Home Automation is a future market that Apple will definitely be participating in over time. We've written a number of reports showing Apple's interest in this area of technology (one, two, three four and five) with one particular Apple patent figure illustrating a fridge with a large display on its freezer door, as noted below.





Today, the Korean press covered Samsung's entry into next generation Kitchen appliances starting with a smart fridge.

Family Hub: Top-of-the-Line Smart Refrigerator

"Fridges are not just for storing food anymore. They now have features that allow consumers to order groceries online, watch TV shows and listen to music.

Samsung Electronics released Wednesday a top-of-the-line refrigerator, called Family Hub, which has features that include voice control, screen mirroring and digital payment for online shopping.

Its right door sports a whopping 21.5-inch full HD touch screen, which is larger than the screen of a laptop or desktop PC. The versatile refrigerator is not just a conventional home appliance, but more of a digital hub that can connect users with family members and other digital gadgets at home, according to Samsung.

The Family Hub fridge is equipped with a built-in microphone and speaker that allows consumers to remotely leave voice messages through their smartphones. They can also pair their Samsung smartphone with the fridge to share images and videos.

Every time its door closes, three cameras installed inside the freezer automatically take photos of the food stored inside. Users can check on the food through a smartphone app.

'Consumers will not want to go back to the past (when smart fridges like the Hub did not existing), once they use the smart fridge,' said the Samsung executive."

At this of the game it's a fridge aimed at the rich and famous who won't mind paying the US$5,700 price tag. But like all new technology, prices will continue to fall as demand picks up.

About Making Comments on our Site: Patently Apple reserves the right to post, dismiss or edit any comments. Comments are reviewed daily from 4am to 6pm PST and sporadically over the weekend.