Samsung SmartThings Station evaluate: an awesome sensible residence hub should you dwell in Samsung’s galaxy

I’m a fan of multipurpose sensible residence hubs. Nobody has the house or persistence for one more single-function plastic field plugged into their router. Past performing because the brains of your Apple sensible residence, the HomePod is a superb speaker; Google’s Nest Hub Max helps run your Google Dwelling and is an outstanding digital picture body. And the brand new Samsung SmartThings Station? It’s a SmartThings hub that additionally costs your cellphone.

Sure, Samsung made a SmartThings hub three years after saying it wouldn’t make any extra SmartThings {hardware}. (Effectively, it’s really a modified model of Samsung’s present wi-fi charger, but it surely has a SmartThings brand, so it’s SmartThings {hardware}.) However the $59.99 SmartThings Station can also be a sensible residence button, an always-on gadget scanner for SmartThings Discover, a Matter controller, and a Thread border router.

You probably have a sensible residence and are all in on Samsung units, particularly should you use a Galaxy cellphone, that is near a must-buy. However should you use every other model of cellphone, whereas it will work as each a SmartThings / Matter hub, sensible button, and wi-fi charger, it’s not fairly as compelling.

Let me again up. SmartThings wants a brand new standalone {hardware} hub due to Matter, the brand new sensible residence commonplace that Samsung based, together with Apple, Google, Amazon, and plenty of different firms, that’s designed to repair sensible residence interoperability. However it’s not going to show all of the sensible residence platforms into one homogeneous, harmonious place.

What it is going to do is facilitate communications between units: your new Matter sensible plug will work with the sensible gentle bulb you have already got and along with your SmartThings app and Apple Dwelling app. However you continue to want to choose a platform (or two) to run your house on. And whatever the platform, you’ll get probably the most out of it with a platform-compatible hub — therefore, SmartThings now has a brand new cheap standalone hub. 

The SmartThings Station works over Wi-Fi and is powered through USB-C, supplying you with flexibility with the place you set it (it doesn’t need to plug into your router). For $59.99 should you provide your individual 25W energy adapter, or $79.99 should you want the ability brick, it’s costly for a wi-fi charger that solely costs one gadget, however a discount at both value for a SmartThings hub that helps Zigbee, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Thread, and Matter. 

The Station is small and sq., with a discreet look and a pleasant really feel to it. It’ll slot in effective in your corridor entryway desk or by your mattress. It is available in black or white and has one bodily button on the highest proper. That is additionally small, shows the SmartThings brand, and can be utilized to set off sensible residence routines. You probably have it by your mattress, you may set one press to set off a Good Evening scene and an extended press to activate a Good Morning scene. Or, in your corridor entryway desk you may have a Welcome Dwelling scene and a Goodbye scene. 

There’s an LED indicator on the aspect on the entrance with two gentle bars: one which tells you the state of the hub (blue for all good, yellow for issues) and the opposite that tells you the charging progress of any gadget on it (crimson is charging, blue is prepared). 

As a SmartThings hub, the Station can onboard units domestically to your sensible residence utilizing Samsung’s SmartThings app. You probably have any Samsung home equipment or TVs, you’ll seemingly be aware of the SmartThings app, or should you’ve been concerned within the sensible residence for some time, you’ll comprehend it as one of many unique sensible residence platforms.

SmartThings has gone by vital modifications since its buy by Samsung in 2014 (for extra particulars, learn this glorious explainer from The Digital Media Zone). However regardless of these modifications, it will probably run hub-connected units domestically by the brand new SmartThings Edge platform, and Samsung tells me it’s engaged on migrating each hub-connected gadget to Edge.

SmartThings is an automation platform that may join units from totally different producers and allow you to use them in scenes and automations. You need to use the SmartThings app with out a hub to manage many units by cloud connections, together with Ring cameras, Philips Hue lights, and Google Nest thermostats and cameras. However these units have to work over Wi-Fi or by a bridge that connects to Wi-Fi, which guidelines out quite a lot of sensible door locks, sensible sensors, and sensible lighting options. 

Including a hub lets you join SmartThings-certified Zigbee units and Thread units on to SmartThings domestically. The Station is each a hub and a Matter controller, so you can too onboard any Matter gadget to your sensible residence community. There, you possibly can management it with the SmartThings app or pair it with every other Matter-enabled app — reminiscent of Apple Dwelling, Google Dwelling, or Amazon Alexa — by the SmartThings app. Matter ought to deliver extra locally-controlled units to the platform and open it to some producers that didn’t work with it earlier than (together with Eve, Aqara, and Thread units from Nanoleaf).

One protocol the Station doesn’t help that may be a massive a part of SmartThings is Z-Wave. For that, you’d want the Aeotec Good Dwelling Hub for SmartThings ($135), which is a SmartThings-compatible hub that helps all of the protocols (but it surely’s not going to cost your smartphone). The SmartThings Hub Dongle has the identical radio capabilities because the Station and is barely $35. It’ll get an replace to Matter / Thread later this yr, but it surely must be plugged right into a Samsung TV or fridge. (Sure, you possibly can management your sensible residence with a fridge.)

