Samsung is no stranger to the smart home. The company has created a variety of smart home devices, ranging from smart refrigerators to smart TVs and more. However, in what is its biggest update yet to the platform, Samsung has introduced what it is calling SmartThings Now.
Samsung introduces SmartThings Now
If this sounds familiar, it’s actually because last week Samsung released a major update to its SmartThings app. However, now it looks like Samsung is breaking down what the changes are and talking more about the new SmartThings Now.
Perhaps one of the biggest changes is how Samsung SmartThings Now sits at the top of the Home tab as a row of cards. Instead of waiting for you to dig through menus, the app suggests things based on what you’re doing. According to Samsung, it can offer to turn on your lights and air purifier when you’re close to home. After that, you can actually turn it into a routine so you never have to repeat it.
It also looks at how you used the app over the past week. From there, it recommends changes to your Favorites, like the devices and routines you actually use. A Routine Insight card helps you clear out old automations too.
The look has changed as well. The app now has a floating tab bar, more compact cards, and the option to view your home in 2D or 3D. Samsung also added local control. When your phone and SmartThings hub share the same WiFi, commands can actually skip the cloud. Samsung says that makes responses about 30% faster.
Bringing Matter 1.6 support
The update also adds support for Matter 1.6, the latest version of the smart home standard. Samsung says SmartThings now handles four more device categories: energy meters, closures, irrigation devices, and soil sensors. It also promises better stability and group control performance.
Why does that matter (pun intended)? Matter is what lets gadgets from different brands work together. Version 1.6 adds NFC setup and a way for multiple platforms to share control of one device. That being said, some of those features depend on device makers and platforms adding them, so don’t expect everything overnight.
The post Samsung SmartThings Now Wants To Run Your Smart Home Before You Ask appeared first on Android Headlines.
​Â
