LG Electronics at the 2016 IFA trade show in Berlin is showing off a prototype refrigerator sporting a massive Windows 10 tablet on one of its front doors.
Known officially as the LG Smart InstaView Door-in-Door Refrigerator, the appliance features a 29-inch integrated tablet mounted portrait-style. The display can be used for the usual smart fridge tasks - showing recipes, watching cooking videos on YouTube, jotting down a shopping list and so on - but what's really neat here is the fact that the display is semi-transparent.
When you want to see what's inside the fridge, you can simply activate the screen's semi-transparent mode for a quick peek inside without having to open the door. You can even use overlays to create virtual post-it notes or compartments to keep food separated. For example, you could section off an area for gluten-free foods or if you have roommates, assign regions for each occupant.
As is the case with most smart appliances these days, this falls comfortably into the "need" category - a luxury or toy, really, as you can get a basic refrigerator for far less than what I assume this will cost (if it ever makes it to market).
Again, this is just a prototype at this point which means LG wasn't able to comment on its (potential) price or release date. That said, given Samsung's similar Family Hub fridge goes for around $4,000, LG's model will likely come in at around the same price point.
All images courtesy Tom's Guide