Samsung is placing a brand new spin on the good residence hub with its SmartThings Station. Beginning at $59.99, the small black field includes a programmable button that may set off good residence automation routines like setting your thermostat or locking your entrance door. It is suitable with a variety of Samsung and third-party good residence units, together with Matter devices, and its companion app makes it simple to program routines you possibly can run from the Station with a faucet. It lacks a speaker and microphone, so it would not play music or permit for voice management. As an alternative, this hub does double responsibility as a wi-fi charging pad for Qi-compatible units. When you’re sick of talking good residence instructions and need a single button that makes it simple to run routines, the SmartThings Station is a handy choice value contemplating, particularly in case you use a Galaxy telephone.
Attending to Know the SmartThings Station
The SmartThings Hub is a straightforward gadget. It includes a bodily button that helps as much as three good residence automations you possibly can run with a faucet, a faucet and maintain, or a double faucet. It additionally wirelessly costs your telephone.
Measuring 3.5 by 3.5 by 0.9 inches (LWH), the SmartThings Station is harking back to a coaster. The Sensible Button resides within the higher proper nook and a direct cooling air vent frames the wi-fi charging pad on prime. Two indicator lights seem on the entrance edge: a wi-fi charging indication LED on prime and a hub indication LED under. The USB-C port for the charger is positioned on the again and there is a Reset button on the underside.
@angela_pcmag The Samsung SmartThings Station is a wi-fi telephone charger and good residence hub with a button that helps as much as three totally different automations you possibly can program through its companion app. You’ll be able to run totally different automations with a faucet, a press and maintain, and a double faucet. I’m excited to share my evaluation of the Samsung SmartThings Station on PCMag.com. #smarthome #wirelesscharger #samsung #smartthings #pcmag #techtok #techreviews #techunboxing ♬ Lofi Vibes – Mild State
Samsung sells the SmartThings Station with or with no energy adapter. The bottom mannequin, which doesn’t embrace an adapter, prices $59.99. For this evaluation, the corporate despatched me the $79.99 model, which features a Samsung 25W Tremendous Quick USB-C wall charger within the field. Samsung sells this wall charger individually for $20, so there isn’t any low cost while you purchase it with the SmartThings Station.
The SmartThings Station’s wi-fi charging pad works with most Qi-compatible units, together with iPhones. Charging speeds fluctuate by gadget. It helps Tremendous Quick Charging, as much as 15W for Samsung Galaxy collection telephones, however its charging speeds max out at 7.5W for Apple units and 5W for different Qi handsets. Word that Tremendous Quick Charging for Galaxy units requires a 25W or above energy adapter.
For connectivity and good residence gadget management, the SmartThings Station helps Bluetooth, Matter, Thread, Wi-Fi, and Zigbee. It pairs with units working Android 8.0 and iOS 14 and later through the Samsung SmartThings companion app (obtainable for Android and iOS), which helps you to arrange and handle good residence units and automations. You have to join a Samsung account (in case you do not have already got one) to make use of the SmartThings Station as a sensible residence hub.
Many good audio system and good shows just like the Amazon Echo, the Google Nest Hub, and the Apple HomePod, can function a sensible residence hub, providing you with the flexibility to manage suitable related units with voice instructions. The SmartThings Station doesn’t have a microphone to listen to you or an built-in digital assistant; it solely helps good residence gadget management through the button or companion app.
Setting Up the SmartThings Station
Within the field, the $79.99 mannequin contains the SmartThings Station, a charging cable, and a 25W USB-C wall charger.
Connecting the SmartThings Hub to its companion app solely takes a few minutes. After you plug it in, the hub indicator mild ought to flash blue, which means the gadget is booting up.
When the hub indicator mild flashes from crimson to inexperienced to blue, deliver your telephone close to the SmartThings Station. If a connection pop-up window seems in your telephone, faucet Add Now. In testing, this technique did not work, seemingly as a result of I used to be setting it up with an iPhone.
If the connection pop-up doesn’t seem, launch the SmartThings app, faucet Units > + > Add gadget, then faucet Scan underneath Scan QR Code. The QR code is positioned on the underside of the SmartThings Station. After you scan the QR code, it prompts you to press the Sensible Button to confirm the connection. Subsequent, choose your private home Wi-Fi community and enter your password so the SmartThings Station can hook up with it and you ought to be good to go. After connecting to your SmartThings Station, its companion app offers you the choice to rename the gadget, set its location, and assign it to a room.
The SmartThings app is organized with the next tabs on the underside: Favorites (the place you possibly can add continuously used units and scenes for fast entry), Units (which exhibits all of the devices you’ve got added to the app), Life (providing extra downloadable instruments throughout the next classes: Air Care, Cooking, Power, Clothes Care, Pet Care, and House Care), Automations (the place you possibly can arrange good residence scenes and routines), and Menu (settings and extra).
