[Ask ASyk] Samsung Smart Home @ CES 2014

* The following is  an individual opinion of editor ASyk and does not represent the official views of the company.

Part 1: [Ask ASyk] Wearables @ CES 2014

Part 2: [Ask ASyk] Redefining TV @ CES 2014

It is always fun when you see a concept come to reality. We are already familiar with Samsung’s concept of ‘Smart Home’ from CES 2013 and IFA 2013. At this year’s CES in Las Vegas, Samsung finally showcased the commercialized Samsung Smart Home. Samsung Smart Home will be available starting from sometime in the beginning of this year, depending on the region.

Samsung Smart Home is a solution that allows your in-house electronic devices to communicate with each other for an overall cooler and more convenient life. Users can monitor and control various devices through a unified mobile app.

Samsung Smart Home Features       

Samsung Smart Home is not just focused on a specific area, such as security, but rather focused on having a broad and complete strategy to it, making Samsung the first company to take this approach.

After viewing the Samsung Smart Home showcase at CES 2014, you realize that Samsung Smart Home is not about delegation or automation of an activity. It is about making the activity more efficient and fun.

For example, imagine yourself in a kitchen ready to cook for yourself. Smart Home can play your favorite cooking music as background music, tell you what you can cook with what you have in your refrigerator and providing the right air circulation, so that your house stays fresh. Mostly importantly, all these are happening as you begin to cook without having to turn on your TV, check the fridge or set up your air conditioner. Now, that is pretty cool.

Samsung Smart Home enhancing our daily experience is great, but the fact that it will give people some extra time could make a lifestyle even cooler. Because Smart Home is not about executing a specific task and about helping us do tasks more efficiently, we will have more time to do whatever we want, such as watching TV or playing video games.

The fact is, no matter what your occupation is, you have chores to do at home. After working hard and late, when you come back home, the last thing you want to do is your chores; you want do something fun or relaxing. Not your laundry, washing dishes or cleaning your house. So if something like laundry or vacuuming could be done before you come back from work, you have more time to do what you enjoy.

The Simplicity of Samsung Smart Home

First of all, design of the app looked very ‘premium’ and ‘high tech’ but pretty simple and straight forward. However, my concern was not about how the app looks, instead how easy is it to use? Since it uses WiFi, what if someone hacks in and mess around with your home appliances? How long and thorough do I have to read the manual to set everything up? So I showed my skepticism, as nicely as possible, to one of the representatives of Samsung Smart Home.

If you think about it my concerns are a legitimate concern. Security (of the platform) is extremely important; each device needs to understand the information that they communicate. Each device should speak the same language under the same rules. If they don’t, they simply will not be able to communicate with each other. Second, Smart Home should be easy to use. Obviously, for people like me, installing or setting up a lot of electronics could be overwhelming.

But obviously, people at Samsung already have thought about that. 

Long story short, all you need to know to setup your devices for the Samsung Smart Home is your WiFi password and everything is taken care of. Samsung reduces the process to three steps after the product has been powered on. Samsung Smart Home has simplified the process to 3 steps and all the necessary security checks are automatically executed within the 3 steps. Therefore, users can enjoy their Smart Home as quickly and securely as possible. Samsung Smart Home is really easy to use.

Unlike other devices, home appliances are a purchase for the whole family. Consequently, Samsung Smart Home needs to be a service for the whole family as well. Samsung Smart Home can not only make the home appliances beneficial to the whole family, but it also can give more longevity to each home appliance, because their roles can be customized according to the family’s and each member’s lifestyle and preferences.