Home Depot is trying to build its own smart home platform
Aqara Hub M3: Multi-Protocol Matter Powerhouse for Smart Home Automations and Automations (with the Verge)
Smart home company Aqara is finally launching its long-promised Hub M3, and it looks like it will be worth the wait. An Aqara hub, the Hub M3 is a Zigbee 3.0 hub which will also work as a Thread border router and a Matter controller. You’ll be able to control all of your Matter- compatible devices with Aqara’s powerful app, and you’ll even be able to automate them with Matter.
There will not be support for all device types when the M3 launches globally in two years, according to Aqara.
The M3’s built-in IR blaster is capable of controlling devices like your TV remote or AC unit, which can be exposed to Matter. There is dual-band wi-fi, a power option of eitherusb-c or power over ethernet, as well as a connection to Matter.
Aqara claims the M3 will enable the moving of data from the cloud to the edge, as well as a ability to process automations locally. It can also continue to run those automations over your network even if the internet or cloud connection is down.
The company has not announced pricing for the M3. 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 Hubspace Smart Plug: From Aqara to Hubspace, From Light Fixing to Window Fitting and Downsizing to Energy Conserving Automations
The first smart plug that works with Thread border routers is something you need if you want to add Thread devices to your home. The plug uses dual-band Wi-Fi to enable Thread devices to communicate with the internet. The plug can also monitor energy use and act as a Thread mesh extender, according to Aqara.
The Smart Lock U300 protects doors with lever locks, as well as side entries and home offices. The U300 works over Thread and is compatible with Matter. It has a lifespan of up to eight months and can be used indoors or outdoors. 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 also announced a new generative AI assistant coming to its Aqara app. Home Copilot makes it easier to setup automations via voice or text request, which should make it simpler to use. Aqara says Home Copilot can also analyze usage patterns and suggest custom automations, including tailored plans for setting up energy-saving automations.
Today, Hubspace controls hundreds of products from 20 different Home Depot brands, including a huge range of smart lighting that crosses “every point of light inside and outside of your house,” says Millette. Hubspace has the largest collection of smart devices available today, with bulbs of every shape to track and recessed lighting, smart shades, smart ceiling fans, and even connected Christmas trees. Millette says that the company has a device strategy that layers simple tech over what customers want in their homes.
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. It negates a major pain point of smart home setup: your phone can connect to 5 GHz wi-fi, but your device cannot, so it can’t connect. Every package comes with a smart plug which acts as a bridge connecting the app to the internet to allow out-of- home control. It is simple but effective.
The biggest difference will be if the home devices are put in the same aisle as the non-smart ones. The benefits of connected devices can be compared with ease. Millette tells me the company is adding prominent orange Hubspace branding to the packaging to highlight these products. It is believed that The Home Depot will pull off this feat with the price premium for smart features finally falling.
It isn’t for the hardcore home tech geeks and it’s for everyone else. Millette says the app makes it easy to do what 80% of people want to do, like dim a light or set a schedule. There are different levels in there for the 20 percent who might want to change colors or access additional features, but the core basic functionality is front and center, along with support for Google and Alexa, which brings voice control.
The New Home Depot: Pricing and Expected Pricing for 2024-2019 Decay of the Top Quarks at Low Clock Density
The Home Depot hasn’t announced pricing for any of the new products yet but says they will be in line with the affordable price points of its existing products and will launch later in 2024.
