If you’re looking for a smart home ecosystem that delivers as much hardware support as possible without leaving the configuration side of things to you, then Samsung SmartThings is currently leading the pack.
The smart home subsidiary of Samsung has this week released is 0.61.X hub firmware which includes some new exterior gear device support. In addition, support for SpaceLogic KNX hardware (by Schneider Electric Home Solutions) gives Samsung SmartThings a further boost, with integration for energy systems and other tech on its roster of automated tech for residential and commercial properties.
Samsung SmartThings Matter 1.5 adoptions
For smart home owners, the adoption of three Matter 1.5 specifications means you can now access some exterior and exterior-facing devices from the comfort of your phone or TV.
SmartThings now supports window coverings, soil sensors, and irrigation systems – the integration possibilities of those last two items will not go unnoticed. These are edge drivers, which means they exist on the hub, rather than in the cloud, which ensures local control even in an internet outage.
Closures support added to matter-window-covering driver
Soil Sensor support added to matter-sensor driver
Irrigation System support added to matter-switch driver
In addition, the update includes latency improvements where bulbs are controlled by knobs, and SmartThings now enables knowb control of Zigbee and Hue lights.
Note that this is currently a beta release.
You can check the full set of release notes on the SmartThings community.
Samsung SmartThings and SpaceLogic KNX
The announcement from Schneider Electric Home Solutions concerning compatibility between SpaceLogic KNX and Samsung SmartThings aims to bring the full portfolio of devices into the SmartThings ecosystem.
“Interoperability has become increasingly important in both residential and commercial environments, where customers expect connected systems to work together seamlessly,” said Laurent Roussel, SVP Commercial & Channel at Schneider Electric. “Integrating SpaceLogic KNX with Samsung SmartThings expands how customers can manage their connected devices, personalize their automation experience and gain greater visibility into energy usage across homes and buildings.”
The SmartThings Pro integration means SpaceLogic KNX tech can be integrated in various ways, not least energy monitoring. For commercial and industrial applications, this means facility managers can monitor consumption through a single dashboard, and oversee everything from energy use to lighting, blinds, and HVAC systems.
(Note that SpaceLogic KNX tech is not currently compatible with Matter.)
SmartThings is making things smarter, faster
While we have multiple Matter-compatible smart home ecosystems to rely on these days, Samsung SmartThings seems to be operating at a slightly different level to its competitors. Google Home, Apple Home, and Alexa all seem to be laser-focused on domestic, residential solutions. (The same can also be said of IKEA, although that is essentially its USP across everything it sells!)
In contrast, Samsung SmartThings is leveraging everything from standard hubs to TVs and beyond to provide Matter support not just in the home but in the workplace. By integrating non-Matter hardware like the SpaceLogic KNX range, greater automations are possible.
The question is, will the big guns of the smart home arena catch up?
