Thread

Samsung accidentally freezes its smart fridges with a software update

247 points · 284 comments · Markoff

diskzero · 1790171248 · focus · HN ↗
We ended up with a Samsung fridge in our new home. It has no external display or any other indication that it is a "smart" fridge. I only found out when a friend visited who has a Samsung phone and the phone offered to connect to the fridge. We spent the next 30 minutes removing panels from the fridge and found the wifi/bluetooth antenna on a small board under the top-right hinge cover. The board was disconnected and the fridge continues to operate normally.
I am now eyeing my dishwasher very suspiciously.
1. cogman10 · 1790171586 · focus · HN ↗
  Samsung has made garbage appliances for my entire life. A family member went through about 3 different samsung fridges before they swore them off for good. The compressor would routinely break after only a year or 2 of service.
  I will never own a Samsung or LG appliance. They are built almost explicitly to force you to get a new one in a couple of years.
  Then couple that with both companies trying to use weaselly legal maneuvers like putting the EULA that agrees to arbitration on the outside of a box and saying "If you open this box you agree to the EULA".
  1. konfusinomicon · 1790172384 · focus · HN ↗
    damn I really like my samsung fridge and dishwasher that ive had for just over 2 years. Hopefully my fate is not the same cause that dishwasher is quieter than a church mouse. if it is, back to the scratch and dent appliance store for something else I guess
    bluGill · 1790180318 · focus · HN ↗
    Samsung has been around for a while now. I wouldn't be surprised if they finally decided to fix their issues and new ones work fine. However I still won't be allowing them in my house for a few decades at least to be sure. Partially because I was burned in the past.
    Since you already have them I wish you luck. Maybe they now last.
  2. malfist · 1790172593 · focus · HN ↗
    Why are you throwing LG in with Samsung? They routinely have some of the most durable appliances, check consumer reports if you don't believe me. They even offer ten year warranty on their direct drive washer and dryers
    lmz · 1790172884 · focus · HN ↗
    There was a US lawsuit against them for their linear compressors: <a href="https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/consumer/fridge-failures-federal-lawsuit-cites-lg-refrigerator-issue/3552575/" rel="nofollow">https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/consumer/fridge-failures-...
    throw0101c · 1790177191 · focus · HN ↗
    > There was a US lawsuit against them for their linear compressors: <a href="https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/consumer/fridge-failures-federal-lawsuit-cites-lg-refrigerator-issue/3552575/" rel="nofollow">https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/consumer/fridge-failures-...
    Out of all the fridges that LG sold, what percentage had issues? LG sells a lot of units, so even small percentages may end up with 'critical mass' of problems that gains wider awareness.
    An article from an appliance retailer that has their own in-house service department, and so has statistics on repair rates of the various OEMs that they sell:
    * <a href="https://blog.yaleappliance.com/lg-compressor-class-action-lawsuit-2024" rel="nofollow">https://blog.yaleappliance.com/lg-compressor-class-action-la...
    Looking at service rates in total (for all issues), LG has the lowest number out of all the manufacturers they sell/service:
    * <a href="https://blog.yaleappliance.com/the-best-counter-depth-refrigerators" rel="nofollow">https://blog.yaleappliance.com/the-best-counter-depth-refrig...
    * <a href="https://blog.yaleappliance.com/most-reliable-counter-depth-french-door-refrigerators" rel="nofollow">https://blog.yaleappliance.com/most-reliable-counter-depth-f...
    brycewray · 1790178111 · focus · HN ↗
    Yes, recently replaced an LG refrig with that issue. Its second linear compressor in eight years was dying the way the first one had (four years after purchase, with the sympathetic repairman telling us this second compressor was the “fixed” model and should last for quite a few more years), so we bailed on it. Its 1985-vintage Whirlpool predecessor had worked for 32 years, FWIW.
    KetoManx64 · 1790172976 · focus · HN ↗
    Must be a different branch than the TV's, which spy on what you're talking about
    serf · 1790176344 · focus · HN ↗
    I understand the axe to grind, but what about their spy tech hurts durability or warranty prospects; the thing your comments' parent was talking about?
    KetoManx64 · 1790177327 · focus · HN ↗
    Do you not think it's relevant to mention to people that the appliance that they have in their house might be listening to everything they're saying and uploading it to LG's servers? A quick Google search shows that LG has WiFi enabled dishwashers/washing machines.
