, sharp images, while the 32-inch model presents content in 4K UHD.

Connected Driving:

Samsung also presented its latest development with HARMAN, showcasing its innovation in automotive technology. The Digital Cockpit 2019 offers an enhanced connected car experience focused on connectivity, personalization, and safety.

With the integration of Bixby’s connected car experience, drivers can remotely check how much gas they have before going on a long road trip or set the car temperature before heading out for the day. Using onboard cameras, the new Digital Cockpit recognizes specific drivers and passengers and sets up the car’s personal space accordingly – adjusting the display preferences, seat height, lighting, and queuing up favorite playlists. Passengers can even enjoy personalized screens on the rear seats and connect to In-vehicle Samsung DeX to get work done on-the-go. The Digital Cockpit 2019 also provides a safer driving experience with the mirror replacement vision system and camera-based safety solutions.

All of this is possible thanks to Cellular-V2X technology that incorporates Samsung’s expertise in mobile network solutions with automotive technologies. With Samsung’s C-V2X, cars will be able to receive and analyze information that will make the driving experience safer and more enjoyable.

Device Solutions:

In order to power tomorrow’s AI technologies, Samsung emphasized that today’s AI infrastructure must evolve to handle intelligence at the edge. For this reason, the company is working to launch a comprehensive portfolio of solutions that will shape the future of intelligent devices.

Samsung’s mobile memory and AI-enabled processors, including the recently-announced Exynos Auto line, will allow for faster and more efficient on-device processing. At the same time, its advanced memory solutions will meet the rigorous demands of tomorrow’s datacenters and enterprises as they look to complete more complex AI tasks.

Robotics Platforms for the Future of AI

Samsung offered a peek into the future of Connected Living by demonstrating its latest developments in robotics platforms including the Samsung Bot Care, Samsung Bot Air, Samsung Bot Retail, and Samsung GEMS. Among the robotics platforms, Samsung gave a first public demonstration of Samsung Bot Care, which helps consumers manage their daily health routines. With its advances in AI and robotics, the company is harnessing its best assets to make a positive impact on society and shape a better world.

For more information including photos and videos, please visit news.samsung.com. Samsung’s CES booth #15006 is on Level 1 of Central Hall in the Las Vegas Convention Center and will be open from January 8-11, 2019.

CES 2019 Press Conference Video

¹ European Telecommunication Standards Institute

² Based on using SuperSpeed on a Normal cycle with an 8lb load.