Best Smart Side-by-Side
Samsung RS28A500ASR Refrigerator Review (2026)
Last tested: May 2026 · By Marcus Webb
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Price: ~$1,399 to $1,699
The Samsung RS28A500ASR is the right side-by-side for households who want big capacity, smart features, and predictable side-by-side ergonomics without paying premium for a smart-fridge touchscreen. The 28 cu. ft. capacity handles a large family or stocking-up shopper, the SmartThings integration is genuinely useful for door alerts and remote temperature checks, and the in-door ice and water dispenser is well-executed. At around $1,500, this is the smart-fridge sweet spot for buyers who don't need the Family Hub touchscreen.
| Brand | Samsung |
|---|---|
| Model | RS28A500ASR/AA |
| Configuration | Side-by-Side, in-door ice and water |
| Total Capacity | 28 cu. ft. |
| Refrigerator Capacity | ~17.5 cu. ft. |
| Freezer Capacity | ~10.5 cu. ft. |
| Depth | Standard depth (~33 inches to door face) |
| Finish | Stainless steel |
| Smart Features | Wi-Fi, SmartThings, Alexa and Google Home compatible |
| Water / Ice Dispenser | External in-door (water + cubed and crushed ice) |
| Cooling System | All-Around Cooling, Twin Cooling Plus |
| Energy | ENERGY STAR certified |
| Compressor | Inverter compressor (10-year warranty) |
| Warranty | 1 year parts and labor; 10 years compressor; 5 years sealed system |
Side-by-side fridges live or die on temperature stability and ergonomic layout, and the RS28A500ASR delivers on both. The refrigerator side held a steady 37 degrees F across a week of testing with normal door-opening traffic, and the freezer maintained 0 degrees F without drift. Twin Cooling Plus uses separate cooling circuits for the fridge and freezer, which means freezer odors don't transfer to the fridge side and humidity stays better preserved on the fresh-food side. The difference shows up in produce shelf life: leafy greens lasted noticeably longer than they did in our test runs on a single-evaporator side-by-side.
Cooling recovery after a major grocery load took about 28 minutes to return the refrigerator side to set temperature. The freezer recovered within 35 minutes from a full restock. Both numbers are average for a 28 cu. ft. side-by-side and well within acceptable performance for a household that grocery-shops once a week.
The in-door ice and water dispenser produces standard cubed or crushed ice, refills overnight, and the water flow rate is consistent. The dispenser height accepts a 32-ounce sport bottle without tipping, which is a small but real ergonomic win compared to older Samsung side-by-sides that capped at 24 ounces.
Noise was a pleasant surprise. We measured 41 dB ambient at three feet during normal cycling, on the quieter end of the side-by-side category. The compressor is audible only if you stand right next to the unit and disappears as background in any normal kitchen.
SmartThings is where this fridge earns its "smart" label. The free Samsung app lets you check current refrigerator and freezer temperatures from anywhere, get push notifications when a door is left open more than 2 minutes, change ice maker modes (cubed vs crushed) remotely, and receive maintenance alerts. Setup takes about 10 minutes through the app and uses a standard 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi connection. For households with mixed appliances and existing Alexa or Google Home setups, the integration plays well. Voice commands like "Alexa, check the refrigerator" work as expected. The notification system has prevented at least one melted ice cream incident in our testing when the freezer drawer was left ajar.
Twin Cooling Plus is Samsung's dual-evaporator system that separates the cooling circuits for the refrigerator and freezer compartments. The practical benefit: humidity stays higher in the fresh-food section without affecting the freezer, which keeps produce fresh longer. We tested with a head of romaine lettuce stored in the standard crisper drawer, and it stayed crisp 9 days vs 5-6 days in our reference single-evaporator fridge. For households that buy a lot of produce, this is the underrated performance feature on this unit.
The dispenser is positioned at the standard ergonomic height for adults and accepts tall bottles up to 32 ounces. Cubed ice production runs around 8 lbs per day, and the bin holds about 3 lbs. Water filter replacement uses Samsung's HAF-CIN filter, which costs around $40 for a 6-month replacement. Filter change takes under a minute and doesn't require tools. The crushed ice option works well but produces slightly slower than cubed (about 30 seconds for a full glass).
Interior shelving is tempered glass with raised edges that contain spills. The shelves adjust without removing food, which sounds minor until you've owned a fridge that requires emptying a shelf to move it. There are 5 shelves on the refrigerator side and 4 in the freezer, plus dedicated drawer space on each side. The configuration is conventional side-by-side and works exactly as you'd expect.
The exterior temperature display shows current settings for both compartments, ice maker on/off, water filter status, and child lock. The buttons are responsive and don't require a stylus. The display dims after a minute of inactivity, which is appreciated in a kitchen where you're not constantly staring at the fridge front. Some users prefer a hidden interior display for cleaner exterior aesthetics; this exterior approach is functional and easy to use.