    IAmBroom · 1790182108 · focus · HN ↗
    Simply providing a "smart" appliance is not damning the entire product line.
    joquarky · 1790189619 · focus · HN ↗
    If you can disable the spying, then it's an irrelevant factor in the purchasing decision.
    Would you prefer an A-grade quality appliance that can spy but that spying can be disabled, or a B-grade appliance that doesn't spy but needs replaced in three years?
    KetoManx64 · 1790193175 · focus · HN ↗
    I would prefer not to financially support a company that doesn't spy on me, even if it costs me a few hundred dollars more.
    someotherperson · 1790173035 · focus · HN ↗
    There's other reasons to avoid LG: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToP9xfLDSME" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToP9xfLDSME
    downut · 1790175091 · focus · HN ↗
    Huh, two houses back I had a really fucking POS dryer that I got expert at replacing the "Dryer Thermal Fuse" (pick your own youtube video walkthrough) and my foggy memory says in my ear that it was an LG dryer. So I'm thinking, this commenter malfist, doesn't know what he is talking about and I'll go look in my notes.org and... NOPE! It was a Samsung DV42H5000EW/A3 model!
    Sorry malfist for thinking bad thoughts. I've redirected all that negative energy back to its rightful owner: Samsung.
    The washer next to that dryer was an LG, and in my notes I never touched it.
    Always good to reattach to reality.
    Ah, I see that the washer/dryer pair we bought new 4 years ago and hauled across the country are LG ThinQs. Very happy with them. Apparently can be "smart" but I shut that down.
    SlightlyLeftPad · 1790176181 · focus · HN ↗
    LG washers and dryers have consistently been one of the most reliable appliances I have owned.
    Other than minor design flaws like lettering that wipes off if laundry detergent contacts it (older models), that was the only issue I’ve had in 11 years.
    vladvasiliu · 1790184407 · focus · HN ↗
    I have an LG combined washer/dryer (I've used the drying less than 10 times in 3 years). I picked it because it wasn't too deep, so it could fit nicely in my small bathroom. I'm happy with how it cleans, but sometimes it will have an issue where it won't start spinning fast, because it has some sensor that detects that the unit shakes too much. It actually does shake, but it seems to have a hard time spreading the clothes so that it doesn't. Sometimes it will waste a good hour trying to start spinning. Not sure if it's somehow actually broken (like a busted damper or whatever), but this issue seems to have increased in frequency. And it does it both when there aren't many clothes and when it's rather full.
    iratewizard · 1790194438 · focus · HN ↗
    [dead]
    tstrimple · 1790197144 · focus · HN ↗
    My LG washer and dryer are just over 10 years old now. They haven't been flawless. I've had to repair both of them once. The washer had a pump go out so the clothes stayed soaked. The dryer had one of the rollers wear out. Both easy fixes under $50 following youtube videos. But we also have models before "smart" appliances were really becoming common. I'm still impressed by the washing machine. It gets cloths to "damp" before it's done. Far better than any other washing machine I've used before and cuts down on the work the dryer is doing.
  3. branko_d · 1790173192 · focus · HN ↗
    Is this lack of quality a US thing?
    Where we live (Kazakhstan), we had a Samsung fridge, AC and TV for about 7 years without any issues whatsoever. After moving to a new apartment, we bought another Samsung fridge and it has been quietly humming along for over 2 years now.
    I never heard anybody complaining about Samsung.
    toast0 · 1790174127 · focus · HN ↗
    Could be more features lead to more problems. Ice makers are highly desirable and often problematic.
    Could be that US runs on 120vac and that means a lot of different parts.
    Could be the US market gets more advanced compressors and what not to meet energy efficiency requirements (and maybe reduced noise) and Kazakhstan gets a simpler refrigerator that just keeps working.
    stasomatic · 1790267436 · focus · HN ↗
    Any product from almost any manufacturer has built-in obsolescence - unless you go mid-high end, like Bosch etc.
    Sammy/LG/GE business models aren't built on services but volume. If you buy a third party warranty service, that solves the issue somewhat, but they churn out so many models that parts become scarce.
    You just got lucky or your models are from a different era. I don't want to drop money on Bosch, so I buy the cheapest ones and just replace them when needed.
  4. martin_a · 1790173228 · focus · HN ↗
    > Samsung has made garbage appliances for my entire life.
    When I moved into my first own flat, family, friends and colleagues pressured me to buy good appliances. They will last longer they said.
    Buy Miele for a washing machine, nothing else, they said. I didn't had the money for that, so I bought a washing machine for 250 Euro. It has been going for 11 years, moved two times and doesn't show any signs of going out.
