As of May 28, 2023, Samsung Electronics has a market valuation of $325.10 billion, making it the 24th most valuable business in the world. Making its place among the top technological companies not Samsung is moving towards something new and exciting. 

The Android version of  Samsung's SmartThings app has been updated. Software version 1.8.13.22 is now available with three new features: a redesigned app icon, a 3D map of your home that shows all of your smart home devices, and your smart home products. An indication of whether or not there is a firmware update available to them. For your information, the official changelog is provided below.

Matter 1.2 Certification

With the addition of support for Matter 1.2, SmartThings can now interface with a wider variety of devices, such as dishwashers, air conditioners, refrigerators, top robot vacuums, and more. With this upgrade, you can expect more seamless device-to-device communication and a more unified smart home experience across all platforms. Later this summer, the SmartThings app will offer full Matter 1.2 compatibility.

Newer SmarThings App Icon

The logo that came with the previous iteration of the SmartThings app consisted of a figure painted in a blue gradient on a white background, indicating two smart home appliances connected directly to a hub. There were also two which were indirectly connected with it. The latest version of the app comes with an icon with a blue background and an all-white look, indicating five smart home gadgets that are directly connected to a hub.

Although the new app icon is prettier, it has the drawback that it is neither compatible nor compatible with theming. Yes, that's right. Themed icons are not supported by the SmartThings app in this version. Previous iterations of the app did this. As a result, it will not adjust to the system color or theme. Rather, regardless of the color or theme you choose, the background will always be blue, making it stick out like a sore thumb.

Since Samsung recently changed the icon, we assume the firm hasn't enabled it to be adopted. I hope Samsung will fix this issue in the upcoming app version.

Enhance Reliability

To set up your smart home infrastructure, the new Hub Manager function of the SmartThings app offers a centralized management interface. Hub backup is enabled and "Hub Groups" can be created with different SmartThings Hubs. Hub Backup minimizes the potential for disruptions to your daily schedule by enabling seamless migration of device configurations, network settings, and automation. It also guarantees that secondary hubs can take over in case of primary hub failure.

Shareable Routines 

With this new feature, it's easy to share an automated sequence of smart home device tasks with guests or family members in your home. You can discuss how you wake up and slowly turn on the lights, make coffee, and play your favorite song. You can also play noises in your sleep, have your lights off, and read your smart lock status out loud at night. With countless options, it's easy to share your routine with others when you use a QR code. To start the routine in their SmartThings configuration, recipients can scan it.

Improved App Controls

The new Device Operate function, which makes it easier to access, navigate and operate smart home devices, will be especially helpful for owners of Samsung Galaxy smartphones. Larger device cards with more user-friendly controls are part of this, and users can design their own home control page to perform tasks such as dimming the TV or changing the brightness of lights. Like Bluetooth and Wi-Fi controls, device control is easily accessible via a quick panel on phones and tablets.

3D Map

Now let's talk about the 3D map view. The latest version of the SmartThings app lets you create a 3D map of your home and add smart home devices to it. This allows you to get a better overview of your products and operate them more easily.

To use the new function, click on the house symbol in the upper right corner of the screen, which has a 3D shape. You can create a 3D map using the software in three different ways: "Take a picture of your floor plan," "Draw freehand," and "Arrange rooms and walls."

Software Update Availability

Finally, the latest iteration of the SmartThings app for Android indicates if a software update is available by displaying an indicator on a smart home device. Based on the changelog, we assume the new functionality accomplishes this. Since we don't have any smart home appliances, we were unable to test this feature.

Conclusion

All things considered, these upgrades represent a significant step forward in streamlining and improving the SmartThings user experience. Small details like battery level or display color to represent device status contribute to a more efficient smart home management platform, even if used in the background.

It's worth noting that the latest version of the SmartThings app for Android is only accessible through the Google Play Store, not the Galaxy Store. This is a bit odd, as one would think that a new update for a Samsung app would initially appear on the company's app marketplace rather than a third-party app marketplace