RIDGEFIELD PARK, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In an effort to eliminate the dreaded Wi-Fi buffering zone and prevent streaming latency, Samsung Electronics America, Inc. today announced its new SmartThings Wifi mesh network system. Equipped with AI-based mesh Wi-Fi technology from Plume and a built-in SmartThings Hub, the system delivers an intelligently optimized whole home network with the added value of complete smart home control throughout every room of the home.
Reliable and secure Wi-Fi is a fundamental need for consumers today, and internet use is no longer limited to the home office or location where the router is based. As more connected technologies enter the home, there is a greater need for a stable network that can efficiently support these devices. The SmartThings Wifi system not only delivers this stability, but also delivers fast and consistent coverage that covers the whole home.
“As more people embrace a connected lifestyle, we’re focused on creating the best experiences so they can get more out of their smart home,” said SK Kim, Senior Director, IoT Product Marketing at Samsung Electronics America. “SmartThings Wifi is an intelligent solution that adapts to the many devices in the home, with mesh capability to eliminate coverage gaps plus a built-in SmartThings Hub to easily monitor and control hundreds of compatible smart products.”
Samsung partnered with Plume to integrate its AI-based mesh Wi-Fi optimization into SmartThings Wifi. The Plume platform adapts to internet usage in the home and intelligently allocates bandwidth, mitigates interference, and delivers maximum Wi-Fi capacity across the home, accounting for every connected device and selecting the optimal band and frequency channel so users can get the fastest speed possible. Plume’s technology can optimize a home network across multiple devices so parents working from laptops can download files while kids stream TV, and gamers experience speed and reliability even when others are on the network. Now, Wi-Fi goes where the need is instead of the other way around. Users can also set parental controls to manage screen time and set-up special logins and passwords for guests using the Plume HomePass® feature.
“Integrating our adaptive home Wi-Fi technology and a rich set of consumer features into SmartThings’ large, open ecosystem truly elevates the smart home experience,” said Fahri Diner, co-founder and CEO, Plume. “Samsung gives you myriad devices to consume content and connect, and Plume ensures that your Wi-Fi network delivers a superior user experience to all of those devices.”
SmartThings Wifi works as a SmartThings Hub to serve as the “brain” of the smart home. Samsung’s open SmartThings ecosystem makes it easy to automate and manage the smart home with one hub and the SmartThings app. Compatible with hundreds of third-party devices and services, SmartThings enables users to expand their smart home with lights, door locks, cameras, voice assistants, thermostats and more. SmartThings Wifi delivers a simple, convenient 2-in-1 solution, offering whole-home automation out of the box.
For corner to corner coverage, users can choose the right Wi-Fi configuration to fit their needs, from a home with multiple levels to a small apartment. Each SmartThings Wifi router has a range of 1,500 square feet, with the 3-pack covering 4,500 square feet, and users can expand coverage by adding additional mesh routers to the set-up. It is easily set-up and managed by the Android and iOS compatible SmartThings app.
The SmartThings Wifi 3-pack retails for $279.99 and the single device retails for $119.99. It is available starting today on Samsung.com and at retailers nationwide.
Samsung Introduces New and Improved SmartThings Hub, Sensors and Outlet
In addition to SmartThings Wifi, Samsung is upgrading the performance and connectivity of its SmartThings Hub, Water Leak Sensor, Motion Sensor, Multipurpose Sensor and Smart Outlet to give consumers more choice in their smart home set up. The new, more compact SmartThings Hub has been upgraded with the latest Zigbee, Z-wave, and Bluetooth 4.1 connectivity protocols. Now, the Hub can wirelessly connect to a Wi-Fi network, no longer needing a dedicated Ethernet cable, so users have the flexibility to place it anywhere in their home.