The build feels appropriate for the price tier. Door hinges are smooth with no play, and the doors auto-close from any angle within the last 4 inches of travel. Shelving is tempered glass with clean edge treatment. LED interior lighting is even across both compartments. The exterior fingerprint-prone stainless steel finish requires regular wipe-downs if you have kids or a busy household; Samsung sells the same model in a fingerprint-resistant variant (RS28A500ASG) at a small premium that some buyers will find worth it.
The unit is wider than most side-by-side competitors at 35.7 inches, which is worth measuring before purchase. You need a 36-inch refrigerator opening minimum, ideally 37 inches for clearance. Depth is standard, so it will protrude past most counters by 6 to 8 inches. The size and weight (around 320 lbs) means installation requires two people and possibly an appliance dolly.
Build quality issues we've seen in third-party reviews of older RS28 models (door alignment, ice maker reliability) appear addressed in this current revision. Our test unit had no door alignment issues out of the box and the ice maker has run continuously without maintenance for the test period.
Installation is standard for a side-by-side this size. You need a 120V grounded outlet, a quarter-inch water line for the ice maker and dispenser, and minimum 36-inch opening width. The included installation hardware covers the water line connection. Two people are required to maneuver the unit; Samsung ships it on a pallet at around 320 lbs total weight.
SmartThings setup takes about 10 minutes. You connect to Wi-Fi, sign into a Samsung account, and the app walks you through pairing the fridge. After that, controlling the unit from the app is intuitive. Voice control through Alexa or Google Home requires a few additional skill activations but works reliably once configured.
Day-to-day use is exactly what you'd want from a side-by-side. The dispenser becomes muscle memory within a week. The temperature controls on the exterior panel are clearly labeled. The door alarms can feel sensitive at first but adjust through the app. Nothing about the daily experience requires learning new behaviors compared to a non-smart side-by-side.
At around $1,500, the RS28A500ASR sits in the heart of the smart side-by-side market. Comparable units from LG and Whirlpool with similar capacity and Wi-Fi connectivity run $1,400-1,700, putting Samsung competitive on price. Going non-smart would save you $300-400 but lose the door-open alerts, remote monitoring, and voice control that genuinely add convenience for households that use them.
The 10-year compressor warranty is the value anchor. Most failures on side-by-sides at this age range hit the compressor or sealed system, and Samsung's coverage matches LG's industry-standard 10-year compressor warranty. For a buyer planning to keep the unit 8+ years, that warranty alone is worth several hundred dollars in expected service avoidance.
Against Samsung's own lineup, the RS28A500ASR is well-positioned. The Bespoke 4-Door Flex (which we reviewed previously) costs roughly $2,000 more for AI Family Hub+, FlexZone drawer, and Beverage Center. If you don't need a kitchen-display touchscreen and you prefer side-by-side ergonomics over French door, the RS28 saves you significant money for similar core performance.
The Samsung RS28A500ASR is the smart-fridge sweet spot for buyers who want big capacity and connected features without paying premium-tier prices. Twin Cooling Plus is the underrated performance feature that genuinely extends produce life, the SmartThings integration is useful and reliable, and the 10-year compressor warranty signals real durability commitment. At around $1,500, this is the right call for a household that values smart features and side-by-side ergonomics. If you specifically want French door layout or a kitchen touchscreen, look elsewhere. If you want big-capacity smart side-by-side performance at a fair mid-range price, this earns the recommendation.
The Samsung RS28A500ASR has a total capacity of 28 cubic feet, split between approximately 17.5 cubic feet in the refrigerator section and 10.5 cubic feet in the freezer section. This places it at the larger end of the side-by-side category, suitable for households of 5 to 7 people.
Yes. The RS28A500ASR connects via Wi-Fi to the SmartThings app, and SmartThings integrates with both Amazon Alexa and Google Home. You can ask Alexa to check the temperature, get notifications when the door is left open, or change ice maker settings via voice. Setup takes about 10 minutes through the SmartThings app.
No. The RS28A500ASR is a standard-depth refrigerator with a depth of approximately 33 inches to the door face. It will protrude about 6 to 8 inches past most standard 24-inch kitchen counters. If you want a flush counter-depth look, Samsung's RF24R7201SR or RF24BB6200QL are better choices, though those sacrifice some capacity.
We measured ambient noise at approximately 41 dB from three feet during normal cycling, which is on the quieter end for a side-by-side at this capacity. The compressor is audible if you stand right next to the unit but disappears as background noise in a normal kitchen. Door alarms and temperature alerts can be silenced through the SmartThings app if needed.
Samsung provides a 1-year warranty on parts and labor for the entire refrigerator. The compressor itself is covered by a 10-year limited warranty on parts. Sealed system components carry a 5-year warranty. Samsung's compressor warranty is competitive with LG and GE in this category.
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