Aqara Previews New Smart Home Tech at IFA 2024

From home security and safety to smart lighting and water control, AI voice capabilities, new partner integrations with Home Assistant and Tesla, and continued commitment to Matter, Aqara continues to grow its product lineup in Europe and beyond

Aqara, a global leader and pioneer in IoT, today unveiled a selection of innovative solutions and technologies for the smart home focused on enhancing security, safety, energy efficiency, and interoperability globally; as well as new integration partnerships with Home Assistant and Tesla.

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Aqara Previews New Smart Home Tech at IFA 2024 (Photo: Business Wire)

The company is doubling down on home security and monitoring with the 4MP Camera Hub G5 Pro designed for outdoor use and equipped with True Color Night Vision; the Garage Door Controller T2 Kit for the smart control of up to two garage doors; and the Valve Controller T1 and Smoke Detector to protect properties from water and fire damage.

Committed to delivering smart home experiences with simplicity and enhanced interoperability, Aqara continues to expand its Thread product portfolio with an innovative approach to incorporate both Thread and Zigbee communication. The Company extents its European energy management product lineup with a new series of Thread-enabled wall switches, including the Light Switch H2 EU, Dimmer Switch H2 EU, and Shutter Switch H2 EU. The company is also adding to its smart lighting portfolio with the Thread-enabled LED Bulb T2 for everyday and atmospheric illumination. Additionally, Aqara will showcase new AI-powered voice capabilities with the Aqara Voice Mate H1, a battery-powered accessory that works with Hub M3 and allows interaction with Aqara Copilot.

Aqara continues to invest in Matter, through new capabilities and support across its product lineup and in its future roadmap, opening up a world of new possibilities for integration, automations and ambient control, and smart energy management. Aqara is showcasing these new products along with other advanced technologies and prototypes at IFA 2024 at Messe Berlin, in Hall 1.2, Stand 329.

Enhanced Security and Safety for the Home

Camera Hub G5 Pro – The Camera Hub G5 Pro is Aqara’s first surveillance camera developed for outdoor use. Available in PoE and Wi-Fi versions, the 4MP G5 Pro is equipped with True Color Night Vision and on-device AI capabilities that detect and recognize faces, vehicles, pets, and packages. These features help users monitor their properties in real time and deter potential intruders. Live and recorded videos are end-to-end encrypted, and its eMMC storage can sync to both cloud and local NAS servers. The G5 Pro features wide compatibility with major platforms such as Apple Home (including HomeKit Secure Video), Alexa, Google Home and SmartThings, and has added RTSP support to allow streaming to NVRs and video servers. A Zigbee 3.0 hub is built in to help connect the outside to the inside.

Garage Door Controller T2 Kit – With control for up to two sectional garage doors, the Garage Door Controller T2 Kit adds convenience and smart security to one of the most forgotten areas of the home: the garage. It integrates the garage as an access point which can additionally be monitored and controlled, providing users with an integral smart home experience. The garage can be accessed via geofencing, voice assistants, mobile apps, and automations, and the hassle-free wireless sensor helps homeowners monitor the garage door status in real time. This solution supports Alexa, HomeKit, Google Home, and other Matter-enabled platforms via a compatible Aqara hub, and it works seamlessly with other smart devices from either Aqara or other third-party brands.

Valve Controller T1 – The Valve Controller T1 can be integrated with leak detectors such as Aqara’s Water Leak Sensor, and automatically shut off one’s water or gas systems in response to a potential flood or gas leak, helping to safeguard the home even when no one is around. Compatible with lever and butterfly handle valves on DN15, DN20 and DN25 pipes, the Valve Controller T1 features a wireless, retrofit design to simplify the installation. No modification to the existing pipe or rewiring is required, making it friendly for DIY users.

Smoke Detector – Equipped with a powerful siren, the Aqara Smoke Detector triggers an alarm of up to 85 decibels at the first sign of smoke. It also triggers all siren-equipped Aqara hubs and other grouped smoke detectors throughout the home. Built upon the Zigbee protocol, the Smoke Detector boasts an ultra-long battery life of up to 10 years, minimizing maintenance.

Expanded Energy Management & Smart Lighting Lineup with Thread

H2 EU wall switches lineup – Expanding Aqara’s energy management product lineup in the European market, a new series of Thread-enabled wall switches is debuting, including the Light Switch H2 EU, Dimmer Switch H2 EU, and Shutter Switch H2 EU. With both Thread and Zigbee communication built in, users can opt for the Thread protocol to enjoy native Matter compatibility and seamless interoperability across platforms. Alternatively, users can opt for the wider feature set and benefits that Zigbee protocol provides, including power monitoring and decoupling the switch from light circuits so that the smart switch can be used with the smart lights. The H2 EU wall switches also feature innovative engineering that allows them to be used in both houses with or without a neutral wire, which simplifies the overall installation process for DIY users.

LED Bulb T2 – The Thread-enabled LED Bulb T2 expands Aqara’s robust smart lighting line. Available in both RGB CCT version that offers ultra-wide range of tunable whites (2000-9000K) and 16 million vibrant colors and the simpler CCT version, this new LED bulb creates the perfect ambiance at home with the crisp, high-quality white light for productivity and the soothing spectrum of colors available to set the mood. Equipped with Thread and Zigbee communication, the LED Bulb T2 caters to a wider range of smart home users with varying priorities, whether they prefer Thread for a future-proofing setup or Zigbee for the more mature, proven experience. The new T2 series includes E26, E27 and GU10 bulbs.

New Matter Capabilities & Integration Partnerships

Advanced Matter Bridging –The Hub M3 is rolling out the new Advanced Matter Bridging feature, which allows users to sync any conditions (“IF”) and actions (“THEN”) in the Aqara Home app to other third-party Matter apps. By configuring a Signal and a Scene, which is a sequence of IFs and THENs respectively, users can now expose those previously Aqara exclusive conditions and actions - for example the hand gesture recognition or camera auto-cruise activation - to their preferred platform and create more sophisticated home automation.

Home Assistant Partnership – Aqara announces its participation in the Work with Home Assistant program, offering optimized experiences to the vast Home Assistant users. The first Aqara devices that have been certified include the Hub M3, Smart Lock U200, and Motion and Light Sensor P2. More Aqara products are expected to receive certifications in the next months.

Tesla EV Integration – Tesla electrical vehicles (EVs) can now be integrated into Aqara Home automations, allowing users to automate their EVs or to integrate them into smart home routines. For example, charging the EV during off-peak hours when the electricity rates are lower, or being able to turn on the vehicle and start the in-car air conditioning when the coffee maker starts in the weekday morning.

Intuitive Home Interaction through Voice with Privacy A Priority

Voice Mate H1 – The Voice Mate H1 brings the ultimate convenience to the Aqara smart home system by enabling intuitive voice control without using a phone. This product is an accessory of the Aqara Hub M3, and is a highly compact, battery-powered device that has a microphone built-in, allowing users to command the Gen AI-enabled Aqara Copilot from anywhere in the home. Unlike many voice assistants relying on always-on and connected devices that are constantly listening for the wake word, the Voice Mate H1 remains in hibernation and only activates when it’s picked up by the user, maximizing privacy protection.

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