Samsung’s new Galaxy S4 phone can be used as a universal remote for smart TVs.
The phone comes with a built-in “IR blaster” infrared LED that can control smart TVs.
The Galaxy S4 is not the first mobile device to control your TV. The HTC One also has an IR blaster. Sony’s Xperia Tablet S also has one. Samsung’s own Galaxy Note tablets can also function as a remote, although the function was called Samsung Video Discovery when it was released.
And as its earlier name might suggest, the Samsung remote control does more than just change the channel and turn down the volume. The mobile-phone-as-remote can connect to the Samsung Media Hub, and using your S4 or Note tablet, you can look up on-demand programs and purchase media (a cool song you heard in a commercial, the entire season of that show you just found out about), reported The Verge.
Samsung hasn’t announced whether you can tether your living room lights to the S4, which is a shame because it would be nice to sit on the couch forever and not even need to sit up and lean forward to grab the remote from the coffee table. Also, if I could rig the S4 up with my microwave and a Roomba with a robot arm, I could really cut down on all those precious calories I had to burn walking to the kitchen to make a Hot Pocket. Seriously, if Samsung is going to go ahead and actually call its flagship phone a “Life Companion,” it better be able to make me a Hot Pocket and put on Dance Moms.
So as Samsung says on the website promoting the S4: “sit back, relax and let the Samsung GALAXY S4 take the work and hassle out of TV for you.” Because you work hard all day and can’t be bothered to use a real TV remote.
