Setting up a smart home can seem pretty daunting. But Samsung’s SmartThings line of products is designed to be a one-stop shop for all of your smart devices, giving you control from just one app.
Samsung is pushing this plan forward with three new products: a SmartThings Cam, a Wi-Fi Smart Plug and a Smart Bulb. All of these are available now from Samsung directly. We’ll have a full review soon, but in the meantime, let’s break down the basics.
The just-released SmartThings Cam ($89.99; smartthings.com) is not only easy to set up, but has some pretty cool features. It includes full HD (1080p), 145-degree viewing, night vision and two-way audio. You can set up activity zones, such as a sofa you don’t want your dog to jump on. When the camera senses activity, you will receive a notification in your SmartThings app. Easy peasy.
The Wi-Fi Smart Plug ($17.99; smartthings.com) can turn on your bedroom lights, start brewing a pot of coffee, turn on your favorite radio station, and more. Even better, in comparison to competing smart plugs like Wemo’s, SmartThings comes in at a more affordable price.
Both the SmartThings Cam and the Wi-Fi Smart Plug are really easy to set up through your home Wi-Fi. If you’re interested in other SmartThings products, you will first need to purchase a SmartThings Hub. But if you’re just looking to get your feet wet in the world of smart home, the SmartThings plug and camera are perfect places to start.
Those interested in the SmartThings Bulb ($9.99; samsung.com), will need a SmartThings Hub ($69.99; samsung.com), as this uses Zigbee instead of Wi-Fi for connectivity. But once you have the hub, the bulb is very easy to set up and acts as a simple lightbulb. You can control it from the app and even set up routines.
SmartThings really is intended to streamline your transition to a smart home. With the SmartThings app, you can control a wide variety of devices from numerous developers and services. It doesn’t matter whether you use Google Home or an Amazon Echo as your voice assistant, or whether you buy Philips or Sylvania lightbulbs — SmartThings is compatible with them all. In fact, it works with almost 400 products. Because of this, it’s super easy to integrate multiple devices that you already have, plus it gives you a wide variety of products to choose from when setting up your smart home.
And if I can set it up, so can you. To sweeten the deal, for July 4 you can save on these brand new products. If you buy a SmartThings Camera, you get a second one for $20 off. And you can save $20 when you spend $100 on a SmartThings Hub and Sensors or save $40 when you spend at least $200 on a hub and sensors.
Note: The prices above reflect the retailer’s listed prices at the time of publication.