Samsung Unveils SmartThings Updates at CES 2024
Samsung has recently announced a range of new features for its smart home automation system, SmartThings, coinciding with CES 2024. Among these enhancements is the introduction of Map View, which provides users with a 3D layout of their homes, making it easier to access smart home devices. Additionally, users will be able to share smart home control with others and turn their Samsung TV into a smart home center.
The Map View feature is comparable to the newly added feature in the Amazon Alexa app. However, Map View on SmartThings allows users to create a 3D layout view of their home by uploading or accessing their floor plan, or sketching the floor plan on the app. This is unlike Alexa’s Map View, which requires a LiDAR-enabled smartphone to create a map.
Furthermore, SmartThings users can add AI characters to their homes that resemble family members and pets, adding a touch of humor to their smart home automation system. These characters can mimic statuses, such as sweating or shivering if the home’s temperature is outside the preset range.
Apart from the Map View feature, SmartThings users can share their smart home devices with others by having them scan a unique QR code. This new feature, called SmartThings Together, allows household members or guests to securely control specific devices and create routines for a predefined duration.
Samsung has also introduced a new way for its TVs to function as a SmartThings Hub, allowing them to be used as a smart home control center. Compatible Samsung TVs can be used as a SmartThings Hub, with Samsung smartphones in the vicinity detected and used as a remote control. The SmartThings TV Quick Panel provides quick access to smart home devices, allowing users to view security cameras, adjust temperatures, control smart lights, and ring their Samsung smartphone to locate it in their home.
