Samsung Wifi Smart Plug (7A-PL-W-A1 / GP-WOU019BBAWU) Firmware

I know I said I was going to return it but I decided to give it another shot. (mostly because I didn’t feel like going back to BestBuy.)

Here is what works for me.

FYI - this is in the new ST app

  1. On/Off State works
  2. Power Meter works
  3. Energy Consumption works
  4. Webcore integration

Not working

  1. Firmware update (still on 923)

What I noticed is that all my issues (same as OP) start if the plug loses power after the initial setup. i.e setup for bench testing then move to a new outlet for final deployment

as a workaround:

  1. I removed the device from ST
  2. performed a factory reset
  3. moved to the final install location
  4. added back to ST
  5. Tested setup, built automation in ST

I still have a week to return it but I’m up in the air about it. It seems to work fine but it is ridiculous to have jump through these hoops in order to set it up. The promise that we all bought into with ST and the smart home ecosystem, in general, is that it will make our lives easier, issues like this will prevent others that aren’t as committed or technical from adopting the platform and we will all suffer because of it.

Thanks for the response. I have been going back and forth by email with Smartthings Support, and have been told the same old of uninstalling and reinstalling, which I have done a couple of times. Still waiting for an update reply. I ended up buying 4 plugs compatible with smarttings from Amazon, so I can bring these plugs home, they are down in our second home, and see how they work here. Hopefully, the other plugs work, but won’t know until 2 weeks when I get down to other house. I will try your workaround first, but not sure they will connect if they are away from hub, which is one of the things support tells you to do, but will try and hopefully it works! They still are selling these plugs on Amazon, but I do notice that some people get them already updated, so I guess it’s luck of the draw! So wrong for Samsung to be selling these like this! Ugh
Thanks for the work around and I will keep my fingers crossed this works!

As of today, 10/21, I see something that at first look appears to be good news but I think is bad news.

I have SmartPlugs in two different locations:
Location 1: Firmware 1281. Purchased 6 months ago, firmware updated itself once or twice along the way. Last update in maybe July, device appears to work correctly
Location 2: Firmware 818. I bought this more recently but it came with older firmware; until yesterday I was getting messages in the SmartThings app that new firmware was available but the device would never update.

a. The good news – no more message in the app about firmware update available. Yeah! Except not, because…
b. The bad news – firmware still on version 818, but now the app doesn’t even tell you that it’s out of date!

So this is really bad news all the way around, I have no idea how to update the 818 device, and the app doesn’t even acknowledge it. And the device does not turn on and off as I had scheduled it, so the damn thing is useless.

Anybody else see the firmware update message disappear, and if so, did the firmware actually update?

Still keep getting “we’re working on it” reply from Samsung.
Asked for a exchange, which was denied as it was a “known issue”. I told them if it’s a known issue, then the product is defective.
They just wrote back asking for proof of purchase.

Time will tell.

Shravya G (SmartThings)

Oct 21, 2020, 12:56 PM MST

Hi Richard,

Thank you for writing back to us.

We’re very sorry for the inconvenience caused. I request you to get back to us with the proof of purchase or Bill of sale to check the warranty of the devices, If the devices are under warranty ( 1 year from date of purchase ) we’ll work on getting a replacement.

Awaiting for your response.

Regards,
Shravya
Samsung SmartThings Support

So I wonder if this is what’s going on…

Don’t know.
They offered to exchange my switches with a lot of conditions.
Now, they insist i have to return the switches before I get my exchange.

sounds like you are being brushed off with a wild goose chase that leads no where in the end.

I have been having the same problem with 2 of my 4 Samsung Wifi Smart Plugs. I have contacted support numerous times and can’t get a straight answer from them.

I have the same problem, it’s stuck on firmware 923 and DOES NOT WORK. I have it in a room, when I turn on the room that has 7 devices that all turn on/off except this one. So I took it out of the room and used for a different use and it has no clue when it’s on or off. I already discarded the box it came in, I am not sure what Amazon’s policy is then for returning something that clearly does not work as intended.