Recent Articles

January 29, 2024

Samsung and Amazon team up to simplify Matter setup experience

As part of our effort to simplify setup and provide customers with increased choice and flexibility, Samsung is teaming up with Amazon to make it easy for customers to use SmartThings, Samsung’s connected living platform, or the Alexa service, to set up Matter devices once and control them using both smart home systems. Samsung and Amazon’s collaboration will allow customers to easily tap into Matter’s multi-admin feature, as well as simplify onboarding while creating a unified Thread network in the home. Customers that opt-in will be able to control their Matter devices with both SmartThings and Alexa without having to set up devices on each smart home system. By sharing Thread network credentials, customers will benefit from streamlined setup for Thread based devices and a more reliable experience through wider coverage on a single Thread network. “SmartThings customers have long enjoyed using Alexa’s voice capabilities to give them more ways to control the home. We are excited to work with Amazon to help simplify the smart home experience and provide more choice to our mutual customers on the types of devices and services they use in their homes.” said Jaeyeon Jung, Corporate Vice President and Head of SmartThings, Mobile eXperience Business at Samsung Electronics. “This collaboration ultimately provides further interoperability and will help ensure the potential of Matter is fully realized.” This collaboration is built upon upcoming Alexa APIs enabling bi-directional multi-admin simple setup and Thread credential sharing for Matter devices. These cloud-based APIs are designed to make complex technology fade into the background, allowing customers to effortlessly add Matter devices to their preferred services, realizing Matter’s promise of simplifying our customers’ smart home experience.
January 29, 2024

Q&A: SmartThings and Nanoleaf on How We Keep Smart Homes Simple

The popcorn’s ready, and everyone’s gathered around the TV. It’s movie night, but tonight you’re taking it to the next level. With the tap of a button, your “movie night” routine activates in the SmartThings App, and then the magic happens. The movie starts, and your Nanoleaf Bulbs begin to dim, the Lightstrips mimic the surround sound, and the colors change to match the mood. It’s the perfect backdrop to family fun and a night of immersion. That’s only the beginning of how Nanoleaf works with SmartThings. Dedicated to transforming home lighting through innovative smart lighting products, Nanoleaf offers a line of Matter-certified Bulbs and Lightstrips compatible with the SmartThings App—making your movie night setup, or any at-home experience, that much better. To share more about our partnership—and teach our users about Matter—we hosted a live Twitter Q&A with Nanoleaf’s CEO, Gimmy Chu. Check out the highlights below, or keep reading for the full conversation.     The Highlights SmartThings: How can you customize your space with Nanoleaf through the SmartThings app?  Nanoleaf: The SmartThings app lets you easily control your Nanoleaf lights, change their color and even set schedules! For example, you can customize your bedroom lighting by setting a “goodnight” routine, so your lights automatically change to a warm yellow at night to help your mind and body get ready for sleep. SmartThings: How does Nanoleaf prioritize sustainability? Nanoleaf: Nanoleaf’s Essentials products are manufactured using solar energy, and the LED Bulbs help to save over 29,000 gallons of water over a usage span of 10 years. SmartThings: Where does Nanoleaf see smart home technology heading in the next 5-10 years? Nanoleaf: The future of the smart home will evolve with more powerful automations that simply work, without any manual controls needed. Nanoleaf’s upcoming Sense+ Controls line creates a hands-free lighting experience with your lights turning on exactly when and how you need them.     Our full conversation with Nanoleaf SmartThings: Thank you for joining us. Let’s jump right in. What are Nanoleaf lights and what makes them a Smart Home game changer? Nanoleaf: We create smart lighting to customize your space. Our light panels and light bars are completely modular with 16M+ color options, giving you the freedom to personalize your lighting exactly how you want it. We also recently launched our Essentials Matter-certified line of Bulbs and Lightstrips to make smart home controls and automations much more seamless. SmartThings: How can you customize your space with Nanoleaf through the SmartThings app? Nanoleaf: The SmartThings app lets you easily control your Nanoleaf lights, change their color and even set schedules! For example, you can customize your bedroom lighting by setting a goodnight “routine,” so your lights automatically change to a warm yellow at night to help your mind and body get ready for sleep. Now, we have a question for you. What are some benefits of using Nanoleaf with the SmartThings app? SmartThings: We want users to connect Nanoleaf to our app to create custom routines catered to them. Looking for that extra layer of security at night? Set your living room lights to turn on at 10pm every night before bedtime to signify someone is home. Convenience and safety matter deeply to us! Nanoleaf: And you recently unveiled the SmartThings Station! How does this differ from the SmartThings app? SmartThings: SmartThings Station and the SmartThings app work together to create simple, smart home experiences. SmartThings Station is a hub and fast wireless charger, and the SmartThings app manages and controls your smart devices for seamless everyday living. SmartThings: Sustainability is hugely important to us and our SmartThings Energy initiative. How is Nanoleaf prioritizing this?  Nanoleaf: Sustainability is at the core of who we are; we believe this should be a standard for all businesses. Our Essentials products are manufactured using solar energy, and the LED Bulbs help to save over 29,000 gallons of water over a usage span of 10 years. SmartThings: We completely agree! For those looking to reduce their carbon footprint, activate SmartThings Energy for energy-saving and cost-lowering tips.
January 25, 2024

Samsung SmartThings and Google Join Forces to Enhance Smart Homes With Nest Integration

Today we announced a partnership with Google, bringing the company’s portfolio of Nest products into SmartThings, one of the largest IoT ecosystems. Through the integration, Google Nest devices, including thermostats, cameras and doorbells, will be “Works With SmartThings” (WWST) certified, allowing users to seamlessly control their smart homes through SmartThings. For the first time, SmartThings users will be able to adjust a Nest thermostat, view live camera feeds from outdoor Nest cameras and hear who is at the door with Nest Hello, all through their smart devices. SmartThings users can also incorporate Nest devices into their current WWST-certified devices to create Scenes and automated experiences, controlling the functions with simple voice commands or through the SmartThings app. Soon, users will be able to stream right from their Nest devices directly to their Samsung TV or Family Hub fridge. SmartThings technology powers endless possibilities for enhancing everyday life. Scenes can seamlessly adjust the lighting. Automations can signal to a Nest thermostat when it’s time to adjust the temperature or if a window is open. It can set the optimal temperature for a baby’s nap or even a home alone pet, taking into consideration details such as its fur length. Users can also activate outdoor and indoor lights ahead of arriving home. “SmartThings technology continues to enhance and improve the way we experience smart living. We’re pleased to further strengthen our partnership with Google and integrate Nest into our portfolio to offer users more ways to control and automate their home,” said Ralf Elias, Global Vice President IoT / Business Development & Partnerships at Samsung Electronics. “We are committed to creating a universal system where all smart home devices can work cohesively together.” Following the recent SmartThings IoT integration with Mercedes-Benz, this partnership with Google represents the next step in SmartThings’ commitment to technology innovation and to working with third parties to create a universal smart home standard. The company is focused on simplifying smart technology development for manufacturers and increasing compatibility for consumers.