Aqara highlighted new HomeKit-enabled smart-home devices at CES 2024 Monday in Las Vegas — the new Hub M3, Border Router Plug and Smart Lock U300 — plus an AI chatbot interface for the Aqara Home App.
The devices support both Matter and Thread networking standards. And the hub may help you control your whole smart home.
Accessories maker Meross now allows you to order one of the first smart plugs designed for the new Matter smart home wireless networking standard.
And not only that. The plug, which the company said will ship on December 31, appears to be one of the first smart gadgets to sport the Matter logo.
And right now you can get it for 30% off in a launch discount.
Roku is best-known for its streaming media devices. But it’s branching out with a whole-home strategy that will see a range of smart-home gadgets, including security cameras, lights and plugs, go on sale next week at Walmart, the company said.
But a report indicates the company isn’t saying yet whether its new gadgets will work with the new Matter smart-home connectivity standard supported by Apple and other companies. It’s designed to let devices from different makers work together on systems like Apple’s HomeKit and others.
Roku’s lack of clarity is a bit odd, given that it’s among the companies supporting Matter, and that might give some would-be purchasers pause.
If you want to set up a smart home, you may not have to pay as much as you think. Sure, you could buy lights that turn on when you get home or a fridge that knows when you’re out of milk. Alternatively, you could just get a Wireless Wall Tap Smart Plug and turn anything you connect into a smart device.
For a limited time, this simple way to turn your dumb house into a smart home is on sale for $39.99 (regularly $49).
A smart plug that takes up just a little space on your electrical outlet is great. But it’s even better when it lets you monitor your energy use. Such is the case with TP-Link’s new HomeKit-enabled Kasa Smart Wifi Plug Slim.
And at about $12.50 per plug in a four-pack, it’s a good deal on Amazon, too. It’s the only smart plug priced that low that works with HomeKit and monitors energy usage.
The Wemo Smart Plug with Thread simplifies controlling lamps, fans, and other appliances with an iPhone or Siri. Anything that plugs into a standard wall outlet can be turned on or off.
Rather than Wi-Fi, the HomeKit accessory communicates with other accessories over Thread, a mesh networking standard.
TP-Link unveiled a collection of HomeKit-compatible smart home accessories at CES 2022. It includes smart plugs, switches smart lighting and more.
With nine new products coming out this year, it’s a big push into supporting Apple’s HomeKit home automation system.
Lutron is taking its top-notch HomeKit smart plug outside. The upcoming Caséta Outdoor Smart Plug is a beefy-looking, iP-65-rated AC outlet that’s built to take all the abuse Mother Nature can dish out.
Designed to give you control over things like outdoor lighting and pumps, it’s smart enough that it can adjust your timers when daylight saving time arrives.
“It’s essentially weatherproof, dirtproof and sunproof,” said Matt Swatsky, Lutron’s vice president of residential mid-market business, in a press release Monday. “A homeowner can now enjoy all the benefits of a Caséta system for their outside spaces.”
The Meross Smart WiFi Plug lets you control two lights, fans or other appliances from your iPhone or iPad. And because it’s a simple plugin unit, it brings the convenience of Apple’s HomeKit home automation with minimal hassle.
After extensive testing, here’s how this accessory stood up to regular use.
The Meross Smart WiFi Plug Mini is an inexpensive and easy-to-install way to get started in home automation. This smart plug lets you control a lamp, fan or other appliance without needing to touch it. Support for Apple’s HomeKit and Amazon Alexa means voice commands, or automated schedules, are all that’s necessary.
I tested a pair of these accessories for a week, and can report on how they perform in daily use.
Satechi’s dual-socket smart outlet lets you easily dip your toe into home automation. There’s nothing to install — you just plug it in — but the Dual Smart Outlet still allows you to control two different appliances from your iPhone, iPad, etc. It uses Apple’s HomeKit so it’s compatible with plenty of other accessories.
Find out how you can take a first step into controlling your home with Siri voice commands in our hands-on review.
There’s new home automation option from Satechi. The Dual Smart Outlet allows two devices to be controlled independently. And it supports Apple’s HomeKit so it can be accessed from an iPhone or Mac.
ConnectSense, a company known for its HomeKit-friendly smart plug, has launched its next-generation device, the Smart Outlet2.
The outlet packs two Wi-Fi connected sockets that can be controlled individually via Apple’s Home app or the ConnectSense app.
