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Samsung has unveiled a new line of smart home products that will enable people to control and monitor their homes remotely.
The Korean technology giant confirmed that five new ‘smart home’ sensors from their SmartThings range – as well as a central Hub to control them all – are coming to the UK this month.
Shown off during a Samsung press conference at the IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin, the range of sensors are designed to fit onto doors, windows and other areas of the home and can detect movement, location and even moisture – reporting back through notifications to a smartphone.
Samsung UK president Andy Griffiths has previously said that the smart home trend will become increasingly popular.
“There has been a huge change in the way the connected world is established, and so to take that forward 10 years it’s interesting to note that the main trend we believe by then will be the connected home,” he said.
Samsung acquired SmartThings last year in a deal worth $200 million (£130m).
During their live event, Samsung also showed off a Presence sensor that knows the location of users and their loved ones using smartphones as location beacons – sending a notification to your phone when a child arrives home from school for example.
The SmartThings range also includes a moisture sensor that the firm says will detect leaks, as well as a device that fits onto plugs that can then control a power supply to it. This can then be programmed to automatically boil the kettle when your alarm goes off in the morning, says Samsung.
A new app will launch alongside the sensors from which users can set up and control all their sensors, said the firm, as well as creating daily routines and timings for different devices around the home.
The new system can also be used to add third party products to a home ecosystem, including Bose speakers and Phillips Hue smart lightbulbs.
Smart homes and the internet of things are growing trends in technology, with similar sensors and home automation products becoming more and more prominent at trade shows such as IFA.
Apple has created its HomeKit software that enables hardware manufacturers to include code in their products that allows them to easily link to iPhones and iPads,
Samsung confirmed that prices for the new line of sensors range from £30 to £45, with the central Hub, which connects to a WiFi router, and will cost £99.
