EU Mi Smart Gateway Rumoured For Summer Release
If you’ve been wondering about getting into HomeKit compatible Xiaomi smart home devices, you’ll almost certainly have heard of the Aqara hub by now, considering it has been nearly 2 years since it was released. In addition, at the start of this year, Mijia brought out their own Mi Smart (Multimode) Gateway, that appears, at least superficially, to provide the same functionality as the aforementioned Aqara Hub. It also comes with a HomeKit code. Unfortunately, the current Mi hub only works with the Chinese Mainland server within the Mi Home app, so if you wanted to use any of the EU servers, it’s simply not possible. The potential good news, however, is that there are rumours of an EU version of the Mi Smart Gateway coming in the next few months. Our friends over at the Polish Smart Home website Smartme.pl have discovered a post from supposedly reliable source Sudhanshu Ambhore, that lists a series of devices coming to the EU (and EU servers) over the summer, one of which includes an EU version of the Mi Smart Gateway. This mostly means that you will be able to use the EU servers with the gateway, which are more responsive for European users than using the Chinese mainland server.
As you can see in the image above, many won’t be HomeKit compatible in any way, with only the aforementioned hub, and possibly the Mi LED Bulb being of interest to HomeKit users, although so far there’s no firm indication that the bulb will be HomeKit compatible, despite the current equivalent colour model being HomeKit enabled. The other device we know that is HomeKit compatible, and actually available from Chinese online stores, is the Mi Light Sensor, which we reviewed earlier this year. You can check out our reviews of both the Mi Smart Gateway and the Mi LIght sensor below, but ultimately, it might be better for EU users to simply buy the EU version of the Aqara hub, which came out in dribs and drabs last summer, or wait for the long-overdue Aqara M2 hub.
One potential fly in the ointment could, however, be that the EU version could end up not being a HomeKit version. This is unlikely, but when our source first discovered evidence of this device nearly a year ago, it appeared in the logs that there was the potential for two versions – one HomeKit enabled version, and one without. On balance, this seems unlikely as the current Mi Hub for the EU, which isn’t HomeKit compatible, was only relatively recently introduced to European stores.
I already own a Mi Gateway 3 ,whats the basic difference between the EU version and Chinese? Is it worth it to sell the Chinese version and get the EU?
I wouldn’t do anything just yet, as these are only rumoured to be coming, but I imagine it will support all the same devices that the current Chinese hub supports, as long as they’re also listed on the EU servers.
Thanks for the prompt reply Simon,
Do you believe that there would be a performance issue though?
If they do indeed bring out the EU version, and it’s the same specs as the Chinese version (there’s no reason why it shouldn’t be), then it will definitely be a better option in a few ways compared to the current Aqara hub, as it’s certified as Zigbee 3.0 compatible, and due to the usb type power adaptor, it won’t block another power outlet. With the connection to the EU server, you should notice an improvement in Cloud based interactions, so overall performance should be better. For HomeKit users, the only issue will be – which devices that are added to it that will then get exposed to HomeKit. The recent update to the Chinese version improved this with more devices now exposed to HomeKit, like with the Aqara hub.
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Interesting, I wonder if this is actually one that works with EU servers or just comes with an EU plug, and is still a Chinese model.
Actually you can connect the hub to european servers today. I have done it few weeks ago. I was surprised but it went like this: I added the hub directly to Homekit first, then when on the same network and opening Mi home app (european server) it gave me a notification that I have some bindable devices in my network. I klicked that and the hub was added. One thing is that the hub does not show in the interface graphically like other devices and you can not access it through app. You can see though under your name in profile that there is a device. Other sub devices can be bound with the hub manually (push button three times) and they show up in the app. I added MI smart plug (chinese version), Aqara wireless switch and temperature sensor so far. They are all working in Homekit but Mi plug is not accessible (you can not see the power consumption) in MI home app although you can switch it on/off just fine from the homepage. The problem might be in software updates, since the hub is not actually shown, I am not sure how the app knows that there is an update.
Hi, thanks for the info. It sounds like it acts in the same way with adding a Mi device from one region to a different server. This is the case with a Taiwan Mi Smart plug I have added to the Mi Home app set to the Chinese Mainland server. Once added, it shows up in its own tile, and you can turn it on or off, but you can’t access the settings. For the Mi Smart Gateway you have the bonus of the HomeKit code, so that’s a good way of getting around certain limitations with Mi Home. I can’t do that with the Mi Plug of course.
I am not sure, if device is truly added to EU server by this way. Because you can not use any automations in xiaomi app and can not control device at all in app. You can only set up automation in the HomeKit with the child devices that are exposed to the HomeKit and control them in Apple Home. I wonder, if it will appear (or will be reported as additional device even if unvisible) in the xiaomi app, if you will completely uninstall app (with deleting the data) from iPhone and then install it again and log into xiaomi account.
Or better way to check it is to log into the Mi account with another phone, that is not joined to the same Apple Home, or with some android device. If Mi hub 3 will be reported there, then it is stored and may be managed with EU server.
The connected devices are showing like that: https://imgur.com/afhWgyv
And you can create automations in Mi home, I just created one: https://imgur.com/oKGwMlB
Right, this is exactly the same as the US Aqara plug I have unofficially connected to my Chinese Aqara hub. It shows up as a device, but there’s no image, just the Mijia logo, and you can’t access the settings for it, but it can be used in automations.
So I have tried this today, but for me its behavior is different – in the device list I see only child devices of Mi hub, I have no field with Mi hub itself. And if I try to add child device by pushing the button 3 times, led on hub starts blinking, but nothing appears in app.
What region are you using Vaho?
The other thing, yes, the hub is reported in the app, see the number of devices is 4: https://imgur.com/Q1rppkE despite that on the main page there are only 3 visible.
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I am in Estonia and I chose that but I guess that means European server in some other country I guess. Yes, the hub does not appear in device’s list. After you pushed the button three times the hub goes into pairing mode, nothing appears in the app at that point (you do not even have to open it), you then hold down the pairing/reset button or in case of a switch or plug (plugged in of course) the actual switch button 5 or 10 sec depending which device you have. If paired the hub beeps two times (or was it long beep…? do not remember anymore) and then the new paired device appears in the Mi app and hopefully in Homekit also. These devices that you can see in my image all appeared in Homekit.
Thanks Vaho for your explanation, I have tried to add zigbee light bulb. It has no reset button I have switched it off and on 5 times, but nothing happened. Better to say that bulb confirmed reset procedure by blinking 2 times, but hub didn’t accepted it even if hub was in pairing more too. I had to change region to China mainland, add hub again and initiate adding of bulb from the app. But thanks again, now when I have added all bulb to the hub it is possible to delete the hub from app, switch region again and add hub to the app when it is connected to eu server. After this, all bulbs appears in home kit.
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