Samsung is introducing new appliances that come equipped with AI-powered screens that not only display information about the appliance, but also allow users to control their SmartThings-powered smart home.
According to Samsung, the screens being added to the company’s appliances support voice control via Samsung’s Bixby AI and show information about the appliance’s task, such as internal temperature or washing cycle information. However, what sets the screens apart is the SmartThings Map View feature, which allows the appliance screens to function as smart home control hubs.
Samsung says the updated Map View feature allows users to select modes for connected devices such as an air conditioner or vacuum, and they can be directly accessed from the home screen. The new AI Home screens on appliances also function as a hub for controlling third-party SmartThings-compatible devices such as lights and plugs (like Shelly’s recently added wave devices).
“We have been leading the development of screen appliances to elevate our consumers’ experiences with innovative features and functionalities”, says Jeong Seung Moon, executive vice president and head of the R&D team for Samsung’s Digital Appliances Business. “Along with those efforts towards enhancing usability, we are expanding consumer options by developing screens of different sizes and products that effectively incorporate them.”
Samsung’s AI-Appliances Aren’t the First Shot at an Unconventional Control Hub
New appliances include a refrigerator with a new 9-inch AI Home screen, and a wall oven with a 7-inch AI Home screen. In addition, screens are being added to the Bespoke AI Laundry Combo now being included in the newly launching Bespoke AI Washer and Dryer set.

2024 Lighting Controls and Fixtures Report
Lightapalooza took place in late February, and the growth of the event has mirrored the rapid ascension lighting fixtures and controls.Download your copy now!
The new refrigerator featuring the 9-inch screen complement the company’s models with larger 21.5-inch and 31-inch Family Hub screens currently on the market. The Bespoke Refrigerator with the new, smaller AI Home screen is designed for consumers that want those advanced smart home features in a more compact size.
Elsewhere in the kitchen, Samsung is bringing the 7-inch AI Home screen to the Bespoke Wall Oven in North American markets. The company says this was enabled through an over-the-network update to the originally simple interactive LCD screen. In addition to smart home functionality, the oven now includes enhanced recipe recommendations, menus and other cooking guidance.
Like the other appliances, the AI screen on the oven can now also function as a smart home hub and entertainment source.
Prior to featuring in appliances, Samsung’s Map View turned its own TVs into smart home hubs, but Samsung isn’t the only manufacturer who has done this. Following Samsung’s announcement at CES 2024, Google added more control options for its own Home ecosystem on Google TV devices. Likewise, Roku, who has recently expanded into the smart home market, has been making it far easier for users to control their connected devices from their Roku TV. Despite there being precedent with the TV often being viewed as the center of the home, there is an equal case to be made nowadays that the kitchen has supplanted the living room as a popular gathering space.
If you enjoyed this article and want to receive more valuable industry content like this, click here to sign up for our digital newsletters!