2 min readSamsung's latest smart appliances may not have launched in Australia just yet, but reading about the Bespoke AI Jet Ultra triggered a qualm I have had for a while. Stick vacuums don't need to connect to the internet, and they definitely don't need to connect to your phone.
In case you haven't heard, the latest AI Jet Ultra has added on-device alerts for when you recieve a call or a message. You read that correctly, your vacuum cleaner can send you notifications. Now look, I am all for a useful LED display on a vacuum. I love that the Bespoke Jet can self-diagnose on that display and tell you how to fix blockages. I appreciate the readability. But using it to show your phone notifications is a bit much.
This is the latest in a slew of interesting connectivity choices from Samsung in their home and lifestyle tech range. Last year the brand introduced the capability to take a phone call on your fridge, and similarly it looks like the new Bespoke AI Laundry Vented Combo washer and dryer will also let you do the same.
All of this is part of Samsung's wider SmartThings integration. SmartThings is the brand's overarching smart home app, similar to the Home App for Apple devices. On here there are plenty of useful tools like energy readouts, lighting control, and smart home appliance controls, but when it comes to your more traditional home tech the integration is less exciting.
Select stick vacuums can connect to SmartThings and show you a small amount of data like your cleaning log, and approximate health of the filter based on how long it has been since you changed it. Realistically neither of these are particularly useful features. HEPA filters last about six months, and perhaps i'm not Type A enough, but I have never once checked to see how long I vacuumed for throughout the week. The ends don't justify the means.
Samsung isn't the only brand hooking up stick vacuums to the internet and your phone. Dyson has its own app which can gamify vacuuming for some models, and some of Roborock's wet/dry vacuum range can also connect to your phone for basic data. Regardless as to which manufacturer is doing it, it all feels like a thinly veiled attempt to gather more user data. At least Dyson's is novel.
As soon as you connect your device to a manufacturer's app you open yourself up to more data sharing. It is one more privacy policy you won't read which allows a brand to scope out how you use your devices in your own home. For some products this is justified; robot vacuum cleaners, smart televisions, speakers, video doorbells, security cameras. The connectivity of these devices benefits the user more than it hinders (unless you get hacked of course), but when it comes to stick vacuums that balance is off.
