Aqara Hub M3: Multi-Protocol Matter Powerhouse with a Wi-Fi enabled, Threshold Router
Smart home company Aqara is finally launching its long-promised Hub M3, and it looks like it will be worth the wait. First teased in 2022, the Hub M3 is a Zigbee 3.0 hub for Aqara’s wide range of Zibgee devices, but it will also act as a Thread border router and a Matter controller for Aqara’s ecosystem. This means you should be able to connect any Matter-compatible device to the M3, from Philips Hue lights and Eve smart shades to Google’s Nest Thermostat, and control and automate them all from Aqara’s powerful app.
The M3 will not support all device types when it launches globally in Q2 2024, according to Aqara, though third-party Matter devices will be rolled out in waves.
The M3 has a built in IR blaster that can be used to control devices like your TV remote or AC unit. The device has dual-band wi-fi, the ability to connect through a headset, and two power options.
According to Aqara, the M3 will also move data storage from the cloud to the edge, secured by end-to-end encryption, along with the ability to process automations locally. Even if your internet connection goes down, you can still run those automations over your network.
Pricing for the M3 has not been announced. Aqara’s current Hub M2 costs $60, but with all of the extra functions, the new model is likely to be higher than that.
Source: Aqara’s new hub is a multi-protocol Matter powerhouse
The Aqara Smart Plug as a Wi-Fi Mirror and an Energy-Efficient Smart Lock for the Modern-Day Home: Designing and Setup
This is the first smart plug to be announced that also works as a Thread border router, which you need if you add Thread devices to your smart home. The plug uses dual-band Wi-Fi to enable Thread devices to communicate with the internet. Aqara claims that the plug can act as a Thread mesh extender and monitor energy use.
The Smart Lock U300 is a fingerprint / keypad smart lock for doors with lever locks, such as garages, side entries, and home offices. The U300 is compatible with Matter. It can be used indoors or outdoors and has a battery life of up to eight months. It works with the Aqara app or any Matter app (Apple Home, Google Home, Amazon Alexa) and has a keypad, a fingerprint reader, and NFC tags as entry options.
Aqara has a new generative Artificial intelligence assistant that will be coming to its app. Setting up automations using home copilot is very simple thanks to the interface which allows you to communicate with it via text or voice. Aqara says Home Copilot can also analyze usage patterns and suggest custom automations, including tailored plans for setting up energy-saving automations.
Millette admits Hubspace’s line isn’t really designed for the high-tech homeowner. “Our customer base is mass market America,” he says. It also doesn’t work with any platforms outside of Alexa and Google. There’s no Apple Home support or Matter support, and even the persistent Home Assistant community has only managed a very limited integration. If Home Depot abandons Hubspace, your devices will lose their smarts, because it is a cloud-based platform.
The team worked with Afero to develop a QR code scan system for setup that lets the device connect directly to Wi-Fi rather than going through the Wi-Fi connection of the phone you’re setting it up with. The main reason that smart home setup is difficult is that the phone can connect to 5 GHz but the device can only connect to 2.4 GHz. Every package has a smart plug that can be used as a bridge for out-of- home control through the app. It was simple but effective.
“Our customers were asking us for smart home products,” Nick Millette, product development merchant for smart home / Hubspace, told The Verge in an interview. They want smart home products that aren’t a $50 lightbulb, and they don’t want a smart home folder with 19 different apps on our phone. We want smart home products that my wife can set up without having to bring in IT support. We want to be able to control it at any platform.
However, it’s not really for the hardcore home tech geeks; it’s for everyone else. Millette says the app makes it easy to do what 80% of people want to do, such as dim a light or set a schedule. There is a level for the 20 percent of the population who would like to change colors, or access additional features, but the core basic feature of the app is always front and center.
The New Home Improvement Products in a Decay Mode: Are They Available For Sale Later In 2024? (Review of Home Depot)
The new products will not be in line with the affordable price points of existing products and will go on sale later in 2024, according to Home Depot.