2^nd September 2022 – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., will participate as a Board Chair in the Home Connectivity Alliance (HCA) conference at IFA 2022 which will be held from September 2^nd to 6^th. Samsung will demonstrate its leadership in device interconnectivity through the company’s integrated home appliance solution: SmartThings. It will allow users to control home appliances from 13 leading brands from around the world.

The common goal of HCA – an organisation founded by large appliance manufacturers of heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), home appliances and TVs that include Arçelik A.Ş., The Electrolux Group, Haier, GE Appliances, Samsung Electronics, Trane Technologies and others – is to provide safe, secure and interoperable products that use innovatively connected features and services to ensure users enjoy a holistic experience of their home appliance ecosystems.

As one of the founding members of the HCA and a Board Chair of the Alliance, Samsung takes its leadership position within the project seriously. Yoon Ho Choi of Product Planning at IoT Biz Group, Samsung Electronics, is currently serving as the HCA President and Board Chair. Proud of its status as a founding HCA member, Samsung has endeavored since the beginning of the partnership to utilise SmartThings – its dynamic appliance and device integration system – in helping to achieve the Alliance’s ambitions for interconnectivity in the home.

“We are especially happy to see the speed of progress within the HCA. Within just nine months of launch, the HCA has been able to provide a live demo of the Cloud-to-Cloud interoperability of appliances, TVs and HVAC systems across member brands,” said Chanwoo Park, Executive Vice President and Head of IoT Biz Group at the Digital Appliances Business of Samsung Electronics. “This is a truly unique and momentous accomplishment that could only be accomplished through dedication and close collaboration between manufacturers that know and understand the connected home ecosystem.”

SmartThings: A Central Component of the HCA Mission for Samsung

SmartThings turns the home into an interconnected ecosystem. It is a system that continues to help Samsung technologies, third-party apps and devices from other HCA members work in harmony for a holistic experience of the home. During this year’s IFA, HCA will host a demonstration attended by HCA-participating companies from September 2^nd to 5^th, that will display how home appliances from multiple companies can be controlled with one system. These devices include Samsung Electronics’ Bespoke Cube Air Purifier, Bespoke Jet Bot AI+, Bespoke Refrigerator and Neo QLED, all of which are applied to SmartThings with HCA Standard.

With the SmartThings app, users can control more than 40 functions in 15 product categories from 13 brands including Samsung Electronics. Conversely, smart home apps from 13 brands can also control various Samsung products. For example, even if the oven, induction and hood in the kitchen are of different brands, it is possible to cook and control it with a single SmartThings app. The 15 product groups consist of air conditioners, air purifiers, Eco Heating System, dishwashers, dryers, freezers, hoods, inductions, ovens, refrigerators, robot vacuum cleaners, TVs, washing machines, and more.

Considering the expandability of the existing SmartThings system, it is possible to build a convenient smart home environment by connecting an additional 300 brands of third-party devices, along with the products from the 13 HCA brands to SmartThings.

Updates That Keep the Legacy Devices Working

SmartThings and HCA plan to bring the new interoperable features to global markets within the first half of 2023. In addition, models equipped with Wi-Fi among existing home appliances of HCA member companies can be controlled with a single app, regardless of the brand, through a software update on the app. This is especially important considering the long lifecycles of these large appliances that are part of the home infrastructure. SmartThings updates are simple, easy to access, and happen regularly to ensure the latest security and feature updates are accessible to global users.

An Alliance for a Better Future

With more than 235 million registered users globally across over 105 million connected devices, SmartThings continues to lead the smart home field. Samsung – along with its fellow HCA members – is helping to realise the vision to innovate and develop new consumer solutions in the IoT landscape by leveraging the power of the SmartThings platform. The company is committed to continuing to refine its own technologies while also ensuring interoperability is possible across the appliances and devices from other HCA members.

August 31, 2022 – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. will unveil the Odyssey OLED G8 (Model Name: G85SB) – another premium addition to the Odyssey lineup – at IFA 2022 in Berlin, Germany, further reinforcing the Odyssey’s industry-leading position. The Odyssey OLED G8 is the company’s first OLED gaming monitor and will be available in an ultra-thin, 34-inch form factor, delivering brilliant brightness on an OLED panel partnered with Quantum Dot Technology and packed full of premium gaming features including an incredibly low 0.1ms response time and 175Hz refresh rate.

The new 34-inch, Odyssey OLED G8 is built to an ultra-slim thickness of 3.9mm at its thinnest part – the slimmest in its product category – and finished with a sleek, metal frame. The monitor requires no backlighting, while delivering true RGB and true black for maximum colour accuracy and brightness – all without a colour filter. The lighting is controlled in pixels which can be expressed in black with a near-infinite contrast ratio.

The ultra-wide, QHD resolution (3,440 x 1,440) gaming monitor has a 21:9 aspect ratio with 100% colour volume and DCI-99.3% colour gamut for incredible visuals regardless of the game being played. This is enhanced by a million-to-one static contrast ratio to bring out the most subtle details for enhanced immersion and 1800R curvature for the perfect playing view.

The Odyssey OLED G8 is packed with gaming features to give any player a competitive edge. First, the OLED monitor is VESA DisplayHDR 400 True Black Certified, ensuring content will appear vivid and life-like with accurate colour and contrast reproduction. In addition to the rapid response time and refresh rate of the Odyssey OLED G8, which gives gamers lightning-quick response capabilities and real-world accuracy in a range of gaming environments, the monitor is further enhanced by AMD FreeSync Premium for smooth gameplay.

The Odyssey OLED G8 also enables users to experience the best of gaming, entertainment and lifestyle features all in one place. The display operates as a complete entertainment hub with the ability to stream content through Samsung’s Smart Hub, giving access to the latest shows on Amazon Prime, Netflix, YouTube, and other leading OTT (over-the-top) service providers, even without a connection to a PC or mobile device. In addition, users can enjoy free live content without the need for downloads or sign-ups, made possible by Samsung TV Plus.

The integrated IoT hub allows the users to check all the IoT devices wirelessly connected to the monitor, while the SmartThings app allows users to monitor IoT devices throughout the house with ease. The app’s intuitive control panel can help monitor and adjust settings such as temperature and humidity.

Samsung Gaming Hub^[1] – an all-in-one game streaming discovery platform – is built into the Odyssey OLED G8. Players can discover and play games from partners such as Xbox, NVIDIA GeForce NOW, Google Stadia, Utomik and Amazon Luna (US Only), with instant access to top streaming services. This capability is powered by Samsung’s advanced game streaming technology for smooth visuals and responsive gameplay, all with no downloads or storage space requirements.

The Odyssey OLED G8 also gives users comfort as they play their favorite games. A Height Adjustable Stand (HAS), as well as Tilt functionality provides ergonomic efficiency that means any gamer can find the perfect position regardless of what they are playing, whether it be a racing game or an open world fantasy adventure.

For further visual immersion, the display is equipped with the Odyssey portfolio’s well-known CoreSync & Core Lighting+ which has been upgraded for the Odyssey OLED G8. Found on the rear of the monitor, this advanced lighting technology matches the colours on-screen, bringing content to life with bright and vivid colours that create more memorable, immersive experiences. Moreover, the Odyssey OLED G8 is equipped with Micro HDMI (2.1), Mini DP (1.4) and USB-C ports for versatile connectivity, in addition to a 5W stereo speaker for crisp sound.

The Odyssey OLED G8 will be available globally from Q4 2022, with launch schedules varying by region.

[1] Samsung Gaming Hub only available in select countries: Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Korea, Spain, USA, UK.