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Samsung SmartThings will get Matter support this month
Samsung has announced that its standalone SmartThings hub will get an update at the end of this month which will install the new smart home standard Matter support.
After Samsung SmartThings gets Matter support, the v2 hub will control Matter devices over Wi-Fi and Ethernet, while the current Hub and SmartThings dongle will also act as a thread border router.
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The Korean company is the first to publicly announce Matter certification. Jaeyeon Jung, Samsung Electronics corporate vice president and head of SmartThings’ mobile experience business confirmed in an interview that SmartThings gained Matter certifications on October 12 (via TheVerge).
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At the same time, Michelle Mindala-Freeman of the Connectivity Standard Alliance, which oversees Matter, confirmed that it began offering certifications this week and Samsung was the first to grab one. The Matter certification is for the hubs, with the timeline for the dongle certification still being specified.
Furthermore, the Vice President and head of Samsung also revealed that the company is planning to release over-the-air updates to all v2 and v3 SmartThings hubs that exist at the present time and the SmartThings app on Android.
Additionally, Jung says that SmartThings dongles and the software-based SmartThings Hub are built into the new Samsung Smart TVs, monitors, and Family Hub fridges, which will get updated to support Matter later.
At It’s Glowtime event, Apple launched new colors of old AirPods Max product. The gadget now comes in Midnight, Starlight, Blue, Purple, and Orange, and offers USB-C charging for more convenience.
AirPods Max is an over-the-ear headphones offered by Apple. The company debuted five new colors of the product at the It’s Glowtime event yesterday. It isn’t the only old item, which refreshed, as the Watch Ultra 2 also got a new color hue.
Apple announced the new colors of AirPods Max cost $549 and went on pre-order yesterday. Shoppers will start receiving their orders starting September 20 as announced by the iPhone maker at yesterday’s It’s Glowtime event.
AirPods Max features a breathable knit mesh canopy, distributing weight to reduce on-head pressure. The noise control button easily switches between Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency mode.
Pushing its own ecosystem, Apple says AirPods Max users will support all features if connected with an iPhone. Similar to Wear OS exclusivity to Android, Apple is continuing its approach of accentuating feature limitations.
Apple’s decision to unveil new colors of AirPods Max is a strategic move. The company doesn’t require a dedicated launch event to announce the color refresh of products. However, it’s great to utilize a stage to introduce multiple products.
There’s no heavy outrage over the lack of innovation of lazy design movements. Other vendors like Samsung and Google face immense criticism across the internet. Anyways, consumers should be aware and get the best service for the money they are spending.
No Watch Ultra 3: Apple refreshes Watch Ultra 2 against Galaxy Watch Ultra
Samsung didn’t miss the opportunity to troll Apple during the iPhone 16 launch. While the company was introducing its new iPhone models, Samsung repeated a question it asked two years back.
The hype created for iPhone 16 and Apple Intelligence backfired as it can’t crush the Samsung Galaxy AI lead. The Korean tech giant trolled Apple over remaining foldable free. Limited features and availability of Apple Intelligence also came on Samsung’s radar.
Samsung Mobile US used its X handle to poke fun at Apple’s iPhone 16 and Intelligence suite. The mindful attacks show the self-confidence the company has to reiterate its edge over the Cupertino-based company.
In a pair of strategic tweets, Samsung managed to capture attention and spark conversation. The first tweet quotes a two-year-old tweet asking “Let us know when it folds 💁♀️” with a refreshed caption “Still waiting……”
Still waiting…… https://t.co/s6SFaLTk3b
— Samsung Mobile US (@SamsungMobileUS) September 9, 2024
The second tweet followed with:
“You know… we may have set your AI expectations too high. 🤔”
Here, Samsung subtly suggested that Galaxy AI might have set a standard that Apple’s latest device struggled to meet. Galaxy AI is far ahead of Apple Intelligence in many aspects. It not only contains a suite of useful features but also covers a wider audience.
You know… we may have set your AI expectations too high. 🤔
— Samsung Mobile US (@SamsungMobileUS) September 9, 2024
Apple is Samsung’s biggest enemy in the smartphone market. Both companies fight to lead the global smartphone market. Apple dominates the US market, while Samsung gives pretty fierce competition with its flagship offerings.
Next year, Samsung is bringing the Galaxy S25 series phones. The lineup will pack pro-grade hardware and significant functional refinements. Some incremental attacks like Galaxy Z Fold SE and Galaxy S24 FE are also coming this October.
Apple has unveiled the iPhone 16, which is powered by the new A18 chip. This chip is a big upgrade from the previous A16 Bionic. It is designed to deliver a powerful performance and enhanced efficiency
The A18 chip features a six-core CPU, five-core GPU, and a sixteen-core Neural Engine. These components work together to make the iPhone 16 up to 30% faster in single-core tasks compared to the iPhone 15. Users can expect smoother performance and quicker response time with the new iPhone.
Moreover, the Apple A18 chip arrives with an advanced memory system, which helps the chip manage traffic data more effectively. It uses a second-generation 3-nanometer fabrication process for less power usage to deliver high performance.
The new iPhone 16 is launched to fully take advantage of the new A18 chip, a rival for Samsung Galaxy 2025 smartphones. Apple says the phone is built to support the chip’s advancements in artificial intelligence and data processing capabilities.
Apple iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus launched with a new Camera Control button for easy photo-taking and zoom adjustments. The iPhone 16 features a 6.1-inch screen, while the Plus model offers a 6.7-inch display. Powered by the A18 chip, both phones offer improved performance with its advanced 3nm chipset.