The Newest Samsung Smartthings Hub Ditches Z-wave

Aeotec announced its Smart Home Hub 2 astatine nan IFA tech show this week, marking nan extremity of an era. The hub, produced successful business pinch Samsung, is nan 4th procreation to support nan SmartThings location automation platform, and nan first without a Z-Wave radio.

The Smart Home Hub 2 has doubly nan capacity of its predecessor, according to a property merchandise from Aeotec, and features upgraded hardware, USB expandability, and support for Bluetooth Low Energy, Zigbee, Thread, and Matter Controller capabilities for SmartThings. Aeotec says it’s built for local-first communications, allowing astir automations to tally connected nan hub, truthful they’ll support moving moreover if nan net is down. It’s slated to motorboat successful Q4 of 2025.

SmartThings users who want to support utilizing Z-Wave successful their location will person to instrumentality pinch nan SmartThings V3 hub (also known arsenic nan Aeotec Smart Home Hub). Aeotec plans to discontinue V3 astatine nan extremity of 2026, but says it conscionable vanished a last accumulation tally and has plentifulness of inventory available.

Samsung moved distant from manufacturing its ain dedicated hardware hub a fewer years ago, outsourcing it to Aeotec. In nan meantime, it started to merge SmartThings Hubs pinch Matter and Thread support into its TVs, soundbars, and different appliances. However, a dedicated hub for illustration nan SmartHome Hub 2 is much powerful, tin grip a greater number of devices, connection much section automations, and has a amended range, which makes it a amended prime for bigger smart location setups.

Aeotec’s hub was besides nan only prime if you wanted to tally Z-Wave devices successful your SmartThings home. But it looks for illustration those days are astir over.