2021 Mercedes-Benz S-Class gets Samsung SmartThings IoT integration
Drivers will be able to use natural speech in their car to control connected devices in their home.
Mercedes' new SmartThings integration will let you control devices from 120 manufacturers.
All kinds of smart home systems and digital assistants are becoming popular now as the technology that drives them becomes more sophisticated and better integrated. The same has been true of cars too, recently, and now Mercedes-Benz is taking that a step further with its adoption of Samsung's SmartThings technology that will give you control of tons of devices through the new S-Class ' MBUX infotainment system.
Now, if you're new to the whole SmartThings concept, it serves as an open framework for connected devices (also known as the Internet of Things) that allows them to integrate into your life, despite being made by 120 different manufacturers. It's pretty wild.
"SmartThings is focused on accelerating the creation of an open IoT ecosystem powered by its technology and is continuously innovating to connect all smart devices with one another," said Ralf Elias, global vice president, IoT & Business Development at SmartThings, in a statement. "Powering car-to-home and home-to-car capabilities is the next logical step in that journey, and we're thrilled to bring SmartThings to an important environment where people spend a lot of their time - their Mercedes-Benz."
The cool part is that because MBUX understands natural speech, interacting with your SmartThings network will be super easy. For example, you can ask, "Hey Mercedes, did I forget to turn off my lights at home?" or "Hey Mercedes, is anyone at home?" and your high-tech Teutonic luxo-barge will tell you.
Mercedes' 2021 S-Class is set to launch sometime in the first half of 2021 with a likely starting price for the V6 version somewhere just north of $100,000.
