Samsung outlines connected home strategy and unveils world’s first modular TV

Samsung used its opening press conference at the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show to outline its strategy for an open and intelligent connected home to provide a seamless experience across all of your devices.

The electronics giant also unveiled “The Wall” – the world’s first modular 146-inch TV which uses MicroLED technology that doesn’t require a backlight or a filter.

The company is well on track to achieve its goal of make all of its products IoT (internet of things) ready by 2020.

And Samsung intends to keep that platform open to make today’s fragmented and complex IoT ecosystem simpler than ever before.

In fact, Samsung is already working with partners as part of the Open Connectivity Foundation (OCF), the largest IoT standardization body in the world.

To demonstrate this openness, Samsung announced its ARTIK chip inside its air-conditioners and the Family Hub refrigerator have already been certified for their interoperability.

During a demonstration, the audience saw a user answering their Ring 2 doorbell and checking the view from their Netgear Arlo wire free security camera from the screen on the Samsung Family Hub refrigerator display.

Of course, Samsung is still number one in smartphones and televisions – two vital products in the smart connected home.

The company will bring together all of its IoT applications including Samsung Connect, Smart Home, Smart View and more into a single SmartThings app which will be able to connect to control any SmartThings-enabled device including their phone, TV or car.

Bixby, introduced with the Galaxy S8 smartphone in 2017, will also be part of Samsung’s strategy to bring intelligence to even more devices.

Voice control in the Samsung 2018 range of smart TVs and new Family Hub refrigerators will be enabled via Bixby to make managing everyday tasks even simpler.

In the home, Samsung Smart TVs will be even easier to set up than ever before using your smartphone to connect to your home network and your favourite apps.

The Samsung Smart TVs and Family Hub refrigerators can recognise individual voices of family members and provide personalised information including news, weather and calendar updates.

The TVs will also include a Universal Guide so it can find movies and shows designed to suit your taste.

Speaking of TVs, Samsung’s Wall TV highlights the company’s display technology breakthroughs and features a module-based bezel-less design which would allow customers to customise their television size and shape to suit their needs.

“At Samsung, we are dedicated to providing consumers with a wide range of cutting-edge screen experiences,” said Jonghee Han, President of Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics.

“As the world’s first consumer modular MicroLED television, ‘The Wall’ represents another breakthrough.

“It can transform into any size, and delivers incredible brightness, colour gamut, colour volume and black levels.

“We’re excited about this next step along our roadmap to the future of screen technology, and the remarkable viewing experience it offers to consumers.”

Samsung also announced the Notebook 9 – a Windows 2-in-1 laptop with the same S Pen usually seen with the Note smartphones and the Samsung Flip – a smart interactive whiteboard which is ideal for easy office collaboration.

* Stephen Fenech travelled to Las Vegas as a guest of LG