Samsung's next generation of SmartThings gear is here
SmartThings is back with another round of smart-home products and an improved SmartThings hub.
Samsung's latest SmartThings products include a new SmartThings hub, button, sensor and outlet.
It seems, after last week's Galaxy Note 9 Unpacked event, that Samsung is turning its attention to the smart home . Today, Samsung announced a second generation of SmartThings products, including upgrades to the SmartThings hub, a water leak sensor, motion sensor, multipurpose sensor and smart outlet.
Let's start with the hub. The new SmartThings Hub is smaller. It's upgraded with the most recent Zigbee, Z-Wave and Bluetooth 4.1 protocols.
What's really notable here is that SmartThings finally got wise to the idea that people might want to keep their hub somewhere other than where their router resides. The new SmartThings Hub connects to your Wi-Fi network wirelessly, so you'll no longer have to tether it to your router via an Ethernet cable. That's a great upgrade, but SmartThings isn't first here. The Wink Hub 2 is also wireless.
While it's nice that Samsung is improving its hub, it's worth nothing that there are now several options for SmartThings hub hardware. The recently announced Galaxy Home smart speaker has a built-in SmartThings Hub, and so does the new SmartThings mesh Wi-Fi system announced alongside SmartThings updates today.
SmartThings is also upgrading its sensors and smart outlet with a slight redesign and lower price point. The motion sensor has a new design which incorporates a magnetic ball mount that allows you to adjust the tilt angle of the sensor for a wider and more customizable motion detection range. The new SmartThings water leak sensor adds water detection to the top of the sensor in addition to the bottom.
What is new, is a SmartThings button. This programmable device lets your trigger routines like setting a "Movie Mode" to dim lights and turn on the TV without opening up the SmartThings app.
Buttons have been around for a while. Fibaro, Amazon and even Philips Hue have dabbles in smart remote controls with routine presets. The SmartThings Button (like all SmartThings sensors) also measures the temperature of the area it's in and can communicate with your Ecobee or Honeywell smart thermostat.
The new SmartThings Hub will cost $70 and the sensors range from $20 to $25, along with a $15 Button and a Smart Outlet priced at $35. Each device is now available on Samsung.com and at retailers in the US.
