Samsung is integrating Kohler's Anthem luxury smart showers into its SmartThings ecosystem, allowing users to control the shower, adjust its temperature, set timers and manage presets, and monitor water usage through SmartThings-compatible devices.
Kohler's Anthem smart showers can be operated via physical controllers placed in the showers or bathroom, using the Kohler Konnect app on a smartphone, or through existing integrations with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Apple Home. This new partnership expands remote control options for Anthem installations to the SmartThings app, which runs on Samsung smart TVs, hubs and mobile devices. This means that smart showers can also be integrated into automated processes.
To increase users' awareness of their water consumption and encourage “more sustainable water use habits,” monitoring data collected by Kohler's Anthem smart showers will be integrated into a new water layer in SmartThings' map view that displays the location of smart devices in a 3D Representation of a house.
The Water Layer feature, launching in early 2025, will expand Samsung's efforts to inform consumers about how they use resources in their homes. “As the relationship with Kohler expands, we are very excited about the map view. “Water management and sustainability fit very well with our overall goal of making the world a better place,” said Mark Benson, head of Samsung SmartThings US.
Kohler's Anthem smart showers will be the first devices compatible with the new SmartThings Map View feature. However, Benson says other water-related smart devices will also be able to transmit data to the water layer, giving consumers more insight into how they can take responsibility over their water consumption.