Samsung unites smartphones and home appliances in a single One UI shell
Samsung has decided to finally glue all its devices into a single ecosystem. Now the proprietary One UI shell, familiar to owners of Galaxy smartphones, will also appear on household appliances: from refrigerators with screens to washing machines and air conditioners.
Why it's needed
The company explains: people need to use appliances in the same convenient way, whether it's a phone or a refrigerator. A unified interface will give familiar icons, gestures and functions - for example, services like Bixby, Samsung TV Plus or galleries will be available on different screens. It all ties together via SmartThings, so you can check the weather, your family's schedule, and how many minutes are left to do the laundry in one app.
Support for years to come
Samsung Wi-Fi appliances released from 2024 onwards will get up to 7 years of software updates. The first updates will start as early as September:
- Security: the Knox Matrix system now protects not only smartphones, but also refrigerators, washing machines and air conditioners. Screen models will get advanced features - from encrypted data synchronisation to Passkey.
- "Smart" chips: refrigerators with Family Hub will learn to recognise more fresh and packaged food. Bixby will get Voice ID - voice recognition of the host.
- Service expansion: Samsung TV Plus, supported by refrigerators with Family Hub, will work in Canada, Brazil and India, in addition to the originally supported countries.
- New interface: the 2024 tech will get an updated One UI design from the 2025 models.
SmartThings ecosystem. Illustration: Samsung
Samsung assures that this is a step towards a smart home where all devices speak the same language. Now the smartphone, TV and washing machine will look and feel like part of the same ecosystem, rather than gadgets from different eras.
Source: Samsung
