I resisted smart devices for years. I’ve since not only accepted smart home tech, but the way in which something integrates with my smart home is now actively shaping what I buy.
I Was a Smart Home Skeptic
For most of my adult life, I had zero interest in smart home tech. These devices felt like a scam to get me to regularly replace things that would otherwise last decades. Plus, they came with any number of privacy concerns. Internet-connected devices provide more ways to access my network. Voice assistants send more data to someone else’s machines. Microphones and cameras provide someone, somewhere, with information on what goes on in my home.
This can sound paranoid, until news breaks with a horror story. I’ve worked in tech journalism for my entire professional life. When these horror stories do happen, I’ve been more likely to hear about them than most. But you don’t have to be lurking around Reddit to be in the know. These scandals have hit local news.
Samsung Eased Me In
And yet, here I am, now in the process of building a smart home. I’ll be honest—I didn’t spawn this desire on my own.
I am writing this on a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6, a phone whose large internal screen and ability to spawn a full-blown desktop in the form of DeX have enabled my phone to replace my PC. I’ve paired this phone with a Galaxy Watch and Galaxy Buds, allowing me to experience the perks of an ecosystem for the first time.
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When we built our home, we ended up with a Samsung Bespoke fridge. It was the most enticing of the options presented, and the smart home features were absolutely nowhere near our minds. Once I got a Samsung phone, I stated getting notifications about adding the fridge to Samsung SmartThings.
When we were later gifted a Samsung Frame TV, it also prompted me. This time, though, the TV wasn’t just becoming accessible from my phone. It offered to be a hub that could control other devices.
With this many Samsung products all playing nicely together, I decided maybe it was time to look into SmartThings after all.
Matter Gives Me Peace of Mind
While there are a number of products out there that integrate with SmartThings, the “Works With Samsung SmartThings” label doesn’t seem as common as the ones for Amazon Alexa and Google Home. This doesn’t bother me, since I still have little interest in buying products that leave me beholden to one company.
As much as I like Samsung’s current phones, I don’t doubt their ability to release a giant software update that entirely turns me off—or maybe another company simply releases a phone I like more. Maybe Samsung shuts down SmartThings functionally altogether. I don’t want to be left with a bunch of pricey smart home tech I can no longer use.
Enter Matter, a smart home standard that all the major smart home ecosystems have agreed to support. If a device is Matter-compatible, then I know it will work with Samsung SmartThings, and it will also continue to work if SmartThings goes away. It’s entirely because of open standards like this with wide industry adoption that I am even willing to build a smart home at all.
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Now I Shop for SmartThings or Matter-Compatibility
Now that I’m all-in, I’m enjoying the perks that smart devices offer. I love getting information on energy usage. I can now place night lights and air purifiers on all over my home with comfort, since my Tapo P210M smart outlet has shown me that neither uses much power. I know how much power my Frame TV uses from being left on all day. I know when someone leaves the fridge door open.
The LG dishwasher our house came with recently broke, and we opted to replace it with a Samsung model that matches our fridge and will integrate with the rest of our smart home. I don’t have a need yet, but I’m also looking out for when we can do the same with our washer and dryer.
The information smart devices provide entices me as much, if not more, than remote controls and notifications. Taken together, all three provide a worthwhile set of features I am willing to pay extra for, but only if I’m able to control all the things from a single app and across my local network. I continue to have zero interest in cluttering my phone with a bunch of cloud-connected icons.
Right now, Samsung’s product line and its embrace of Matter means it’s getting much of my money. I hope by the time these newer appliances reach the end of their lives, there will be Matter-certified washers, dryers, dishwashers, and more. I’m now willing to throw some of my money at the companies whose products integrate with the rest of the tech in my home.
