According to an Insider report, Amazon may be developing its own smart fridge. According to internal reports, "Project Pulse," the project's name is being developed internally by the same Amazon "physical stores unit" that was responsible for the company's high tech Amazon Go stores.
Insider reports that Project Pulse is "designed to track your inventory, purchase habits, and predict what you'll want. It can even deliver it." You can also use the fridge to track expiration dates and suggest recipes based upon what is in your fridge.
Amazon already has a microwave, why not a refrigerator?
According to Insider, Amazon's attempt at fridges has been in the works for at most two years. This is under the direction of Gopi Prashanth (a director of computer- and artificial intelligence). According to the report, Amazon cannot predict when or if the product will be introduced, but it will likely partner other manufacturers if it does.
Smart fridges are not a new concept. Both LG and Samsung have offered smart fridges that can connect to digital assistants such as Bixby and order additional groceries. Amazon's greatest value would be its network grocery stores and the computer vision work done to identify grocery items in Amazon Go convenience shops and Dash carts, if it is really working on a refrigerator.
Amazon, like other product categories it has tried to enter (most recently thermostats), is well-positioned to lower its prices and integrate another smart home device within its ecosystem. This comes after years of work on Alexa. An Amazon spokesperson told The Verge that they don't comment on speculation or rumors.
This report should be taken with a grain. Amazon is large and has the resources to test many things, but never release them. Amazon's product ambitions are also subject to rumors and leaks. Bloomberg predicted that Amazon would not announce its long-awaited robot during its fall hardware event. However, it did, provoking privacy concerns and other reactions.
Amazon is yet to reveal its plans, but it's the same company that surprised everyone by releasing an Alexa-enabled microwave. It's what we have already requested.
