Samsung SmartThings ecosystem in action: When TV controls the home, Fold coordinates everything, and watches replace remotes

For years, I had a smart home built around Google Home and a second-generation Nest Hub. It worked reliably, but when I got my hands on the Galaxy Z Fold7 and gradually started transitioning to the Samsung ecosystem, I decided to try SmartThings as well. I’m not a complete novice in home automation, but Samsung’s approach to smart home was a new challenge for me. I was surprised how well the large 8-inch display of the Fold suits managing all devices – I can see the entire home at once without having to scroll between screens. And most importantly, I found out that my Samsung TV can function as a central hub, so I didn’t have to buy any extra box for two thousand.

Life Tab: More than just appliance control

I’ll start with perhaps a somewhat surprising part of SmartThings, which is the Life tab. Most people overlook it. Yet, this is where the features I use daily are hidden.

Find has saved me several times already. Yesterday, I couldn’t find my Galaxy Watch8 Classic. In the app, I saw they were somewhere at home with 47% battery capacity. I just had to tap “Play sound” and the watch started beeping from the pocket of a hoodie in the hallway. It works the same way with headphones or a SmartTag, which I have attached to my keys.

The Energy card is ideal for savers. I can see energy costs for the current month, consumption of individual devices, and even carbon emissions. But what interested me most was the AI Energy Mode feature.

AI Energy Mode in practice: Samsung S95F OLED as a test subject

When I turned on AI Energy Mode on my 65″ Samsung S95F OLED television, I expected the picture to look worse. The opposite was true. AI analyzes content scene by scene and adjusts brightness according to what’s on the screen. When watching dark scenes in series, it reduces backlighting; during sports, it increases brightness.

After a week, the app reports 14% energy savings on the TV. That’s not insignificant, considering that an OLED panel itself isn’t energy-efficient. Furthermore, the television automatically detects when no one is in the room and turns off after 5 minutes.

Food: When a smart fridge helps with shopping

The Food tab initially seemed unnecessary, but I gradually started using it more. Upon first launch, I set preferences – low sugar content for my girlfriend, preference for Italian cuisine.

Now the app offers me personalized recipes and the best part – when I choose one, I can send a shopping list directly to SmartThings with a single tap. I can then share the list not only to my phone but also to my smartwatch, so in the store, I can instantly find what I might have forgotten. Unfortunately, Czech is not supported, which is a shame, but even with basic English, you won’t have trouble with recipes or ingredients.

TV as a central hub: Matter Hub

The biggest surprise for me was when I found out that the Samsung S95F OLED can function as a SmartThings Hub. I don’t need any extra box – the TV itself connects devices with the Matter standard.

And it actually makes sense. The TV is always on in standby mode anyway, so why not use its computing power? Matter is still a relatively new universal standard for smart homes, which ensures that devices from different manufacturers will communicate with each other. Practically, this means I can buy a TP-Link smart bulb or an Aqara door sensor and they will work with SmartThings without issues.

The advantage of a Matter hub in the TV is clear – I save on a separate hub, which costs around 2000 CZK. Plus, I control everything directly from the TV, which is practical. If I wanted to dim the lights, I don’t have to look for my phone.

Q-Symphony: When TV and soundbar play together

The Samsung HW-Q990F soundbar is also fully integrated into SmartThings. The most interesting feature is Q-Symphony – a technology that uses both the TV’s and the soundbar’s speakers simultaneously. The result? Sound comes from multiple directions, creating the impression that you’re sitting right in a cinema.

Through SmartThings, I can create “Movie Night” routines – with a single tap, the lights dim (if you have compatible bulbs), the soundbar switches to Cinema mode, and Do Not Disturb mode activates on the watch. Everything works automatically because all devices are from the South Korean manufacturer and understand each other.

Widget on Galaxy Watch: Control from the wrist

On my Galaxy Watch8 Classic, I have three SmartThings widgets set up. The first controls the most frequent scenes – by rotating the bezel, I quickly switch between “Good morning”, “Leaving home”, and “Good night”. The second widget displays the status of all devices, and the third is for quick control of the TV and soundbar.

The most practical routine? “Bedtime” – with one gesture on the watch, I turn off the TV, lower the soundbar volume to minimum (in case the TV turns on automatically in the morning), and turn off the lights in the living room. All in 2 seconds, without having to look for my phone or remote.

What I miss and what I would improve

SmartThings isn’t perfect. The biggest disappointment? My Roborock Saros Z70 is not supported. At all. While the community offers complex guides for integration through various intermediate steps, room maps are missing, and I can’t send the robot to clean a specific room. I have the same problem with Govee LED strips and lights – older models are not compatible at all.

Another thing that annoys me – geographical restrictions. Many AI features only work in the USA or Korea. SmartThings Family Care, which should monitor elderly relatives? Unavailable here. Advanced energy analyses? Not here either.

And then there are the outages. The TV hub sometimes “forgets” connected devices, and I have to re-pair them. According to forum discussions, I’m not the only one – some Frame TV users report the hub disconnecting every 5 seconds.

Routines that utilize the entire ecosystem

Where SmartThings excels is in complex routines utilizing all Samsung devices. One of my other routines (Good Morning) at 7:30 AM gradually turns on the lights in the bedroom (if it’s still dark), the TV in the living room turns on to ČT24 with the morning news, the soundbar is set to 15% volume, and my watch vibrates with a reminder of today’s meetings. Everything launches automatically according to GPS – only when I’m home.

Verdict: Fold and SmartThings are a perfect combination

After a month of use, I can say that the Galaxy Z Fold7 is the best device for controlling SmartThings. That huge display finally makes sense – I can see the entire home at a glance, quickly adjust routines, and monitor energy consumption in real-time.

The integration with the TV as a Matter hub is a brilliant move – I saved on hardware, and everything works centrally. Yes, it has its flaws, occasional outages annoy me, but the advantages outweigh them. Especially when you have more Samsung devices – then SmartThings becomes the smartest assistant you could wish for.

If you’re considering SmartThings, my advice is: start slow. Get a few Matter bulbs or outlets, try out basic routines. If you have a better Samsung TV from 2022 or newer, you get a free hub. And if it catches on with you like it did with me, gradually expand.

SmartThings isn’t a perfect system, but for owners of the Samsung ecosystem, it’s the best choice. And with the Fold in hand, controlling your smart home truly becomes a pleasant experience.

How do you use SmartThings?