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Samsung’s smart home hub vs. Wink and other home automation hubs
SmartThings recently launched the new generation of of smart, connected home devices. From the hub to the sensors, everything is looking sleek. But how does the Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.-owned hub compare to other smart home hubs in the market?
We compare SmartThings’ new hub to similar smart home offerings from popular brands including Insteon, Wink and Logitech.
SmartThings Hub vs. other home automation hubs
Design and dimension
SmartThings hub: Length 4.2 x Width 4.9 x Depth 1.3 inches, 7.68 ounces, squarish-design, white in color, rounded edges,
Insteon Hub Pro: 7.0 x 3.75 x 1.5 inches, white, bigger than the SmartThings hub, pointy edges
Wink Hub: 8 x 8 x 3 inches, white in color, square in shape, looks similarly to the SmartThings Hub.
Logitech Harmony Home Hub: 4.875 x 4.125 x 1 inch, 3.9 ounces, black with red accents in color, square design, rounded edges.
Connectivity
SmartThings hub: ZigBee, Z-Wave, IP; can support up to 200 connected devices
Insteon Hub Pro: Insteon protocol
Wink Hub: Bluetooth, Z-Wave, ZigBee, Wi-Fi, Lutron Clear Connect,
Logitech Harmony Home Hub: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Infrared; can control up to eight devices simultaneously
Requirements
SmartThings hub: iOS 7.0, Android 4.0, Windows Phone 8.1 or greater
Insteon Hub Pro: Requires an iPhone or iPod touch with iOS 8.1 or later. Not compatible with Android or Windows devices.
Wink Hub: Apple or Android smart device. Wi-Fi network with 2.4 GHz routers running on WPA-PSK, open security, or WEP. (Does not currently support 5 GHz networks.)
Logitech Harmony Home Hub: iOS 6.0 or higher, Androir 4.0 or later, Bluetooth Smart technology-enabled iOS or Android device, supports 802.11g/n, WPA Personal, WPA2-AES and 64/128-bit WEP encryption
Standout feature
SmartThings hub: Smart Home Monitor – an integrated home monitoring solution that utilizes a connected camera so the system can deliver alerts when unwanted entry or motion, smoke or fire, leaks, or other important activity has been detected.
Insteon Hub Pro: Siri can be used to control connected devices if you’re using an iOS device.
Wink Hub: Connects to your home network via Wi-Fi, no support for LAN yet.
Logitech Harmony Home Hub: It comes with its own IR blaster for control but you can use your iOS or Android device as a remote. You can also use the hub to control game consoles such as the Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii, as well as streaming media players.
Price
SmartThings hub: $99, ships in 10-14 days in the U.S. or Canada.
Insteon Hub Pro: $149.99
Wink Hub: $50
Logitech Harmony Home Hub: $99.99
Verdict
The new SmartThings hub looks great and its small form allows users to easily hide or blend the device in their home so it doesn’t stand out as much. The $99 price tag may be too much for some, so those on a budget may go for the Wink Hub which only costs $50.
As for functionality, the Logitech Harmony Home Hub may have the most to offer as it not only connects and controls connected devices, but you can also use it to control your media devices. The Insteon Hub Pro may be a bit pricey but if you’re an Apple user, it may be the best fit for you as it can control HomeKit enabled devices with Siri.
Image source: SiliconANGLE screenshot from SmartThings.com
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