One of the products that Samsung showcased in its presentation at CES 2022 was the Home Hub, an 8.4-inch tablet for controlling all connected home devices in your home. The company now has shared more information about it. At launch, Home Hub will have the ability to connect to all products in the SmartThings ecosystem, including Samsung devices.
Samsung
That way it can tell you how much energy your appliances use and if one needs cleaning. Home cooks will find a recipe center to create shopping lists and meal plans. These are just some of the use cases Samsung describes for the Home Hub. The company says the device’s AI software will anticipate what you need and put that information in front of you exactly when you need it.
Samsung has also pledged to support the upcoming Matter standard, which should open the door for the hub to connect to devices from other manufacturers. Based on photos shared by Samsung, the Home Hub runs Android, suggesting it might also be possible to use it as a standard tablet. The device also comes with two speakers and two microphones, in addition to the company’s Bixby assistant. The tablet will come with the charging cradle you see in the photos and you can take it off that cradle.
At first glance, it’s hard to see the Home Hub’s appeal. After all, it’s essentially a tablet that comes with the company’s SmartThings app pre-installed. You can download this same software on your phone. So it’s not like you’re offering something that doesn’t already exist. However, framed differently, it’s a different approach to a smart screen. Samsung hasn’t tried to create a device like the Echo Show 15 that wants to be the center of your home. The focus here is narrow, and that’s something that can attract people.
Samsung will launch the Home Hub in Korea in March, with global availability to follow. No word yet on US prices.
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