Samsung Bespoke AI Refrigerators Fail After Software Update Ahead of Chuseok

Samsung Electronics pushed out a faulty software update that bricked Bespoke AI 4-Door refrigerators right before the Chuseok holiday, according to reports from South Korean outlets including SBS Digital News and The Chosun Ilbo on Sept. 23, 2026. The botched firmware update caused units to power down, internal lights to shut off, and cooling functions to fail, leaving consumers scrambling to salvage stored food ahead of the long weekend.

Dozens of complaints flooded online consumer platforms like Samsung Members starting on the afternoon of Sept. 22, 2026, after users received update notifications through the SmartThings smart home platform. Consumers reported that their appliances became completely unresponsive to touch inputs, while others noted that their units simply appeared offline in the app. One affected owner interviewed by SBS Digital News stated that interior lights were off and touch inputs failed, meaning all the cold air had escaped while they were at work. Another user told The Chosun Ilbo that they had to discard fresh ingredients and prepped holiday meals bought in advance for Chuseok and family birthdays.

The hardware failures center primarily on the Bespoke AI 4-Door Refrigerator series released since 2024. As frustration mounted over spoiled groceries and difficulties reaching customer service, affected users resorted to packing dry ice into their refrigerators as a temporary stopgap. SBS Digital News reported that initial attempts to book on-site technician visits failed due to access disruptions on the reservation system, with customer service centers initially informing callers that repairs could only happen after the holiday.

Samsung Response and Emergency Repair Plans

Samsung Electronics issued an apology notice and immediately halted the distribution of the software update upon identifying that it had been mistakenly pushed to customers during testing, according to Chosun Ilbo. The company established an emergency response team with the goal of completing free repairs by Sept. 24, 2026. To handle the surge of emergency calls during the holiday approach, Samsung announced it would operate an on-call duty system across Sept. 26 and 27 to dispatch technicians for urgent refrigerator and freezer failures.

For affected customers, Samsung requested that users schedule service visits for verification while moving remaining food to ice boxes or similar containers to prevent further spoilage. Additionally, Chosun Ilbo reported that the company is actively reviewing compensation plans to address food loss and related damages incurred by households during the update failure.