Samsung announced at its Samsung Developer Conference that one of its premium soundbars, the HW-Q900C, will receive a software update enabling it to function as a SmartThings hub. This marks the first of many soundbars and TVs that will have smart home capabilities built into the device. The HW-Q900C, which was initially unveiled at CES 2023, will be upgraded to work with Samsung SmartThings’ Hub Everywhere program, allowing users to control various Matter, Thread, and Zigbee smart home formats. This announcement is part of Samsung’s broader plan to upgrade older and newer TVs and smart monitors to serve as hubs.
In addition to the hub functionality, Samsung also introduced multi-hub networks, which enable users to run multiple hubs simultaneously in their homes. This redundancy makes it easier for users to swap out hubs like soundbars and TVs without disrupting the network.
Samsung has also revamped its developer tools, including a new developer portal and smart home APIs, to simplify the integration of SmartThings into third-party apps. The Map View UI, previously exclusive to SmartThings-enabled TVs, will now be available on smartphones.
This move towards repurposing older devices and launching new devices as hubs aligns with Samsung’s transition away from dedicated hubs towards multipurpose devices. The company showcased this shift with the SmartThings Station unveiled at CES 2023. As more devices compatible with Matter are released, Samsung’s device lineup will be inherently capable of connecting and networking with smart home devices.
