At IFA 2025, Aeotec unveiled the Smart Home Hub 2, the latest evolution of its SmartThings-compatible hardware, but the reveal brings mixed news. While the device embraces Matter, Zigbee 3.0, Thread, and Bluetooth Low Energy, it also abandons support for Z-Wave, leaving behind one of the oldest and most widely used smart home standards. For users who invested heavily in Z-Wave devices over the past decade, the change could be a deal-breaker.
The new hub is built for stronger performance, with Aeotec touting a faster CPU and increased memory that deliver twice the speed of the previous model. Beyond protocol support, the hub offers flexible connectivity with both Wi-Fi and wired ethernet options. It also introduces a USB-A port—purpose still unannounced—and draws power via USB-C. Aeotec stresses that the hub prioritizes local processing, ensuring that automation and controls continue to work seamlessly even if internet service is interrupted.
Z-Wave support has been synonymous with SmartThings since the platform’s origins as a Kickstarter campaign in 2012. After Samsung’s acquisition in 2014, Z-Wave remained a key component of the ecosystem until Samsung stopped producing its own hubs in 2021. Aeotec took over manufacturing at that point, keeping longtime users connected. Samsung later re-entered the space with the SmartThings Station in 2023, but it’s been difficult to find in stock across online retailers.
Aeotec hasn’t announced a price yet, but the Smart Home Hub 2 is expected to launch in late October. The move reflects the broader industry shift toward Matter and Thread as unifying standards, but it also signals a definitive turning point: for SmartThings users still running large collections of Z-Wave devices, the future may require some hard choices.