Are you in the market for a smart home hub that is capable of providing you with various options for running your smart devices from one place? Do you need something capable of syncing all of your smart devices together? If so, then you might find a smart home hub an excellent addition to your home.
However, these hubs come with a variety of features that need to be considered, which can make it difficult to purchase the right one. Keeping this in mind, we have compiled reviews on two of the top smart home hubs Smartthings vs. Wink, and their manufacturers to provide you with an idea of which one will best suit your needs. Let’s get started.
Samsung SmartThings 2 Gen
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Wink 2 Smart Home Hub
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|---|---|---|
| Compatibility | Compatible with all major smart home categories, including lights, speakers, locks, thermostats, sensors, and more | Compatible with all major smart home categories, including cameras & doorbells, lighting & locks, thermostats, sensors & alarms, appliances, speakers, and more. |
| Voice Control | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile App | SmartThings app | Wink app |
| # of devices that can be paired to the hub | Unlimited | 530 |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi or included Ethernet port. | Wi-Fi or included Ethernet port. |
| Backup power source | Yes | No |
| Protocol support | ZigBee, Z-Wave | Bluetooth LE, ZigBee, Z-Wave, Kidde, and Lutron Clear Connect |
| Compatible Brands | Honeywell, Philips Hue, Kwikset | Nest, Philips, Ring, Ecobee, Go Control, Schlage, Sonos, Arlo, Yale, and Chamberlain |
| Monthly fee for using | No | Yes |
| Dimensions | 4.9 x 4.2 x 1.3 inches | 7.25 x 7.25 x 1.25 inches |
Samsung and Wink are two of the top manufacturers of smart devices, in the industry, and the following are two of their top smart home hubs. Smartthings vs. Wink both of the following hubs are reliable and capable of helping you to run your smart home devices, but there is a difference between them.
The big difference between these models is that the Samsung hub does not require any money after purchase. However, Wink has added a monthly fee for the continuation of using its smart hub.
It is important to know what is important to you when looking at these two smart home hubs because what is best for you might not be what is best for your friend or loved one. These two hubs have a lot to offer just make sure you vet each one to ensure that the one you choose will meet all of your needs.
Samsung SmartThings 2 Gen & Wink 2 Smart Home Hub Comparison:
Samsung SmartThings Smart Home Hub 2nd Gen Review:
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Samsung has a long history of manufacturing quality electronic devices, and this is one of their top smart home hubs available. It is their 2nd Gen model, which they worked hard to upgrade and make even better than their initial model. With this model, customers will not have to worry about power outages resetting their hubs.
However, they also do not have to constantly worry about keeping batteries on hand all the time. It has an in-wall adapter, but it has a backup power source that is powered by 4 AA batteries.
This smart home hub is designed to help control all of your smart devices, and it can easily be controlled with either Amazon Alexa or the SmartThings app that they designed specifically for this smart home hub.
Finally, Samsung realized that when you want to control your smart home devices, you want them to work fast. Therefore, they have designed this model with a more powerful processor, which helps to provide faster performance.
Most consumers that purchased this smart home hub liked that it could be plugged into the wall but it also has a backup power option in case of a power outage.
They also liked that this model comes with a more powerful processor than most hubs, which means that it provides better and faster performance. However, they were not keen on having to plug the hub directly into the router for it to work.
Pros
- Has an in-wall power adapter and backup powered by 4 AA batteries
- Capable of controlling with the SmartThings app or Amazon Alexa
- Compatible with thermostats, sensors, speakers, lights, and other devices
- Faster performance due to a more powerful processor
Cons
- Has to be plugged directly into the router to work properly
Wink WNKHUB-2US 2 Smart home hub
Wink has worked hard to become a top manufacturer of smart home devices, and this is one of their top hub models. They understand that not everyone uses Alexa for voice commands. Therefore, they have made this smart home hub compatible with Google Assistant, as well. Plus, it is compatible with over 400 smart devices that are available on the market such as:
It is designed to allow you to control all of your smart home devices from a single hub, and this one is capable of connecting to a WiFi connection or directly into your home router. They have also created a special app to connect to the hub that will allow you to manage and control all of your synced smart home devices.
Most consumers who purchased this smart home hub were happy that it is compatible with both Google Assistant and Alexa. Plus, they liked that they could choose to connect this hub via WiFi or directly to their wireless router.
However, many consumers did not like that when they purchased this hub it was a free service hub, but after using it, the company switched it to a monthly fee, which only gave them 7-days to agree to the monthly fee or lose the ability to run their smart home devices via this hub.
Pros
- Compatible with both Alexa and Google Assistant via voice control
- Can connect and control over 400 smart home devices
- Сonnect via WiFi or Ethernet port
- Сontrol all smart home devices via a single app
Cons
- Went from a free service upon purchase to a monthly fee
Insights and Takeaways
After thoroughly reviewing Smartthings vs. Wink and their manufacturers, we have concluded that the overall smart home hub is the Samsung SmartThings Smart Home Hub 2nd Gen. It is only compatible with Alexa, but it has a more powerful processor and it is more stable with a backup power supply.
However, the Wink hub does have some redeeming features that are worth considering. It is just that the Samsung model has better sustainability, and it provides a more reliable service. Both of these models are quality models, and although we recommend the Samsung model, you need to look at each model carefully to make sure that it will meet all of your needs.
