Samsung expands SmartThings ecosystem for smart homes
Rephrased Title:
Samsung Broadens SmartThings Network for Enhanced Home Automation
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Samsung is expanding its SmartThings ecosystem for IoT devices in your home. At CES 2024 in Las Vegas, Samsung SmartThings introduced a more immersive TV experience, enhancing convenience without interrupting your viewing.
The living room is often the heart of the home, and SmartThings’ latest updates make it even more connected. You can now monitor and manage all your smart devices right from your TV.
With your TV acting as a SmartThings Hub, it becomes a control center for all your connected devices. Your TV can detect your smartphone and turn it into a remote, so you don’t have to search for multiple controllers.
The SmartThings TV Quick Panel is a user-friendly interface that lets you quickly access core functions via a remote control. It bridges the gap between Samsung TV features and comprehensive connectivity without interrupting your viewing. You can manage devices, view cameras, and even ring your phone to locate it.
You can oversee your entire smart home without taking your eyes off the screen. For example, as you approach your TV, it turns on and shows you not only entertainment but also important information about your devices and appliances. You can check your home’s camera feed, temperature, and laundry cycle time all from your TV.
Now, users can enjoy seamless connectivity with the new Now+ display, which syncs with TVs to guide you through switching music sources from your Buds to the TV, speaker, or Sound Bar. Now+ also provides a summary of your home, including security cameras and energy consumption insights.
With TV Hue Sync, you can create an immersive viewing experience by syncing TV content with ambient lighting. Imagine watching a thriller where the room lights up with colors matching the on-screen action, or relaxing in a space filled with calming hues.
You can share your smart home devices and routines with family, friends, and guests through a simple QR scan, tailoring their experience based on their preferences. SmartThings Together makes it easy to share your smart living through QR customization.
QR codes offer a new level of flexibility, allowing each household member and guests to control specific devices and create their own routines. Adding new family members or caregivers to your home interface is easy, letting them control relevant smart home devices for a set duration. Guests can unlock the door, set the thermostat, and make themselves comfortable.
SmartThings Together allows users to manage the smart home based on individual needs and preferences. For example, parents can monitor energy use and security features, while children can control entertainment features. QR codes make it easy to grant these controls.
You can securely share devices and experiences, controlling who has access and when. This makes hosting guests easier, whether it’s a friend visiting or someone staying at your vacation rental. A quick QR Code scan grants temporary access to designated devices and routines, making it easy for guests to adjust room temperatures, control lighting, or access entertainment systems.
SmartThings Together streamlines automation and device configuration. Location owners can designate device lists shared with each household member. After scanning a QR code, each family member can trigger shared routines among those devices, like a “Goodnight” routine that adjusts lights, thermostats, and security settings.
The QR codes enhance security by being available to one person at a time and regenerating every five minutes, reducing vulnerability.
SmartThings is introducing Map View, a feature that integrates actual floor plans into its interface, making home management easier. With the average U.S. home having 16 connected devices, managing them can be challenging. Map View simplifies this by showing all devices in their real-world positions, whether on mobile or household devices.
Users can activate Map View on their TVs or mobiles for immediate access to home status information, including real-time monitoring of cameras, temperature, laundry time, and energy usage. You can generate a 3D map with all your devices, customize it by adding furniture, and monitor and control devices directly from the map interface.
New AI characters in Map View can mimic family members and pets, providing a fun way to monitor your smart living. For example, if your home is too warm, the AI characters will appear to be sweating.
Creating a 3D layout of your home in Map View is easy with AI technology. You can input your address to automatically create the layout, take a photo of a floor plan, or sketch it in the app. Samsung’s LiDAR-enabled devices, like the Jet Bot vacuum or Ballie AI robot, can scan your home and generate a floor plan, even placing devices in the right positions.
Map View can be used across mobile phones, tablets, TVs, and refrigerators, providing a consistent experience on all devices. Last week, Samsung announced a service integration with Tesla, connecting SmartThings Energy to Tesla products like Powerwall home battery, Solar Inverter, Wall Connector charging solutions, and electric vehicles. This collaboration, made possible through Tesla’s open APIs, will expand SmartThings Energy’s connectivity and contribute to Samsung’s goal of seamless home experiences.