    Another friend told me he only buys Samsung fridges. Best machines, one shouldn't buy anything else. I bought a fridge for 200 Euro because I liked the retro look and its red color. Also going strong for 10 years and moving two times. He has got the third Samsung fridge in 10 years now.
    Yeah, that's anecdotal but I haven't really found the part where buying something more expensive really helped with expanding its lifespan, rather the contrary where "high tech" broke earlier or more often.
    kakacik · 1790173915 · focus · HN ↗
    Samsung/LG don't know how to build reliable white home appliances, or don't want to. Or black ones for that matter (remember FUBAR with Samsung bricking their expensive surround system for good? Not so long ago).
    No reason to buy those when you have ie some basic Bosch stuff. TBH smart stuff should be left to computers and phones, rest should be dumb as brick. But folks keep buying it for some reason (ie hey Samsung makes good phones, lets buy their fridge), hence crapware everywhere.
    bayindirh · 1790174388 · focus · HN ↗
    In my family we have 3 fridges, 2 washers and 2 dishwashers, and our experience a bit different than the rest of the thread.
    The fridges are dead-silent and working great for 7+ years. Washers are also nice, washing for a bit too long but don't wear the clothes down and have better stain removal performance than their peers, and dishwashers are extremely slow and not designed for European market. Their baskets are not suitable for our dishes, we can't fill them efficiently even.
    So, from experience their fridges are A-OK, washers are great with some caveats, but dishwashers are not good.
    My first choice is still BSH group and Beko, but Samsung is acceptable if required, but LG? Ain't nobody got time for that.
    riffraff · 1790177445 · focus · HN ↗
    My Samsung fridge worked fine for ten years and then broke down. Apparently it was the first generation of some new compressor or something and it was known to be problematic. The new ones come with an extra long warranty on that bit
    bayindirh · 1790178675 · focus · HN ↗
    The fridges we have at least 10 year warranties on the compressor, that's right. Considering the last fridge we had worked for ~20 years, I'm eager to see how planned obsolescence will play on these, yet they work pretty nicely.
    My own Siemens fridge is with me for ~14 years, as well.
    themaninthedark · 1790202409 · focus · HN ↗
    Right now all the new refrigerators seem to have 2 year warranties, even the ones from Costco. At least they give you extra extended.
    Last fridge I had was a Kenmore Elite with 10 year warranty, it failed to the same compressor issue that has been plaguing the LGs. It was replaced once under warranty but that failed 3 years later.
    Just got a GE; first one was DOA, didn't cool at all. My thermometer is saying it's replacement is currently sitting at 44F when it is set at 34F, I have had it for 2 weeks....
    epcoa · 1790178316 · focus · HN ↗
    It’s pretty well known in the US that LG washers perform better and have a far better parts and service network than Samsung. You think whatever you want though.
    bayindirh · 1790178564 · focus · HN ↗
    I'm not in the US though. The models, their performance and service networks are way different.
    I have replaced shock absorbers and power switch of a 15 year old Beko washing machine last year, and it cost me 6$ plus workmanship to get genuine parts installed in 20 minutes.
    I bet that won't be very possible over there, though.
    IAmBroom · 1790182024 · focus · HN ↗
    > It’s pretty well known in the US that
    If you're going to get snitty, cite your claim.
    epcoa · 1790276872 · focus · HN ↗
    Yale Appliance, Harper and Knowles. But I'm not sure why you think a snitty "but LG? Ain't nobody got time for that." deserves a more rigorous reply on an informal commentary site with delusions of grandeur. Like I said to the other dude, believe whatever you'd like. But if you're out in the sticks and you can't do your own service you probably shouldn't buy either.
    bayindirh · 1790283907 · focus · HN ↗
    Oh, somebody called me out. Hello, I’m the other dude. Let’s break down my grandeur delusions.
    I remember LG as Goldstar from my Grandma’s microwave oven. That was not something unreliable, but rather unremarkable appliance with no glaring problems. It was eh. Then they became LG.
    I remember their other electronics. AC units, phones, TVs, optical storage devices. All of them were either okayish or below that. Phones? Sub-par even if they were innovative. TVs? Unreliable and lower quality than their peers. Optical storage? Can’t read a disc it burned 30 seconds ago, or can’t rip an audio CD correctly, or broke in a year.
    I have seen so many LG devices fail or fail to meet their own specs they advertised with in my life, I have sworn to not buy any LG device ~25 years ago.
