Samsung’s involvement in the IoT space thus far has been limited to making smart home devices, but that ends today with the revelation of a new app called Samsung Connect that’s meant to serve all the functions of a typical IoT control hub. For the time being, the app is only compatible with Samsung’s IoT devices, including their SmartThings lineup and select smart TVs. The app can automatically find and connect to those devices with a single tap, and then integrate all of the controls for those devices directly into the app. Samsung says that the app will be expanding its portfolio of compatible devices in the near future, including more of Samsung’s devices, and eventually, third-party IoT and smart home devices.
The app’s interface is made to be streamlined and easy to use, syncing up with a single tap and offering full control of any compatible devices. On top of the more conventional controls, users can create preset modes that throw all of their devices into a certain state. Two examples Samsung gives are a morning mode, which would turn on all the lights and play soft music, and a movie mode, which would dim all the lights and tune the house’s audio equipment into a linked TV to create a home theater experience with ease. Users can also create certain per-device rules and presets.
The whole system is built around unification and security. One example is the sharing of notifications with select devices, like Smart TVs. For instance, a Samsung video doorbell connected through Samsung Connect could show an alert on your phone when somebody’s at the door, or it could show a video window pop-up on a linked Samsung smart TV, showing who’s at the door without the user having to pull out their phone or tap on a notification. Samsung Connect is set to be packed into a select number of 2017 Samsung devices. It will also end up available through the Play Store at some point, allowing those without Samsung phones to control their Samsung IoT devices, and eventually third-party IoT devices that hop on board with Samsung Connect.