Samsung, which exited the SmartThings hardware business in 2021, is re-entering it with the all-new SmartThings Station, now on display at CES in Las Vegas.
Outfitted with Bluetooth, Thread, and Zigbee radios, the new Matter-certified smart home hub is notable for what it lacks: a Z-Wave radio, a feature that was present in three previous iterations of the SmartThings hub.
That omission doesn’t necessarily mean SmartThings is dropping support for Z-Wave, since the SmartThings Station isn’t meant to replace the Z-Wave-packing Aeotec Smart Home Hub (aka SmartThings Hub V3). But SmartThings Station buyers won’t be able to connect any Z-Wave devices that were previously certified as SmartThings compatible.
Samsung has also integrated a SmartThings hub into its new smart appliance lineup, including its Bespoke line of refrigerators, and those products don’t have Z-Wave radios either.
On the bright side, the SmartThings Station can function as a Thread border router, and it has several other cool features, including a 15-watt induction charging surface on top for wirelessly charging smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices. This surface also serves double duty as a programmable button that can trigger up to three smart home routines with a single, double, or long press.
Users will also be able to set up the SmartThings Station so that placing their phone on the charging surface—as one might do before going to bed—can trigger a routine that locks the home’s smart locks, turns off smart lights, adjusts the thermostat, and so on.
The new Samsung SmartThings Station is slated to ship in early February and will cost $60 ($80 including a USB-C power adapter).
