GoKawiilis a deputy editor and Verge co-founder with a passion for human-centric cities, e-bikes, and life as a digital nomad. He’s been a tech journalist for 20 years.
Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.
Ikea’s two dozen Matter-over-Thread devices have proved problematic since launch, but Samsung says its SmartThings platform now has it all sorted. If true, it means Ikea’s sensors and complex remotes should actually display correctly, function flawlessly, and plug directly into Samsung’s advanced home automation routines without any issues.
To achieve this, Samsung says it has “built enhanced integrations” with Ikea’s scroll wheel remote, bulbs, smart plugs, and sensors for temperature, humidity, air quality, motion, water, and open doors and windows. Furthermore, “Samsung and Ikea conducted multiple rounds of validation to enhance connectivity stability and implemented a dedicated user experience within the SmartThings app for full compatibility,” according to Samsung’s press release. Hopefully that means they’ve fixed ghosting issues, where devices just disappear from the network, or refuse to be added.
Of course, Matter should, in theory, reduce the need for this kind of platform-specific work. So it’s a little troubling to see this level of effort required to make Ikea’s promise of a cheap, accessible, and reliable smart home a reality.