Samsung has only just launched the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Flip 4 in August, so it should be clear that the company wouldn’t have too many aces up its sleeve for IFA 2022. But as a household name at the Berlin Messe, the company still had some important things to talk about that hadn’t quite made the cut for a dedicated product launch. Samsung took the chance to talk about its broader portfolio, explaining how its smart home platform SmartThings is the centerpiece that ties together its mobile devices, TVs and entertainment centers, and its Bespoke appliances — all working together to save energy, helping your wallet and the environment, too. All this was then showcased in the company’s signature mini smart city, purpose built for IFA this year once again after pandemic-driven downtime following IFA 2019.
A wall of Galaxy Z Fold 4 phones for the Samsung booth
Front and center at Samsung’s efforts is SmartThings, which the company isn’t getting tired of pushing. Samsung highlighted how the recently redesigned app is capable of tying all of its products and then some together. Samsung touts that by now, more than 300 other brands are compatible and that there are now 230 million registered SmartThings users, which sets up this ecosystem for success.
The latest products in Samsung’s Bespoke appliances lineup then tie in even closer with the SmartThings app. In fact, the company has promised that by 2023, 100% of its Bespoke lineup will feature Wi-Fi connectivity and smart features. Samsung even promises that its appliances will go beyond the highest current energy rating to deliver up to 10% more power savings right out of the box.
All supported appliances then can work in synergy to help you save up to 30% more energy. New intelligent algorithms in washing machines can determine how much detergent is needed for a given load, and the device will automatically only work as much as it has to, which can also lead to further energy savings. In some regions, the SmartThings app can also monitor your overall electricity usage, allowing you to tweak energy consumption settings right in the app to hit your budgeting goals.
A proper city with streets and crossings and all
Samsung additionally highlighted its SolarCell Remote once more, which it first shipped with some 2021 TV models. It doesn’t rely on single-use batteries and is instead charged by light and radio waves like Wi-Fi that are in your house anyway. Samsung has shared that it will license this technology to other manufacturers to avoid even more single-use batteries. The company claims that up to now, its remote has already eliminated the need for more than 200 million batteries.
Some impressions from the Samsung showfloor
At IFA, Samsung then showcased how its vision of the connected future really looks like, once again building a small-scale smart city on its showfloor. Parts of the layout and the open floor plan have a bit of an Ikea vibe, though with a focus on technology products. As overengineered and overly clean these spaces tend to look, the company still managed to make a case for how the connected future could look like, even if you probably won’t ever get all of your appliances from one company only. In fact, the new smart home protocol Matter might make the question of which devices you own irrelevant, as every product from participating manufacturers should be able to connect.
