Samsung Launches Ads on Smart Fridges

Even so, the news is likely to spark another fierce backlash. Samsung announced that the 'feature' was coming to its smart fridges last month, and the response was frosty to say the least.

But the frustration for many is that there's even an 'Advertisements' tab in the fridge's settings, which didn't exist when the (very expensive) fridge first launched. That crosses a line that will likely overshadow the other features this update brings, including a new UI, improved AI-powered food tracking, and more.

We've previously criticized a similar approach on Amazon's Fire tablets. For a slight discount, you can let Amazon show ads on your tablet's lock screen. But the deal isn't particularly tempting – as my colleague Philip Berne wrote, "you save a few bucks" and "Amazon gets a billboard in your home forever".

Still, at least Amazon tries to subsidize its ad-infested tech. Samsung sadly seems oblivious to the negative reception to its "pilot" program, which it should at least be adapting based on user feedback. Judging by the early reception to the idea, that reception will be cooler than the fridge's built-in ice-maker.