    I somehow had to buy one of their portable DVD burners because I needed something quick. It failed to read a pristine CD other drives read at full blast after taking it out of its box.
    So, please tell me I’m delusional. Invalidate my experience I collected over decades. Tell me about my grandeur.
    I can tell you how many Samsung devices I have still continue to run or outlived their expected lives in another comment, if you feel like reading it as well.
    I’m waiting.
    epcoa · 1790367761 · focus · HN ↗
    Nobody called you out. You really can believe whatever you want. The delusions of grandeur comment was clearly not addressed at you personally (“site with delusions of grandeur”). Touch grass, seriously.
    michelb · 1790175477 · focus · HN ↗
    >It has been going for 11 years, moved two times and doesn't show any signs of going out.
    I replaced my AEG washing machine last year after ±10 years of service. The new one, also roughly 200 euro, uses a fraction of the energy, and cleans better. I should have swapped it out way earlier to save money.
    M95D · 1790192908 · focus · HN ↗
    > I should have swapped it out way earlier to save money.
    Repeat that calculation after 9 more years.
    serf · 1790176271 · focus · HN ↗
    >Yeah, that's anecdotal but I haven't really found the part where buying something more expensive really helped with expanding its lifespan, rather the contrary where "high tech" broke earlier or more often.
    buy professional stuff that's expensive, not consumer gadgetry expensive.
    a samsung fridge is expensive because of the gimmicks and high tech integrations.
    a sub zero fridge is expensive because of the build quality and manufacturer network , part re-use and larger consumer part availability and market.
    bbatha · 1790179071 · focus · HN ↗
    Funnily sub-zero fridges are considered the samsung of the semi-commercial brands. They prioritize things like customizable doors and easy to break but consumer loved features like ice makers and water dispensers. You will never see sub-zero in actual commercial kitchens.
    diskzero · 1790185570 · focus · HN ↗
    Yes, I could have done without the ice maker. It never broke, but it did have a tendency to turn the ice cubes into a solid block.
    diskzero · 1790185500 · focus · HN ↗
    The previous house I moved from had a Subzero fridge in it from 1990. It was serviced in 2012 and was still running strong when I left. One thing that pleased me was the easy access to a parts catalog and the ability to easily order replacement parts. Some of the tray slides had cracked and I just ordered them online after consulting the catalog. I know the unit cost a fortune in 1990, but decades of service and the ease of ordering parts was certainly nice.
    e2le · 1790179101 · focus · HN ↗
    > buying something more expensive really helped with expanding its lifespan
    Expensive consumer appliances aren't always the same quality as expensive professional appliances.
    bluGill · 1790179836 · focus · HN ↗
    Many 250 appliances are targeted at landlords who care that the applicance is cheap and works for years without complaints. They don't care about features - they will never use them - just that it is good enough to check the box and the users don't get so mad they complain. They also don't care that it looks good so you get things that look cheap but last.
    Note that I said many above. there are also 250 appliances built for the penny wise and pound foolish - they will break in a few years (just long enough that the warranty is up).
    Even knowing that though, often there are features of the more expensive appliances that while not needed are nice enough that I'm willing to pay extra.
    kergonath · 1790179853 · focus · HN ↗
    > Buy Miele for a washing machine, nothing else, they said. I didn't had the money for that, so I bought a washing machine for 250 Euro. It has been going for 11 years, moved two times and doesn't show any signs of going out.
    Washing machines are a solved problem and it does not need a high tech solution. A good, reliable motor and good weights is pretty much it. No need for brittle over-engineering, fragile touchscreens or temperamental sensors.
    When I had to buy one, I got a basic Beko* because they are usually good with replacement parts, and it had the bare minimum in terms of electronics. It was also one of the cheapest, but that’s a consequence of the other criteria more than something I optimised. I would be reluctant to get a no-name Chinese one, even if it is cheap. Anyway, it’s been going for 5 years now just like on the first day. Very happy with it.
    > He has got the third Samsung fridge in 10 years now.
    Fridges are also a solved problem. It’s just a cooling loop with a radiator on one side and a pump in the middle, and good thermal insulation. Using three of them in 10 years is not very impressive, decent ones should go forever. There is no reason why one should fail before 10 to 15 years.
    > Yeah, that's anecdotal but I haven't really found the part where buying something more expensive really helped with expanding its lifespan, rather the contrary where "high tech" broke earlier or more often.
