Although it’s been a big day for Samsung, with the roll-out of out two new smartphones, an accompanying desktop dock, its own version of Amazon Alexa, a new 360-degree camera and a smart connected home app, the Korean electronics firm had room for one more thing: a new Wi-Fi mesh system.
Concisely named the Connect Home Smart Wi-Fi System, it aims to take on Google WiFi, Orbi, Amplifi, and a growing family of other Wi-Fi mesh systems. One key feature Samsung’s solution has over rivals is an integrated SmartThings hub that you can use to control your Internet-connected gadgets.
Samsung claims the Connect Home Smart will work with hundreds of third-party smart home devices through a Wi-Fi or Bluetooth 4.1 signal. The Philips Hue and Ring doorbell were name-dropped as compatible appliances. It’s also compatible with Z-Wave’s and Zigbee’s security devices.
On the internet-connectivity side of things, the Connect Home Smart isn’t designed to cast a Wi-Fi net over your entire house from a single router. Rather, it uses multiple, smaller modules to create a home network. Each individual unit covers a 1,500 square-foot area.
The Connect Home Smart will come in two variants. The regular version will feature a 710MHz quad-core processor and dual-band 802.11ac radio that operates at AC1300 (866Mbps) speeds. Meanwhile, the Pro is a step quicker in all regards with a 1.7GHz dual-core chip and AC2600 (1.7Gbps) radio.
Both the Connect Home Smart and its Pro variant are equipped with 512GB of RAM and 4GB of storage. Samsung has yet to announce pricing or availability, but we’ll update this post with the information as soon as it’s available.
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