If the fridge operation depends on a simple thermostat and compressor, then it's more reliable and can be repaired with lamp wire and a soldering iron if it does break. Samsung would rather have a system depending on a control board they build for $3 and sell you for $600 when it breaks.

Electrical controls are cheapers

Like not controls as in the "colder" knobs, but what senses and maintains the temp. When/if that turns off, the fridge can't tell what temp it is. It could be zero or 100, shutting off ruins the food, but not turning off would permanently break the fridge.

One of the few silver linings to data centers is it may change the math and we'll start to see old school 1950s "dumb" appliances again just because the components for a smart fridge are now more expensive.

Our prices won't go down, but at least it'll be a dumb fridge that gets replaced in 40 years instead of the new ones that barely last a decade.

Because how else will they enshittify it?

Having a camera to check the inside when you are at the shop to remember something you forgot it's nice but I wouldn't trade that for enshitification when it can be achieved with a RPI.

One good function is cooling while no-one's in the room, so that the fridge goes quiet when anyone is in hearing distance. Decibel limits for set times of day works about the same.

It's not just a pump, it's a linear compressor driven at any frequency or stroke length accoring to the situation, and there's a variable speed fan with lots of valves for directing cold air to where warmth is detected. It's hard to hear when the compressor starts because it slowly sneaks up to full speed and full stroke over a minute.

I still haven't dared to give my LG fridge-freezer network access, but it may have already found its way out via a neighbour's LG TV.