With SmartThings Station, Samsung wants a more connected world

LAS VEGAS, NV – Imagine there’s a single easiest way to manage a myriad of devices simultaneously.

Imagine all the people, connected live through smart gadgets, then the world would be a better place. That’s what Samsung is setting its sights on.

“Our vision is a big one,” says Han Jong-hee, vice chairman and chief executive of the Device eXperience (DX) division at Samsung Electronics Co.

“It will take time, innovation and cooperation with partners worldwide. But we are committed to achieving it and already getting started.”

Samsung, the South Korean tech giant, on Wednesday unveiled its vision to create a future where all home gadgets are connected and seamlessly communicate with each other to make people's lives easier and more convenient.

A key part of the vision is increased interoperability, enabling consumers to connect more of their devices, whether they are Samsung’s or from a partner brand.

“Eventually, we aim to connect all the devices worldwide, some 14 billion, through cutting-edge technologies. Nearly half of our DX division employees are working on it,” he said during a press conference at CES 2023.

The CEO said Samsung will strive to deliver on its promise of a connected world in a way that contributes to an environmentally sustainable future.

By 2050, Samsung’s all businesses will use renewable energy to achieve its goal of net zero carbon emissions. The DX division will transition into 100% renewable energy by 2027 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2030, he said.

The company earlier said many of its TVs and smartphones use recycled materials, including recycled plastic from discarded fishing nets, while its home appliances, memory and 5G radio network chipsets are made to reduce energy consumption.

SMARTTHINGS STATION

At CES 2023, Samsung unveiled SmartThings Station, an Internet of Things (IoT) platform that connects multiple devices to create an even smarter home.

The connectivity platform is the first Samsung product with a built-in feature to support the industry’s latest smart home standard, Matter, it said.

Samsung said the smart home hub, which also works as a fast-charging pad, will automate a smart home environment to offer compatibility with a wide range of smart home products.

“Having a smarter home shouldn’t be complicated or expensive. So, we created SmartThings Station to be a simple, reliable and expandable smart home hub,” said Jung Jae-yeon, executive vice president at Samsung’s Device Platform Center.

“The number of devices in a connected home continues to grow, especially in light of the Matter standard launch. We’re proud to play a role in making it easier to embrace this exciting technology.”

Samsung said SmartThings Station will be available in black or white from next month in Korea and the US.

As part of its efforts to realize its smart home vision sooner, Samsung has been pushing to make all its home appliances Wi-Fi compatible and allow home devices from 13 different brands that belong to the Home Connectivity Alliance (HCA) to be connected by the end of this year.

Samsung is a founding member of HCA, alongside crosstown rival LG Electronics Inc. and foreign peers, including GE Appliances and the Electrolux Group.

The alliance aims to bring together leading manufacturers of connected devices to enhance the compatibility of smart appliances across brands.

Write to Ji-Eun Jeong at jeong@hankyung.com
In-Soo Nam edited this article.