SmartThings Link for Nvidia Shield TV also set for shutdown
Back in June 2020, Samsung-owned SmartThings revealed that major changes were coming for its platform both on the hardware and software front, and now we’ve got a date for when the biggest hardware impact will hit: 30 June 2021.
On that day, the original SmartThings Hub – the one that first went on sale in 2013 – will stop working. It’ll become a dead slab of plastic and silicone.
Read: SmartThings hardware is no more
But it won’t be the only SmartThings Hub set for landfill; the SmartThings Link for Nvidia Shield (a USB plugin that turns the Android TV box into a smart home hub) will also be shut down as well.
If you’re only using Wi-Fi and Bluetooth devices in your SmartThings setup then you’ll be fine – you can control these smart home devices just by using the SmartThings app on your phone or tablet.
But, chances are, you’ll have some Zigbee or Z-Wave tech that needs a hub to operate; hence the reason you got one in the first place.
Your options are to update to the latest SmartThings Hub (v3), move to another brand’s smart home hub, or redeem a proposal SmartThings is offering up in partnership with The Smartest House, whereby you can grab an Aeotec Smart Home Hub for $35 – that’s 65% off the normal price.
New option? The best smart home hubs
For the Aeotec offer, you’d need to have an existing SmartThings account with either the old Hub or the Link driving the system and, if that’s the case, you should get a unique code emailed to you.
The offer expires on 15 April, here’s the offer page if you want to go down that route.
If your original Hub or Link is still under warranty, Samsung states that you could apply for “a full or partial refund … refund amounts will vary based on the age of your device.”
Head over to Samsung’s refund portal if you’re in this boat.
The hardware cull is the latest move by SmartThings in the evolution of its smart home ecosystem. Back in October 2020, the SmartThings Classic app was “sunset”.
Platform and hardware updates are inevitable, and it makes sense that SmartThings wants to run as smooth and efficient platform as it can.
Guide: How to migrate from SmartThings Hub to the Aeotec Smart Home Hub
However, just as Sonos faced criticism with its legacy system to S2 update and Google was under fire for the big delay in getting Works with Nest replicated under the Assistant banner, SmartThings users are naturally frustrated that devices and features that have become everyday things within their smart homes are being taken away.
Main image credit: CNET – the lead image is from their original SmartThings Hub review