The SmartThings Motion Sensor is additionally redesigned with a magnetic ball mount, so consumers can adjust the tilt angle for a wider view range to detect motion and trigger automated events. Samsung is also introducing the new SmartThings Button with programmable triggers that manually control routines around the home - like setting Movie Mode - without having to go into the SmartThings app. The SmartThings Button, like the rest of the SmartThings sensor line, monitors temperature in an area of the home, such as basement or baby’s room, and signals the smart thermostat to adjust automatically.
The new SmartThings Hub ($69.99), sensors ($19.99 - $24.99), Button ($14.99) and Smart Outlet ($34.99) are now available on Samsung.com and at retailers nationwide.
For more information about Samsung Smart Home, visit www.samsung.com/us/smart-home.
SmartThings Wifi Product Specs
| GENERAL INFO | |||
| SKU |
3-Pack (ET-WV525KWEGUS), $279.99 1-Pack (ET-WV525BWEGUS), $119.99 |
||
| Weight per node (lb) | 0.46 | ||
| Size per node (D x W x H; in.) | 4.72 x 4.72 x 1.16 | ||
| TECH SPECS | |||
| Processor | Qualcomm (Quad 710MHz) | ||
| Memory | 512 MB (RAM) + 8GB (Flash) | ||
| Wi-Fi Standards |
2 x 2 MU-MIMO 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac - Wave2 |
||
| Speed | AC1300 (866 Mbps @ 5GHz, 400Mbps @2.4GHz) | ||
| Antennae | 7EA (5GHz: 2EA, 2.4GHz: 2EA, BT: 1EA, Z-Wave: 1EA, ZigBee: 1EA) | ||
| Connectivity | Bluetooth 4.1, ZigBee, Z-Wave | ||
| Ports | RJ45 x 2, Power x 1 | ||
| Operating Temp | -0 ~ 40℃ | ||
| Power Source | AC100-240V, 50~60 HZ | ||
| Requirements | Android OS 5.0 or higher, iOS 10 or higher | ||
| Certifications | FCC, UL | ||
About Samsung Electronics America, Inc.
Headquartered in Ridgefield Park, N.J., Samsung Electronics America, Inc. (SEA), is a recognized innovative leader in consumer electronics, mobile devices and enterprise solutions. A wholly owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., SEA is pushing beyond the limits of today’s technology and providing consumers and organizations with a portfolio of groundbreaking products in appliances, home entertainment, Internet of Things, mobile computing, smartphones, virtual reality, wireless infrastructure and wearables, in addition to offering leading content and services related to mobile payments, 360-degree VR video, customer support and more. Samsung is a pioneering leader in smartphones and HDTVs in the U.S. and one of America’s fastest growing home appliance brands. To discover more about Samsung, please visit www.samsung.com. For the latest Samsung news, please visit news.samsung.com/us and follow us @SamsungNewsUS.
About SmartThings:
SmartThings is the easiest way to turn a home into a smart home, making it simple to connect and control your devices from anywhere. As the industry leader for consumer IoT technology, SmartThings’ open platform brings together devices, developers, and services to offer one of the largest ecosystems of integrated devices, connecting over 10 million products in over 1 million homes for limitless possibilities. Founded in 2012, SmartThings is headquartered in Mountain View, CA and operates independently as a wholly owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics. For more information, visit www.smartthings.com. There’s potential in your everyday things.
About Plume®
Plume is the pioneer of Adaptive WiFi™, the world's first self-optimizing Wi-Fi delivering reliable and consistent Internet experience to every corner of the home, and the original designer and inventor of Wi-Fi Pods™ and SuperPods™. Plume is driven by the Plume Cloud, a powerful cloud-based control plane, enabling the most advanced, resilient home Wi-Fi solution due to its ability to dynamically adapt and respond to changing network loads and interference. The Plume Middle Layer (PML) can be integrated into third party hardware for connection to the Plume Cloud. Plume’s cognitive service curation platform enables a rich set of modern consumer services for the home which can run on third party hardware platforms and be deployed at massive scale. Visit www.plume.com and www.platform.plume.com.