Samsung's new Family Hub smart fridge comes with a new price

Samsung debuted a number of new Family Hub smart fridges this year, including models that cost a heck of a lot less than the original models. This French door version, model number RF265BEAESR, can currently be had for less than $2,500 -- which is less than half of what the original Family Hubs debuted at. Click through to see if this once-pricey touchscreen fridge is suddenly a bargain.

The new, less expensive Family Hub models have the same 21.5-inch touchscreen as before.

They feature the same slate of fridge apps, too, along with some year two refinements to the user interface.

There are still cameras inside of the fridge that snap a photo of your groceries whenever you close the door. You can view those images of the interior on the touchscreen, or on your phone while you're out at the store. You can also use the camera feed to track ingredients, shopping lists and expiration dates.

The new Family Hub software also does a better job at tracking multiple users. You can even pick cartoonish avatars for each member of your family.

You'll find a couple of new apps, too, including this one for controlling Nomiku sous vide cooking devices.

Inside, you'll find 24.2 cubic feet of storage space, 16.2 of which are allocated to the fridge.

That's a touch small for a French door model. We had plenty of room for test groceries, but if you have more than four or five in your family, you might want to consider getting something bigger.

The cheaper Family Hub isn't as luxurious or feature-rich as the original, but it does come with a couple of extras, including this temperature-adjustable "Cool Select Pantry" drawer.

The build feels a but cheap in places, though. The crisper bins rattle a bit, for instance.

The freezer drawer is a little flimsy, too, and opens on its own whenever you open the freezer, forcing you to push it closed to access items below.

At the default setting, the Family Hub held steady, accurate temperatures in the body of the fridge. We found a couple of hot spots in the door shelves, though.

Dialing down a few degrees cleared those right up.

As of writing this, the French door Family Hub fridge can be had in plain stainless steel for $2,300, or black stainless steel for an additional $100. Read our full review for more details, along with a buying recommendation.