Switchbot Announce New Matter Compatible Hub Mini

Switchbot has been a popular brand with many smart home fans for the last few years, and expanded its user base by adding a HomeKit compatible smart plug, followed by their Matter compatible Hub 2. Now the company has revisited its original Hub Mini, and released an updated version that supports Matter (and by extension Apple home).

Like it’s big brother – the Switchbot Hub 2 – the new Hub Mini can be used to manage and control other Switchbot devices that connect to it via Bluetooth, which will now be exposed to HomeKit via Matter, although with a limit of only six devices, according to their website. It also has a built-in IR blaster, which allows for devices you have in the home with an IR-base remote (TVs, ACs, Fans etc), to be integrated into the Switchbot app and from there, controlled from the Switchbot or Apple Home apps. This integration is limited to on/off control with the exception of ACs, which will add the basic controls, like the mode, fan speed etc.

Aside from the addition of Matter compatibility, the new Hub Mini adds an external sensor integrated into the USB-C power cable, which is something we first saw with the Switchbot Hub 2.

Even if some Switchbot Hub Mini owners are likely going to feel a little miffed at not getting a Matter update for their original hubs (which are now a few years old, to be fair) This clearly shows that Switchbot is more or less committed to Matter as a standard, which is good news for not only Apple Home users, but other Matter platform too.

As it stands, this announcement has only been made on their Japanese website, where Switchbot as a brand is very popular, but it’s more or less a certainty that Switchbot will be releasing the updated Mini to international customers soon.

Thanks to Eric Yao at Wavetech for the tipoff.