Samsung Electronics recently held the Bespoke Home 2022 event, the second annual showcase of products and services within the Bespoke appliance line. Building upon the success of last year’s event, the company, this year, decided to focus on three key themes: space, experience and time, all with the combined goal of creating better homes for people and the planet.
During the event, Samsung noted they will be taking a far more holistic approach to its home appliances, expanding bespoke into several other living appliances with new colors, finishes and features. This also included the announcement of SmartThings Home Living, which adds substantial control, data and connectivity to the SmartThings App, integrating nearly all SmartThings products in the interest of creating a smarter, healthier and more human-centered home.
New Samsung Bespoke Kitchen Packages
In the first part of the event, Samsung announced the introduction of all new, AI-powered ovens for European markets in the second half of this year. In addition to allowing users to connect through SmartThings, change cooking settings and even view food progress through an in-oven camera, built-in AI Pro Cooking will be able to recognize ingredients, optimize settings and monitor food for users.
Additionally, the Sense-to-Open feature allows users to open the door with a single touch, leaving the face of the design smooth, clean and easy to use. The new oven will come as part of a larger package which will also include a Bespoke dishwasher and induction cooktop in the second half of the year.
Meanwhile, the company announced North American markets will be receiving their own Bespoke Kitchen Package which will include Bespoke French Door fridge, dishwasher, range and over the counter microwave.
Bespoke AI-Powered Washer and Dryer
Expanding out into the living space, the new AI-Powered Bespoke Washer and Dryer will be available in July and feature in both NA and EU markets. Sporting customization through both configuration of the appliances as well as color options, the duo will be able to be stacked horizontally as well as vertically.
The washer is set to come with an impressive 5.3.-cubic-foot load capacity, which, when combined with its AI capabilities, will allow for even more clothes to be washed in a more efficient manner. The OptiWash feature leverage AI learning to monitor soil levels, as well as material type, and then adjust detergent and wash time accordingly.
Likewise, the dryer will sport an AI Optimal Dry feature that continually monitors the moisture content in clothes to adjust the length and heat of the drying cycle. Both appliances will even be able to learn user preferences over time and offer personalized recommendations through the Smart Dial feature.
In the EU markets, these appliances will come with extra added energy efficiency and eco-friendly functionalities, including an AI Ecobubble feature that mixes air, water and detergent to be able to wash clothes at cooler temperatures.
Greater Customization and Personalization on the Way
During the event Samsung highlighted several of the ways in which it has been pushing the envelope of the design on its Bespoke products, including several limited releases, collaborations and competitions for designers and artists. Most recently this manifested in a release with Alex Proba, whose works explored expressions of joy and happiness told through colorful patterns inspired by nature.
The company has stated that they will be taking this customization one step further with the addition of the My Bespoke Service to the U.S. market. Through the service, homeowners will be able to add personal artwork and photographs to be included in the design of Bespoke refrigerators, creating one-of-a-kind home appliances for homes.
SmartThings Expands into SmartThings Home Life
Perhaps one of the biggest announcements, SmartThings Home Life will unify nearly all devices across the SmartThings home ecosystems under an enhanced control and data interface. Supported by over 270 global partners, this new expansion of the SmartThings App functionalities will allow homeowners to take direct control of thousands of devices, enabling a far more efficient, connected and personalized experience with Samsung’s home appliances.
The new feature will unite these products under six distinct services which include cooking, energy, clothing care, pet care, air care and home care. Under these distinct branches, users will be able to customize how their devices interact with each other based on the services they need while AI is able to provide recommendations and optimizations based on continued use.
In the case of SmartThings Cooking, for example, users can find recipes, tailor appliance settings for each step of the cooking process, manage shopping lists and better conserve food, with the services recommending recipes based on taste, dietary needs and available ingredients. Meanwhile, SmartThings Energy allows users to analyze energy and automatically turn on the energy saving mode of connected devices. The service will also regularly update with user reports on energy usage.
Creating a More Sustainable Product Lifecycle
Highlighting manufacturing, shipping, operation and end-of-life, Samsung outlined their continued efforts to support sustainability efforts at all stages of the product life cycle. For example, the company has stated that they continue to improve upon recycling methods for industrial waste which include glass, paint and oil, having already reached an 98% recycle rate on all industrial waste at its Korean factory.
In shipping, the company stated they have begun to use eco-packaging that consumers can repurpose into other functional elements in the home. It has also stated that it will be cutting back on the production of printed manuals and will instead start to leverage QR codes and digital databases to disseminate owner’s manuals and cut back on paper waste.
The products themselves have been drastically improved over the years, with Samsung continuing to focus on energy efficiency across all products. Thus far, the company has managed to increase the efficiency of its refrigerators by 67% since 2011, and its washers and dryers by 53%. The addition of the SmartThings Energy service will further enhance the efficiency of these product through its active regulation of their consumption throughout the day.
Finally, Samsung will be further extending the lifecycle of their products through modularity, durability and effective repurposing. Already the company has made it free in 50 countries to send back products at the end of their lifecycle so Samsung can recycle and repurpose still functioning elements. However, starting in July, the company will also be extending a 20-year warranty for the replacement of appliance components to keep them running long. The Bespoke Line’s own design also feature a modular component, allowing them to be updated to match newer designs, instead of having to be replaced entirely.
Samsung Discusses New Sustainability-Focused Products and Projects on the Horizon
Samsung also spoke on their ongoing collaboration with Patagonia to create a washing machine that minimizes the amount of microplastics developed during the washing process. According to the company, the finalized result of this product will be made available in all markets later this year.
Samsung has also announced their partnership with eco-friendly homebuilders Etopia on a pilot site that will combine construction, smart technology and new energy solutions to create what they’re describing as the net-zero buildings of the future in the second half of this year.