    Definitely. But I would not say that going for cheap is the best strategy. Going for simple and sturdy is, and it is usually correlated with being cheap. But there’s also a lot of cheap disposable crap.
    * I am not sure how well they are known around the world, it’s a Turkish brand. Their stuff is built mainly in Turkey and in my experience sturdy and easy to fix and repair, if a bit bare bones features-wise.
    frereubu · 1790180158 · focus · HN ↗
    > I got a basic Beko because they are usually good with replacement parts
    Can confirm this. My mum has broken two drawer fronts in her Beko freezer and I was pleasantly surprised with how easy it was to get replacements.
    fool0 · 1790184359 · focus · HN ↗
    The curious thing about fridges is RV fridges run off propane/DC/AC, have no moving parts, and when in use are constantly jarred due to road motion, and never break down -- nothing to break. Unfortunately, these absorbtion fridges tend to retail for high prices. I saw a Brazilian made one running off unscrubbed digester gas fed from the excreta of two immense pigs on a farm in Belize in 1996.
    My 2004 RV has one and runs whenever I need it. I'd insall it in my house but I'd need to build a cabinet, chimney and gas piping for it first... so instead I have to listen to a compressor spinning when it runs.
    No obsolescence, no spare parts, no breakdown, no posibility for continuing profit. Bad ideaQ
    4d4m · 1790186320 · focus · HN ↗
    Awesome tech! Just generates heat and is inefficient compared to a compressor so it is less popular in the US. There are also electric absorption fridges.
    Kirby64 · 1790198740 · focus · HN ↗
    They’re also substantially less efficient. No full size fridge would ever use them because they’d chew tons and tons of power to cool in a residential house.
  5. gambiting · 1790173496 · focus · HN ↗
    I wonder if it's a regional difference. Here in the UK I have their fridge and dryer - both came with 5 year warranty. My inlaws have their fridge in Poland, that came with a 10 year warranty on the compressor. They've had it now for 8 years and it's been working fine. Obviously it's anecdotes, but if a company offers 10 years warranty for something I tend to see that as a strong signal it's going to be at least somewhat reliable.
  6. mc32 · 1790173628 · focus · HN ↗
    From what people say, if you want french door fridges, Bosch and Fisher Paykel are the ones to go for.
    lotsofpulp · 1790177042 · focus · HN ↗
    I’ve had 3 LG french door fridges for 5 to 10 years and none have had any issues, and they cost half or a third as much as Bosch and Fisher Paykel.
    I feel like I save a lot more money just buying whatever decent rated LG stuff on Costco and replacing it whenever it breaks (hasn’t happened yet).
  7. runjake · 1790177485 · focus · HN ↗
    I think it may depend on the LG appliance. Their washers and dryers are generally rated pretty well and last a long time (personal experience). They are generally pretty self-repairable and parts aren't obscene (again, personal experience).
    That said, next go around, I'm buying a top loader Speed Queen Commercial washer and dryer. The ones with analog knobs.
    But yeah, I'd never buy a Samsung appliance and that seems to be universal advice among the clued.
    axus · 1790178128 · focus · HN ↗
    My Speed Queens with buttons/LED have been good for ~10 years now, only rare minor problems and none with the "electronics".
  8. gamblor956 · 1790184910 · focus · HN ↗
    As a counterpoint, my Samsung fridge has survived for 15 years, which is significantly longer than my mom's Maytag and Whirlpool fridges. Those two brands guarantee parts availability for decades...but that's because you'll need to fix them constantly.
  9. sekh60 · 1790186482 · focus · HN ↗
    I'd never buy one of their TVs or fridges (given the whole shoving ads into everything, probably nothing of theirs with a screen), but we did have a great experience with one of their washer and dryers. The dryer lasted us seven years, and we replaced the washer at the same time though it still worked. It's lifetime included our child's cloth diapers phase, they saw some heavy use.
    They were plain dumb devices.
  10. joquarky · 1790188847 · focus · HN ↗
    > If you open this box you agree to the EULA
    That's especially ridiculous if you consider that many customers will never see the box if they have someone else install it.
  11. bwiggs · 1790200205 · focus · HN ↗
    I once asked an appliance repairman which refrigerator brand to buy, to which he responded:
    "If I had a choice between a Samsung and an LG, I'd pick a Yeti cooler!"
  12. tim333 · 1790252220 · focus · HN ↗
    My Samsung laser printer is pretty good. Was cheap, works since purchase a decade or so back, doesn't try to extort you. Unfortunately HP bought Samsung printers after and discontinued the extortion free ones.

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