The excellent news is which you can run a number of SmartThings hubs, so should you began with the Station after which determined you probably did need to add Z-Wave, you may combine an Aeotec hub into your setup. However Samsung informed me that for totally native automations, all units concerned have to be on the identical hub. In case your units are on totally different hubs, the automations on them will run within the cloud.

Establishing the Station is easy; you simply want the SmartThings app on both iOS or Android. It’s one of many first Matter controllers that works with each platforms (Samsung up to date its iOS app to help Matter earlier final month; Google and Amazon have but to launch their iOS Matter apps). Open the app, faucet the plus image within the top-right nook, choose “add gadget,” choose Samsung below manufacturers, choose Good Dwelling Hub, select SmartThings Station, and comply with the steps.

As soon as related, you possibly can onboard units to the hub in an analogous manner. Faucet “add gadget” and both scan the gadget’s QR code or select from the opposite choices. SmartThings also can auto-scan for units utilizing its Matter Straightforward Pair characteristic. This solely works with Galaxy telephones, which detect any Matter gadget broadcasting a BLE beacon and ship a pop-up notification to your cellphone asking if you wish to add it. 

I arrange a Matter-enabled Eve Movement sensor utilizing the Station, and it labored easily. A notification appeared on the Galaxy S22 I used to be testing with, and it prompted me to scan the gadget’s Matter QR code. Then, as soon as it had been added, I selected which room it was in and named it. From there, I arrange a routine utilizing the movement sensor to activate some Philips Hue lights related to SmartThings through the Hue bridge.

The automation ran promptly and reliably, with the bulbs turning on easily a second or so after movement was detected. Nevertheless, after I added some Nanoleaf gentle panels and Lutron sensible switches to the automation (each of that are related by the cloud), there was noticeable lag, and the lights popped on in a random sequence.

SmartThings is well probably the most highly effective mainstream sensible residence system you possibly can select, wanting organising your individual Dwelling Assistant server — and it’s quite a bit simpler to make use of. It really works with IFTTT-style automation and permits for situations and a number of actions. This implies you possibly can create extra intricate and particular automations than these supplied by Apple Dwelling and Amazon’s Alexa platform. And it blows Google Dwelling’s paltry choices out of the water. 

For instance, I set an automation to activate a sensible plug related to a fan within the hen coop when it’s over 80 levels Fahrenheit and sunny — however provided that I’m at residence and the hen coop door is closed. SmartThings is ready to tie automations to a particular time interval, presence, gadget state, climate, and mode.

The mode characteristic is especially useful for me. You possibly can select from Dwelling, Away, or Evening and tailor automations round them. My husband works 24-hour shifts, so if I add the “Provided that location is in Dwelling mode” situation to my automations, I can activate the Evening mode whereas he’s sleeping through the day to ensure nothing by accident runs and wakes him up.

The button on the Station is usually a distant management for any scenes or automation you create. For instance, I set the Evening mode scene to activate with a single press. This fashion, when my husband comes residence and must sleep, he can simply press it as soon as and know that he received’t get disturbed. I haven’t discovered an answer to that downside so simple as this on the opposite platforms I’ve examined.

The button may be configured to run as much as three scenes or automations or simply management a single gadget. Along with single press, there’s additionally the choice to double press or lengthy press. If you first arrange the Station, it prompts you to set the double press motion to ring your Samsung cellphone (it solely works with Samsung telephones), so yow will discover it if it’s in your home. Apparently, should you flip this on, you possibly can nonetheless use the double press to set off a sensible residence gadget. I set it to activate a light-weight within the hallway, and it did each concurrently. 

Talking of discovering issues, the Station additionally acts as a SmartThings Discover gadget scanner. That is Samsung’s model of Apple’s Discover My characteristic, protecting tabs on any units registered by a Samsung Galaxy, reminiscent of watches, earbuds, and even issues like keys and pets if they’ve a Galaxy SmartTag or SmartTag Plus (sure, like AirTags).

The Station can consistently scan for any related gadget and inform you if it leaves your house or when it comes again. I examined it with my automobile keys, that are consistently strolling off on their very own. I hooked up a Galaxy SmartTag Plus, which makes use of UWB along with Bluetooth for extra exact location identification.

It labored reliably to alert me when the keys left my location and after they returned. (I despatched my husband out with the automobile.) However I couldn’t discover a great way to get the notification to pop up as an alert. As a substitute, it simply bought buried in all my different notifications, making it lower than helpful for protecting tabs on one thing in real-time, reminiscent of a pet or individual.

There’s additionally the choice to activate alerts whenever you depart the gadget behind, and you may see a location historical past in your gadget. What I discovered most useful was after I had my keys on me however couldn’t discover my cellphone. In these conditions, I might press the button on the tag twice to ring the cellphone. This works in reverse, too, and doesn’t require the Station.