SmartThings Station Third-Get together Machine Assist
To manage Samsung and third-party good residence units through the SmartThings Station, you could first add them to the SmartThings app. Earlier than buying the SmartThings Station, be certain the prevailing units you might have at residence work with the SmartThings app (a number of of my units don’t). On the time of this writing, Wyze doesn’t instantly combine with SmartThings, nor does Furbo, for example.
It took me about half-hour to efficiently join three third-party units to the SmartThings app, as some are simpler to hyperlink than others. Like establishing the SmartThings Station itself, including a third-party Matter-enabled gadget with a QR code was fast and straightforward. After scanning the QR code for my Eve Power Sensible Plug & Energy Meter, a product I additionally examined with the second-generation HomePod, the plug related to SmartThings immediately.
You too can hyperlink your account for sure third-party good residence manufacturers with SmartThings so as to add your present units that method. This technique works with manufacturers like August House, Google Nest, and Philips Hue. It is a bit tedious since you could enter your account credentials for the third-party model and permit information entry permissions, however I managed to efficiently join my Google account to SmartThings, permitting me to manage my Nest Thermostat through Samsung’s app and hub.
I additionally linked my Yale account so I may add the Guarantee Lock 2 to the SmartThings app. Word that integrating the Guarantee Lock 2 with SmartThings requires an activated Wi-Fi or Matter Sensible Module in your lock. I first tried to scan the QR code for my Guarantee Lock 2, however the SmartThings app mentioned it was unsupported, so I needed to undergo the account-linking course of.
Automating Your House With the SmartThings Station
Including your present good residence units to SmartThings could be a time-consuming process, however as soon as it is completed, programming Sensible Button routines is fairly simple.
To start out, choose the SmartThings Station throughout the Units tab of the SmartThings app, then faucet Routines. Subsequent, choose the Sensible Button motion you wish to program (Pressed, Held, or Double Pressed), choose the units you wish to management, add actions for every gadget, then press Save. In testing, it first appeared as if my Sensible Button routines did not save, however after quitting and reopening the app they confirmed up.
For the Pressed motion, I programmed the Sensible Button to activate the Eve Power Sensible Plug & Energy Meter, which is related to a lounge lamp. For the Held motion, I programmed a Good Evening routine, which units my Nest Thermostat to cooling at 75 levels, turns off the Eve Power plug, and locks the Guarantee Lock 2. For the Double Pressed motion, I programmed it to set the mode on my Nest Thermostat to off.
In testing, the Sensible Button routines I programmed for every motion labored completely. I discovered that it may be a bit troublesome to recollect which routine I programmed for every Sensible Button motion, however this can be a small gripe.
After programming the Sensible Button routines, you possibly can simply edit them so as to add or take away units or actions at any time. Sooner or later, I wish to add an motion to my Good Evening routine that activates my bedside desk lamp to a dim setting, however I will want a suitable good mild bulb to make that occur as a result of my present Wyze Bulb Shade can’t join on to SmartThings.
Drop-and-Go Wi-fi Telephone Charging
To wirelessly cost a Qi-compatible gadget, simply place it on the SmartThings Station and it ought to start juicing up. Like different wi-fi chargers, it’s a must to watch out to put your telephone in the suitable spot for it to work (there isn’t any magnet to assist with alignment).
When correctly lined up, the charging indicator on the SmartThings Station will illuminate. The indicator shines crimson whereas your telephone is charging and adjustments to inexperienced when it is totally charged. If there is a charging error, the indicator will flash crimson, however this didn’t occur throughout testing.
I had no drawback charging a number of totally different telephones with the SmartThings Station, together with an iPhone 14, an iPhone 12 Professional Max, and a Galaxy S21 FE 5G. Fortunately, I didn’t must take away the skinny plastic case on my iPhone for it to work. When you have a thick telephone case, you could have to take away it for wi-fi charging. It could actually additionally cost Qi-based equipment. I had no bother charging my AirPods Professional, for example.
The Sensible Button is inaccessible when you might have a telephone on the wi-fi charger, however that is not an enormous deal. If it’s essential entry the Sensible Button whereas charging a telephone, you simply have to maneuver the handset out of the way in which for a second.
When you typically lose your Galaxy telephone or pill, you possibly can program the double-tap Sensible Button motion to ring your gadget when it goes lacking. To allow this function, navigate to Units > SmartThings Station within the app, then toggle Discover Telephone or Pill and choose a tool. Word that this function solely works with Galaxy units, not iPhones or different Android telephones.
One Field, A number of Makes use of
The Samsung SmartThings Station is a novel product that capabilities as a sensible residence hub and wi-fi telephone charger. With help for Matter, Thread, and Zigbee, it ought to play good with most good residence gear. Connecting your units to the SmartThings app will be tedious, however the identical will be mentioned of competing merchandise. Programming the Sensible Button is easy and you’ll change its three actions everytime you like. The embedded Qi wi-fi charging is a helpful bonus. Sensible audio system and shows that perform as hubs are arguably extra helpful, however the SmartThings Station is a superb gadget in its personal proper.
