Aqara Unveils New Products at IFA 2024
Aqara has introduced new smart home products aimed at improving security, safety, energy efficiency, and global interoperability. It has also announced partnerships with Home Assistant and Tesla.
The company is enhancing home security with its 4MP Camera Hub G5 Pro, designed for outdoor use with True Colour Night Vision, the Garage Door Controller T2 Kit, and the Valve Controller T1 and Smoke Detector for protection against water and fire damage.
Aqara is expanding its Thread product range, incorporating both Thread and Zigbee communication. Its European energy management lineup now includes Thread-enabled wall switches such as the Light Switch H2 EU, Dimmer Switch H2 EU, and Shutter Switch H2 EU. The smart lighting portfolio has also grown with the Thread-enabled LED Bulb T2 for every day and mood lighting. Aqara is also showcasing its AI-powered voice assistant, the Aqara Voice Mate H1, which works with the Hub M3 and enables interaction with Aqara Copilot.
The company continues to support the Matter standard, expanding integration and automation possibilities. Aqara is showcasing these products and other prototypes at IFA 2024 in Berlin.
Key Products
- Camera Hub G5 Pro: Aqara’s first outdoor surveillance camera, available in PoE and Wi-Fi versions. The 4MP camera includes True Colour Night Vision, AI capabilities for detecting faces, vehicles, pets, and packages, and end-to-end encryption. It supports Apple Home, Alexa, Google Home, SmartThings, and RTSP for streaming to NVRs and video servers.
- Garage Door Controller T2 Kit: This device controls up to two garage doors, offering smart security through geofencing, voice assistants, mobile apps, and automation. It integrates with Aqara and third-party devices and supports Alexa, HomeKit, Google Home, and other Matter-enabled platforms.
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Valve Controller T1: Designed to work with leak detectors, this device automatically shuts off water or gas systems in case of a leak. It is compatible with various pipe sizes and features a wireless design for easy installation
- Smoke Detector: This smoke detector has an 85-decibel siren and triggers alarms across other Aqara hubs and smoke detectors in the home. It operates on Zigbee and has a battery life of up to 10 years.
Energy Management & Smart Lighting
- H2 EU Wall Switches: These Thread-enabled switches include Light Switch H2 EU, Dimmer Switch H2 EU, and Shutter Switch H2 EU. They support both Thread and Zigbee protocols, allowing users to choose between Thread for Matter compatibility or Zigbee for additional features.
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LED Bulb T2: Available in RGB and CCT versions, the Thread-enabled LED Bulb T2 offers a wide range of tunable whites and colours for both productivity and atmosphere. It supports both Thread and Zigbee.
New Integrations and Capabilities
- Advanced Matter Bridging: Aqara’s Hub M3 allows users to sync conditions and actions from the Aqara Home app to other Matter platforms, enabling more complex automations.
- Home Assistant Partnership: Aqara has joined the Work with Home Assistant programme, with the first certified devices including the Hub M3, Smart Lock U200, and Motion and Light Sensor P2.
- Tesla EV Integration: Tesla electric vehicles can now be integrated into Aqara Home automations, allowing tasks like scheduling charging during off-peak hours and synchronising with other home devices.
Voice Interaction
- Voice Mate H1: This battery-powered accessory works with the Aqara Hub M3, enabling users to control the system via voice without needing a phone. It activates only when picked up, ensuring privacy.
This is encouraging news. These products should help fill some of the product gaps that many Homekit users have had to struggle with, particularly the smoke detector and shutoff valve that are otherwise not available to North American users.
Looking forward to more information and test results.
Oh yes, I guess this ‘Voice Mate H1’ could be a helpful item.
How often other loved ones or guests are pissed on when it’s getting to control our homes without phones and so on… I’m sure you all know these issues. 😉
How it looks, you just have to place some of these battery-powered items in your flat and even grandma or anyone else are able to control almost everything with voice.
Looking forward to see reviews from ‘homekitnews’ of many of these new items/devices and so on.
Greetings from Berlin
Oh yes, I guess this ‘Voice Mate H1’ could be a helpful item.
How often other loved ones or guests are pissed on when it’s getting to control our homes without phones and so on… I’m sure you all know these issues. 😉
How it looks, you just have to place some of these battery-powered items in your flat and even grandma or anyone else are able to control almost everything with voice.
Looking forward to see reviews from ‘homekitnews’ of many of these new items/devices and so on.
Greetings from Berlin, Germany
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Any photo of the dimmer switch? Not sure if the one you have is this one or not.
Hi, you can see an image of all three Aqara switches posted by ‘matter-smarthome on Twitter here – https://x.com/mattersmarthome/status/1832092723954033136?s=46&t=4s-enjBxjtG_PdrMORom-w
I just want to know why Aqara refuses to allow their zigbee devices on other’s hubs??? Or why no other zigbee devices are allowed on their hubs…
And why is their matter hub twice the cost of every other hub on the market!!!
Aqara devices used to work with some Amazon Echo devices that used a Zigbee hub, but I don’t know if this is still the case. As for why they don’t allow other zigbee devices on their platform, it’s simple; Aqara has to certify its hubs and devices to work on Apple Home, but that’s not possible (or their responsibility) to certify products that they don’t manufacture. It may be a similar scenario for Google and Amazon, but from an Apple Home perspective, it makes sense.
regarding the price of the M3, you’d have to show me a comparable product so I can effectively give an answer.
Aqara released the Aqara M3 hub in the Chinese market without any devices supporting Thread. Now, we are seeing many new releases of Thread devices in the US and EU. Do you have any idea when these products will be available in the Chinese market?
Which devices in particular? Do you mean Aqara’s own Matter over Thread devices, or third party products?
I mean Aqara’s own Matter-over-Thread devices, like the P2 motion sensor, contact sensor, and the new ones launched at IFA 2024.
I’m not sure why these aren’t released in China, and it is a bit strange. There are a lot of Matter/Thread devices on Taobao, but not from Aqara. Most of the ones I found were by Jink.
Is there much information on pricing of the bulbs? In particular the E27 and GU10 versions?
Unfortunately, at this time I know next to nothing regarding release dates or prices for any of the new Aqara products.
Any idea when we can expect to see the H2 EU Wall Switches on the market? (Assuming from their size that they’ll be available in the UK?!)
I’ve not been given any hints on a release date for anything yet, sorry. At present, the first thing to get a release will be the shutoff valve controller, which may come out next month. I’m guessing the H2 switches will also be compatible with UK walls.