Samsung Home Hub: A tablet or a remote control? Why not both?

The Samsung we know and love around here is most famous for releasing highly competitive flagship phones like the upcoming Galaxy S22, as well as cutting-edge foldable phones like the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3.

But Samsung's not just a juggernaut on the phone market, but the maker of what is arguably the iPad's only competition – the Galaxy Tab S-series of tablets.

Announced today, a new device by Samsung looks like an iPad mini, a small tablet, but what it is is actually a hub for all of your smart devices at home. The Samsung Home Hub is, as the company calls it, an "AI-driven tablet-style touchscreen solution". So, a tablet? Samsung's announcement reads:



According to Samsung's Hyesoon Yang, this device "brings seamless connectivity to the smart home and makes users’ lives easier by understanding their preferences and setting their home devices and smart appliances up accordingly", so there's the AI-driven aspect of this tablet.

With that, along with Samsung's SmartThings services, the company's Home Hub device can be used for both controlling your home smart appliances, and as a normal Android tablet when needed. As an example, Samsung gives the common scenario of looking up a recipe. And in the image provided (shown below) we can clearly see a traditional Android navigation bar.



On the topic of cooking, a specialized SmartThings Cooking service on the device will help users search for, plan, purchase and prepare meals with Family Hub, that being Samsung's smart fridge with built-in Alexa. So for extra futuristic family homes, the new Home Hub could be quite an appealing little tablet to add to the mix of smart devices, and to rule them all.

Samsung's Home Hub will be available globally, but we're yet to know its price and exact release date. Stay tuned!