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Our smart home needs smart home devices to function correctly. These smart home devices could range from smart lighting to smart plugs. There are plenty of smart devices you will need to have well-functioning smart home automation.
As you might expect, smart home devices could come from different manufacturers. But you need them to work together regardless!
A smart hub is a device you will need to get all your smart home devices working together, even if they’re from different manufacturers.
There are many smart hub brands out on the market. But only a few smart hubs command more attention from users like the Philips Hue bridge and Samsung Smartthings hubs.
This article will compare the two smart hubs and delve into their different specs and features to know what they are best suited for. So, be sure to read on for more information.
Network Connectivity
With a smart hub, you can control all the connected smart home devices. But the smart hub will need a network protocol to communicate with the connected smart home devices. Your smart hub will instruct the connected smart devices to execute the instruction you’ve given via a given network protocol.
Philips Hue Bridge and Samsung Smartthings Hub use different network protocols to communicate with your smart home devices.
The Hue bridge smart hub uses ZigBee communication protocol, while the Smartthings hub uses Wi-Fi communication protocol.
Compatibility with Smart Home Devices
Smart hubs will connect to your smart home devices via the specified communication protocol. But your smart hub can only connect with a given number of smart home devices at a time. You can connect fewer devices, but you can’t connect more devices than the smart hub can handle.
Philips Hue Bridge can only connect to up to 10 smart home accessories. But it can also support up to 50 Philips light bulbs. On the other hand, the Smartthings hub can connect up to 232 devices!
So when it comes to compatibility, it’s a no-brainer decision between the Hue Bridge vs the Smartthings hub with the latter coming out on top. But you can still get the most out of your Hue Bridge smart hub.
The Control Panel
So, your smart hub communicates with all connected smart home devices via its communication protocol. But it still needs your commands to execute smart home functions. You will need a control panel to command the smart hub to control the connected devices.
You can control both smart hubs from a smartphone or tablet. But you’re going to need their respective apps to control them.
Philips Hue Bridge has the hue app to allow you to control it. Smartthings hub also has the smartthings app to control it.
You can download each app on your smartphone or tablet and control the smart hub. The smartphone or tablet then becomes the control panel. So far, you can control both smart hubs from the same control panel as long as you’ve installed the correct app.
The App System Requirements
A mobile device like an iPad or Samsung Galaxy S21 is an excellent control panel for controlling your smart hub. But it should meet specific operating system requirements to handle the respective smart hub app.
The Hue Bridge app requires Android 7.0 and above, while the Smartthings Hub app requires Android 5.0 and later Android versions. For iOS devices, your iPad should have iOS 11 and above for the hue app. The smartthings app will need iOS 10 and above.
Controller Devices
Besides controlling your smart hub from a mobile app, you can also control it by issuing a voice command. But you’re going to need the right controller device to control your smart hub in this particular way.
Both smart hubs are compatible with other controller devices to let you command them by voice! The Hue bridge smart hub is compatible with controller devices such as Apple HomeKit, Microsoft Cortana, Smartthings, Google Assistant, Nest, and Amazon Alexa smart speakers.
Once you’ve paired the Hue Bridge smart hub with any of these smart speakers, you can issue a voice command, and the smart hub will control the connected devices!
The Smartthings hub is also compatible with Google Assistant, Smartthings, and Amazon Alexa. But that’s as far as Smartthings hub goes.
So, it’s clear the Hue Bridge smart hub beats the Smartthings hub in this category. If you want the smart hub with more voice control assistants, you know the one to select.
Electrical Power Rating
Your smart hub is one of the electrical devices that will consume a portion of your home’s electrical power supply. The smart hub’s power rating is a crucial factor to consider when choosing between two or more smart hubs for your smart home.
The electrical power rating will tell you how much electricity a smart hub is consuming.
The Hue Bridge smart hub comes with a power adapter. The smart hub uses 250mA of electricity to function. On the other hand, your Smartthings hub will need 100-240V, 50-60 HZ AC power to operate.
There is no specified power rating on the Smartthings hub’s power adapter, but its energy usage doesn’t break your wallet.
Weight and Dimension
The two smart hubs also differ in terms of weight and dimension. The weight and dimensions affect your smart hub’s bulkiness and compactness, but it never affects its performance. The Hue Bridge smart hub weighs 9.6 ounces and measures 5.6 x 4.4 x 3.2 inches.
On the other hand, the Smartthings hub weighs 7.4 ounces and measures 4.72 x 4.72 x 1.16 inches. Therefore, the Smartthings hub is more compact and portable among the two smart hubs.
Final Thoughts
A smart hub is a device you will use to control all smart home accessories.
So which is better between the Hue Bridge Vs. the Smartthings Hub? It really depends on what features you like more.
With your Hue Bridge smart hub, you can be sure to control a variety of smart home devices, including Philips hue lighting devices. What’s more, you can control other smart home devices from other manufacturers.
The same case applies to the Smartthings hub that allows you to control smart home accessories from other brands. The two smart hubs work efficiently. But they differ in specific areas. If you need a smart hub for controlling more accessories, you should select the Smartthings hub.
But for our money, if you need a smart hub with plenty of voice assistant devices, the Hue bridge smart hub is your best option. So for us, the clear winner is the Hue Bridge vs. the Smartthings Hub.
There is always something that matters the most in a smart hub at the end of the day. Maybe you need a more compact and lightweight smart hub. Or maybe you want a smart hub with an app that works with the smartphone you’re currently using.
Sometimes, you need to control more smart home devices. Be sure to buy the smart hub that achieves your goal.
We hope that this comparison article has shed enough light on the differences between the hue bridge and smartthings hub. Opting for the best smart hub might now be more straightforward.
