Major SmartThings update will allow Phillips Hue lights to sync with music

Replacing any aging appliances with their smart counterparts in your home can make your life a lot easier, but all that hardware is barely any good if not paired with adequate software. Fortunately, if you’re into Samsung’s ecosystem, you get the best of both worlds — its devices are great, and it’s possible to control them all through the SmartThings app. That software may be set to get a major update soon, making it better suited for some upcoming devices.

Samsung is reportedly planning to launch an update for SmartThings timed with the launch of its much-awaitedGalaxy Z Fold4andGalaxy Z Flip4foldables later this summer. According toSamMobile, the company is optimizing its smart home app for larger displays, with multi-window and resizing on its way. That would come as the company continues to emphasize newer form factors for its smartphones, including its lineup of foldables that grows more popular with each passing year. Timed perfectly with some new hardware, SmartThings would gain support for Android 13 andOne UI 5.0, with its target Android target API level being raised from 30 to 31.

More interestingly, Samsung may also be adding support for a new Phillips Hue Sync feature, allowing smart lights from the lineup to respond to music. That feature could be joined by a gentle wake-up routine that will slowly brighten the lights over a period of time to mimic a sunrise, helping you wake up in a more natural manner at the right time.

While Samsung has not offered specific dates for when we might see any of this arrive, the company has confirmed, “in the coming months, we hope to announce more details of an expanded partnership between Samsung SmartThings and Philips Hue that will provide enhanced music experiences.”

A phone screen showing the devices that can be controlled by Samsung SmartThings

UPDATE: 2022/07/09 16:54 EST BY ZOHAIB AHMED

Correction

This report initially focused on smart lights responding to content being viewed on a TV. Samsung has sinceconfirmed to SamMobilethat this mode will instead work off of musical cues.