Hello all, I bought a Hub and a single sensor from PC World about a week ago.
I’m pleased with it - though the Hub signal range is not great - but more importantly I can’t buy any more sensors as they are out of stock everywhere.
They’ve been out of stock on the Samsung site for a while. Several PC World trips have been fruitless; they show on the stock system but are not in the warehouse - the most information I could get was a store manager saying “they must have stopped making them”.
Now it’s no secret that PC World is not the most helpful retailer, and this post promises more stock soon, but it wouldn’t be the first time people have been burned by a supplier discontinuing a modular system.
I’ve also now seen that September 2015 was the v2 launch. Perhaps a v3 launch is imminent in September 2016 - and that may not be compatible.
So my questions are:
Is there a confirmation of UK stock / support by Samsung going forward? (This forum is active, but that’s not the same thing).
Should I return my v2 hub on the grounds of poor coverage, in the hope that a v3 launch with better radio range is imminent?
I’m in the same boat as you, currently in need of a few more bits but ST has been out of stock for quite some time now (think it might be 2-3 months on some devices). I’m giving them till the end of the month before my money goes elsewhere, shame as I have so many other ST sensors.
There is more stock coming shortly. The shortage was due to a supply chain change and I’m trying to get a firm update on upcoming availability of the new inventory.
Thankyou Aaron. Just to confirm (this may be a FAQ but I’m new at this, sorry):
If you are an open platform, does that mean that a new version of hub hardware, incompatible with existing Z-Wave and Zigbee devices, won’t happen (as they all use the same protocols)?
I am obviously wary of an Apple-style lock-in where suddenly only v3 sensors are available to buy and my v2 hub becomes useless overnight (as I only have one sensor). If that’s happening soon, I may as well return the v2 hub now.
That is what I’m confused about; is there a risk of buying a device (which I’ve already done) and then find all newer devices are incompatible, forcing me to buy the next version. It doesn’t sound like it, but been burnt before…
It’s very unlikely. The hub is an inexpensive control device, and if it were suddenly locked down to ST only devices, 90% of the user base would just leave.
It’s so frustrating and together with comments from PC World managers it’s not doing Samsungs or Smartthings reputation any good at all here in the UK.
I’d start looking at other options. You’ll find plenty of other devices that are supported (and more often than not cheaper). The man above me did a great job getting the Orvibo contact sensors working and they are still less than £15.
The hub will always support Zigbee and Z-wave so it just depends on your use case.
For me the best additions was Hue. I’ve got a couple of Orvibo motion sensors as well as ST ones and there all work well.
It would be sad to see you return the hub before you’ve had chance to develop a love/hate relationship with it
In addition to engineering efforts, we are working on a new retail and education campaign to make the system more accessible for new users. The gateway drug into the system is something like turning a light on/off or knowing when a door opens, but this should be the first step in a long journey (to buying more things!).
Our official compatible device list is available here. However, as an open platform, we encourage you to connect whatever devices you want. You can always use a custom Device Handler from the community for products you purchase on Amazon, Vesternet, etc.
Correct - we are the People’s Platform!
Zigbee and Z-Wave are power efficient wireless networks. They are not nearly as powerful as WiFi (but have a much longer battery life) and therefore need repeaters to boost network strength (nerdy summary here).
Does this “supply chain change” mean that Currys/DSG has lost its exclusive contract? it would be brilliant if people were able to buy ST kit from trusted suppliers who understand the home automation market, such as Vesternet. I realise that you want/need to be in the big sheds too, but the added value that a good independent specialist can provide is VERY worthwhile.
I heard (from another potential retailer) that they had been told Currys/PC World have 2 year exclusivity - not sure when it launched but it must be up soon
Buy any brand z-wave gear (GoControl, Monoprice, Aeon etc) and it should work great with SmartThings hub. I don’t have any other SmartThings sensors/devices (not set against it, they are just over-priced in my opinion). Z-wave has been around for a while and doesn’t seem like there is any slowing down even with all the other new options out there. Mix in some powered z-wave devices to improve your mesh coverage and you should be good. If you decide to try out a different hub in the future, z-wave devices should work with most other hubs as well.
In short… I definitely wouldn’t return SmartThings hub just because of lack of SmartThings branded devices, there are way too many other device options out there. Give some a try!
Thanks for all the replies, but I have now returned the hub and sensor for a full refund.
Things have been out of stock for at least two weeks now, which has really dented my confidence in Samsung’s commitment to the ecosystem.
Also, I’m not particularly eager to start buying Z-Wave products from other suppliers and cobble a system together - someone I know has done that and it’s been more more hassle than it’s worth.
Hopefully this new stock will come through and stay available, in which case I’ll reconsider.
To be honest, I don’t blame you! Although overall the hub is only a small part of the overall setup in terms of cost, like most cloud based hubs buying into a system with questionable supply isn’t great!
I bought ST with the acceptance that if ST vanishes (although I chose ST based on a friends recommendation and large name behind them), I would probably then look at getting a more expensive hub that is not reliant on the cloud, but could utilise services within it (this is the way Honeywell Evohome works and is one of the reasons why I picked it, where as the rest seem to have a heavy reliance upon the cloud to operate)
Hopefully its just a blip and they will get the issues sorted.
As for “cobble together Z-wave stuff”, that isn’t the case, and to be fair, the devices you buy could be transferred to another zwave based system. Yes, there are branded smart things stuff, but they don’t make things like in-wall relays for example. I have a couple of in-wall relays and use Belkin Wemo bulbs and they work perfectly other than the odd, infrequent hiccup. Even the ST branded stuff has issues (such as door sensors getting stuck in one state). Some kit is better than others, but to really expand on your experience, you need to venture outside of “ST branded” stuff and link it in and get your hands dirty with code (even if its just copy/paste somebody else’s great work)
I think the beauty of smart things is that you don’t have to commit to their ecosystem! If you couldn’t use anything other than Samsung branded products I certainly wouldn’t have bought into it…cobbling it all together is what it’s all about
I find this kind of odd. I thought the whole ethos and selling point for smartthings is the ability to be able to do exactly that?! Are there many people who are 100% on smartthings devices because even lighting is third party unless you intend to use the outlets to switch desk lamps on/off for the whole house.
I have nothing but trouble with SmartThing devices much happier buying zwave stuff mainly aeon labs and fibaro some stuff is cheaper some are more expensive but at least you get extra features for example the Aeon MultiSensor 6
