IFA is going on, and top tech companies are showing off the best they have to offer. One of the companies at the trade show is the smart home brand Aqara. During IFA, we saw some new Aqara smart light bulbs and smart home products.
So far, there’s been a ton of neat stuff announced at IFA, and there’s still more new stuff coming out. If you want to know more about what companies are announcing, check out our IFA page on Android Headlines. You never know if you find your next favorite device.
Aqara shows off its new smart home devices at IFA, starting with new lights and switches
Most smart home companies have some sort of smart light devices available, and Aqara is no different. During the event, it showed off a new light bulb, light switch, and light dimmer.
The new LED Bulb T2 is the company’s newest Thread-enabled smart light. Since it’s Thread-enabled, it can be used along with other Matter-compatible devices. It’s available in both RGB CCT and CCT versions. The former version can produce up to 16 million colors, so you’ll be able to tune it to whatever color you want.
It’s not only compatible with Thread, it’s also Zigbee-compatible. This standard, while not as integrated as Matter, provides more features like power monitoring.
Next up, the company unveiled its latest smart switches. These are the Light Switch H2 EU, Dimmer Switch H2 EU, and Shutter Switch H2 EU. They allow users to better control their smart devices. Just like with the light bulb, they’re compatible with both Thread and Zigbee, so you can use them with the protocol of your choice.
For people interested in picking up the H2 EU wall switches will be happy to know that you can install them in houses with or without a neutral wire. This simplifies the setup process exponentially and makes them more accessible.
The company also announced some new smart home devices like a new camera
The Camera Hub G6 Pro is a first for the company, as it’s Aqara’s first surveillance camera designed for the outdoors. Not only that, but it comes with some neat features that make it a compelling offer.
It’s a 4MP camera that connects to several top smart home platforms such as Google Home, Samsung SmartThings, Amazon Alexa, and Apple Home. It will keep an eye on what’s happening outside your home and store the video footage. The footage is either stored on a cloud server or a local NAS server. You know that it’s secure because the live and stored video footage is end-to-end encrypted.
It’s a True Color Night Vision camera, so you’ll get a good picture even at night. That’s when a lot of crime happens, anyway.
What makes this camera significant is that it comes with on-device AI capabilities. This way, it’s able to recognize people, pets, vehicles, and even packages. The fact that it’s done on-device means that the data doesn’t need to be sent to a data center for processing.
Valve Controller T1
If you want to have ultimate control over your water or gas flow, then you’ll want to look into getting a Valve Controller T1. This is a smart valve that can shut off your water or gas if there’s a leak detected. It will integrate with Aqara’s Water Leak Sensor.
This valve is compatible with lever and butterfly handle valves on DN15, DN20, and DN25 pipes. What’s neat is that it has a convenient retrofit design, which means that you’re able to install it onto pipes without needing to make modifications to the pipes themselves.
Garage Door Controller T2 Kit
Here’s a kit that will let you automate up to two garage doors in your home. It’s a Matter-enabled smart device, so you’re able to use it with Google Home, SmartThings, Alexa, Apple Home, and other Matter-compatible ecosystems. You’re able to control the garage doors using voice commands, mobile apps, geofencing, and automation.
Smoke Detector
It’s hard to overstate the utility of a good smoke detector. Having one that’s as integrated and smart as the Aqara Smoke Detector can be a lifesaver. Once it detects any sign of smoke, it will ring at up to 85dB to alert the home.
Since this works within an integrated ecosystem of device, once it’s triggered, it will alert other alarm devices that you have connected. This device isn’t thread-enabled, as it runs on Zigbee. That’s something to keep in mind.
You’re guaranteed to have these devices for up to 10 years with minimal maintenance.
Voice Mate H1
You’re most likely using your phone as the portal to your voice assistant. However, what if you want a more intuitive means of controlling your smart home? Well, what if you had a device that could catch your voice without you needing to pick up your phone?
The Voice Mate H1 is a small pebble-shaped device that you can speak into to summon the generative AI-powered assistant named Aqara Copilot. This is more convenient than using your phone because you don’t have to use a hot word or unlock your phone. You just need to talk into the Voice Mate.
What makes this device stand out is that it’s not an always-listening device. So, you don’t have to worry about it secretly recording your audio. It remains deafened when it’s put down. It will only listen when you pick it up. Once you pick it up, you’ll instantly be able to talk into it.
Other news
Aqara also announced some other interesting news. Firstly, the company is participating in the Work with Home Assistant program. This means that several of its devices will work with many Home Assistant users. These devices include the Hub M3, Smart Lock U200, and Motion, and Light Sensor P2.
Finally, Aqara announced that it’s integrating with Tesla cars. You’ll be able to control when the car charges, start the car, activate the AC, and perform other tasks right from your Aqara devices.
These new features and devices make Aqara one of the best smartphone ecosystems on the market.