Samsung is planning on launching a refrigerator with a built-in Android tablet and an internet-connected washing machine in the UK by the end of the year.
The South Korean electronics giant said the fridge will work with Android tablets and help users keep track of ingredients, order groceries and act as baby monitors using built-in cameras.
The fridge also comes pre-installed with the Evernote application, which lets couples share shopping lists as soon as they ran out of something.
A similar model has already been launched in the US and across parts of Asia.
Meanwhile, the company’s flagship washing machines can be controlled remotely using mobile apps.
Speaking at the manufacturer’s European Forum in Monaco, Russell Owens, Samsung’s head of sales for digital appliances, said the T9000 refrigerator and the 12kg washing machine will be available in Britain later in the year.
Although pricing has not yet been announced, a T9000 refrigerator without the touchscreen is sells in America for around $4,000 (£2,500).
Samsung’s flagship web-connected home appliances have previously been available in North America and Asia, but have not been available in Europe.
The T9000 refrigerator was launched at CES in Las Vegas in January.
Owens said that Samsung would concentrate on developing its premium appliance range in the UK, and that consumers increasingly associated the brand with connected appliances because of the “halo effect” from the company’s phones and TVs.
He described the category as “a major growth area” for Samsung. Consumers in the UK currently replace appliances because they are broken in two thirds of cases, but only replace them every ten years, or every 15 if they are built-in. Rival manufacturers including LG are also focusing on similar products, but have not announced UK availability.
