Last week, I was invited to tour Samsung’s HQ in Suwon, South Korea. As a smart home and appliance nerd, I was incredibly excited to see the new advancements within the home, and the Samsung eX Home didn’t disappoint.
Here’s everything I saw – and now want for my house – during my trip to Samsung’s HQ, including the laboratories and Samsung eX Home.
Test, test and test again – Samsung’s testing labs
Before I dive into Samsung’s eX Home, I first want to talk about the labs and testing facilities. While it might not sound like the most exciting aspect of a factory tour, it was actually fascinating seeing the different methods used to test the strength and durability of appliances like smart fridge freezers and washing machines.
Starting with fridge freezers, the Samsung lab uses robotic arms to open and close the fridges’ doors thousands of times to ensure the construction of the fridge will last the many openings and closings done by actual users – it was strangely hypnotising to watch.
Another testing lab put fridge freezers to the test in extreme conditions. In one ‘tank’, the fridge was in an extremely hot environment while another was at subzero temperatures – or at least that’s how it felt when I was standing in the room!
For laundry solutions like washing machines and tumble dryers, they also go through rigorous testing, including sound proof tests on different floor types. What surprised me most was the water test which involved a water sprinkling system spraying a rotating washing machine continuously to ensure it could handle liquids and spills on the outside – again, another weirdly fascinating thing to watch!
My Samsung eX Home visit
The Samsung eX Home has a similar concept to the LG Smart Cottage which I visited back in 2023 during Berlin’s IFA conference. Samsung’s version of this smart living solution put a fully integrated smart home into action, with the Samsung eX Home having over 250 devices installed in the house.
The idea behind the Samsung eX Home is to make your life easier, and keep you, your home and your family connected with one another. Many homes have smart devices dotted around but this fully connected home really opened my eyes to the convenience and time-saving aspect of it all.
When you enter the home, lights can dim to set the mood after a long day, and your robot vacuum can do a quick clean before you arrive. The living room is where the main smart devices live, with the TV displaying all kinds of information and updates regarding the day, like who walked the dog and for how long, relevant news stories, and security alerts from your security camera.
Moving into the kitchen, the Samsung FamilyHub sits in pride of place – as it should. I used to think smart fridge freezers were a gimmick but being able to generate recipes from the screen is a game changer. Not only that, but it can tell you the expiration dates of your ingredients to ensure everything is staying fresh.
My favourite part of the kitchen was the kimchi fridge – yes, you read that right. As kimchi is a traditional Korean dish, Samsung has developed a fridge specifically designed to house and ferment kimchi – and I desperately want it for my kitchen at home. Alas, it only seems to be available in Korea.
Moving upstairs, the Samsung eX Home had an entertainment room filled with gaming gadgets and speakers to set the tone for your gaming or streaming sessions. The speaker and TV in the room synced to the smart lights to add to the atmosphere.
Finally, my other favourite room in the Samsung eX Home was the bedroom. Aside from the cosy-looking bed, the bedroom was packed with sleep features that help you get ready for sleep and wake you up in the morning. These features like dimming the lights, drawing the blinds and setting alarms also work alongside Samsung’s Galaxy smart rings and smartwatches so the wearables know when to start tracking.
I’ve covered smart home for years on T3, but the Samsung eX Home has convinced me more than before about how smart tech can revolutionise the home. I’ve always been put off by having multiple apps and granting too much access, but the Samsung eX Home is streamlined and focused on improving your living arrangements and daily interactions – dare I say, it’s changed my mind about the future of smart technology.