As a wi-fi charger, the SmartThings Station’s primary declare to fame is “super-fast” wi-fi charging. Keep in mind that that is nonetheless slower than charging with a cable and a fast-charging brick, but it surely does pace issues up a bit. It could possibly cost suitable Samsung telephones at 15 watts, about three watts greater than commonplace wi-fi charging (so long as you employ a 25-watt brick). The Samsung Galaxy S22 went from zero to hero in round 2.5 hours.

Whereas it is going to additionally cost different manufacturers of smartphones, it does so at slower speeds. Samsung says it will probably cost Apple units at 7.5 watts and Qi-compatible telephones at a glacial 5 watts. It juiced up an iPhone 14 in a little bit over 4 hours, however a Pixel 6 took endlessly. It could possibly additionally cost Samsung buds — however not Galaxy watches.

I did discover it actually difficult to place the cellphone on the charger. I finally found out the precise positioning for the Galaxy 22; you must put the underside digicam lens within the top-right nook of the Station. The iPhone most well-liked a jaunty angle. However all of them required particular placement, and it positively made me miss the comforting clunk of an iPhone with a MagSafe charger.

Because it’s a flat charging pad, the Station doesn’t make it simple to make use of the cellphone whereas it’s charging. It’s additionally considerably chunkier than most wi-fi pads, but it surely’s packing all these additional radios and has a fan / cooling system happening. It does have a charging indicator gentle that stays crimson till the cellphone is charged, in order that’s a useful visible cue that it’s working, 

The distinctive factor right here is which you can tie charging into automations. Which means whenever you begin charging, cease charging, or when the cellphone is totally charged, you possibly can have a scene or automation run. I set it to ship me a notification by SmartThings and switch one among my lights blue when the cellphone was totally charged. I additionally had it activate an I’m Again! scene to show the lights on and modify my Ecobee thermostat after I put the cellphone on the charger after 4PM. 

As helpful of a multipurpose gadget as it’s, the Station’s additional capabilities are geared towards Samsung smartphones, making this solely price contemplating should you or somebody in your home makes use of a Galaxy gadget. If you have already got a SmartThings hub that helps Zigbee and Matter, then there’s no have to get this for the hub portion. 

You probably have a Samsung Household Hub fridge or sensible TV, the SmartThings Hub Dongle will get you a similar options for much less cash. (It’ll get Thread help quickly.) However the SmartThings button characteristic bumps the Station up a notch if these are your wants. It’s very useful.

Nevertheless, as a sensible residence platform, SmartThings doesn’t rely upon a Galaxy gadget, particularly not in the best way Apple Dwelling depends on an iPhone. (I nonetheless don’t get why rebooting my iPhone usually fixes any sensible residence issues I’m having with HomeKit.) It really works simply as properly with an Android or iPhone.

SmartThings has wide-ranging compatibility with sensible units. It’s one of many few mainstream choices that help Z-Wave (although not by the Station, sadly). It really works with an extended checklist of firms and integrates with common units from Ring, Nest, Ecobee, Philips Hue, Lutron, and Nanoleaf, in addition to with quite a lot of obscure and geeky devices. It’s additionally suitable with Amazon Alexa and Google Dwelling if you wish to add voice management. (You could possibly additionally use Bixby… .)

If you need your sensible washer or oven to be a part of your sensible residence, SmartThings appears like your best choice. Samsung has mentioned its home equipment is not going to be Matter units. Whilst you can management some Samsung units and people from different producers with Amazon Alexa or Google Dwelling, the expertise is never optimum. And shortly SmartThings may fit with a lot of the main equipment producers.

Samsung is a founding member of the Dwelling Connectivity Alliance, an business group working to make the sensible units of all giant residence equipment producers interoperable. If this pans out, SmartThings might develop into one of many solely platforms to have the ability to management all of your bigger residence home equipment alongside sensible residence units like lights, locks, and thermostats. So, you may have your LG tv, GE fridge, Samsung oven, and Electrolux washer multi functional app.

Whereas in idea, different Matter-enabled apps from HCA members (reminiscent of LG’s ThinQ app) might do that, too, Samsung’s platform has a major head begin on its equipment producer brethren, placing it in a strong place. 

This brings me again to Matter. It could be fixing gadget interoperability, however the sensible residence platforms will nonetheless be competing to lock you into their ecosystems — no matter $10 sensible plug you purchase. Apple with the iPhone and its subscription companies; Samsung with its smartphones and home equipment; Amazon with its very low cost sensible audio system and streaming companies; and Google with its well-curated suite of Nest sensible residence {hardware}. 

Sure, the sensible house is getting less complicated to make use of and arrange, however even with Matter’s multi-admin characteristic (which helps you to use units throughout ecosystems), you’ll nonetheless need to decide a major platform. Matter permits for flexibility, however finally, identical to most individuals don’t need a number of plastic containers dangling off their routers, most individuals don’t need to use a number of apps to manage their sensible properties. And proper now, the SmartThings platform appears set to have the broadest compatibility as soon as once more. 

Pictures by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge