PACKAGING

The packaging is the first thing to grab you, with badges for both Thread and Matter, which whilst not a ‘first’ for Aqara (their Contact Sensor P2 has that  honour), it’s certainly their first hub to boast such credentials. The back is all about the specs, which are admittedly pretty impressive;

• Wired or wireless connection
• 2.4 & 5.0GHz WiFi a/b/g/n/ac
• Zigbee 3.0
• Bluetooth 5.1
• built-in IR transceiver
• 95dB loudspeaker
• Power over Ethernet
• USB-C power port

As for the features, it’s a Matter controller for the Aqara ecosystem, which means their platform is moving towards being a viable competitor to others. It has a lot of catching up to do if we’re talking more than just with Matter accessories. By that, I mean third-party device is supported, but only for Matter devices.

It’s also a Thread Border Router, which means Matter over Thread devices can work natively in the Aqara app. Note that HomeKit over Thread devices are excluded, so they have to be Matter over Thread.

It also mentions something called ‘Edge’ computing, which offers local encrypted control, with no requirement for cloud connectivity, amongst other things. The M3 can also make automations that were cloud-based on other hubs in your Aqara setup, local.

So, this all sounds great, and it is for existing Aqara users at a minimum; You’re getting a Zigbee 3.0 hub, a Thread Border Router to finally use your Aqara Matter over Thread devices (all two of them…), and an IR blaster that can control your AC, as well as expose it to Apple Home, and a much louder speaker than you get on either the M2 or the M1/M1S.

Even though it’s Matter compatible as a Matter bridge for their Zigbee devices, it can also work with Apple Home, Google Home, and Amazon Alexa using what I describe as the legacy methods. For Apple Home there’s not much difference between adding the M3 using Matter or HomeKit, but for Google and Alexa users, local control instead of a cloud-based approach is the enticement here.

CONTENTS

The contents are minimal, but not unexpected. Aside from the M3, there’s a manual that comes with QR codes for Matter, Apple Home, and Aqara. You’ll initially need the Aqara QR code, but assuming you add it to HomeKit via Matter afterwards via the Aqara app, you won’t need the Matter code. You’ll still need the HomeKit QR code if you go down the HomeKit route, which may be for good reason, for which I’ll go into later.

You get a USB-C to USB-A power cable, but no power brick, which is the standard these days. There’s also no ethernet cable. You do get a mounting bracket, with included screws and rawl plugs though. This allows the M3 to be ceiling or wall mounted if required.

THE HUB M3

Like the M2 before it, the M3 uses the same textured plastic on top that isn’t entirely resistant to fingerprints, but it’s not something you’ll really need to handle often I guess. the edge of the M3 has translucent plastic for the ‘360º’ IR blaster to do its thing. The back of the M3 has a pairing/reset button flanked by Aqara and HomeKit QR codes. There’s no Matter code on the box, but in addition to finding it on the manual, it’s stored in the Aqara app. The underside of the M3 has a rubber base to stop it from sliding around, as well as holes for the aforementioned mounting bracket to click into place.

The underside also features a large cut-out ‘trench’ for allowing the ethernet and USB-C cables to connect. If you have a router or network switch capable of offering Power over Ethernet (PoE), you can dispense with the USB-C cable and simply power the M3 and connect it to your router with the one ethernet cable.

THE M3 IN AQARA HOME

The process of adding the M3 to Aqara Home – which I’d recommend doing first – is pretty straightforward; once it’s powered up, you go into the Aqara app and select ‘Add Accessory’ although it may also pop up on the screen before you even get there. This is in part due to Aqara’s own ‘EasyPair’ setup feature first seen in the Aqara Camera E1. Bluetooth in the hub transmits a signal that the Aqara ecosystem picks up via your phone, allowing you to begin pairing it. Even though it comes with a Matter QR code, you don’t need it, but instead you use the Aqara QR code. The former is used for adding it to other ecosystems, although when adding it to Apple Home (via the Aqara app), for example, you still won’t need to scan that code.

Once added, you can begin the process of adding it to other ecosystems. For Apple Home users, you get two options – add using Apple HomeKit, or add using Matter. Making this choice depends on what you want from the M3, as each option gives something but takes another thing away.

• MatterAdd using Matter allows you to expose the AC control option to Apple Home as a fully fledged AC controller.
  • If you have any Aqara lighting products that use Apple’s Adaptive Lighting, you’ll lose this functionality if the lighting is connected to the M3.
  • You lose the option to have the M3 act as a security system in Apple Home.
• Apple HomeAdd using HomeKit allows you to expose the security system to Apple Home.
  • Lighting products capable of using Adaptive lighting, retain this feature when connected to Apple Home.
  • You lose the option to have the M3 act as an AC controller in Apple Home.

So the choice is yours. You could actually add the M3 using both Matter and HomeKit, giving you AC control, the security system, and Adaptive Lighting, but you’ll have two instances of each Zigbee device connected to the M3, which could cause problems, or confusion at the very least.

The M3 offers a lot of features and options you would previously have not seen with their other hubs. For example, there’s a section to describe the function of the M3 as the lead hub in a ‘cluster’. This is in part the way that the M3, which has more onboard memory, can make scenes and automations local, even if they originate on another hub. This also includes devices that are not technically hubs themselves, like the Camera E1, the Presence Sensor FP2, and the Video Doorbell G4.

One thing to note is that whilst the integrated speaker is a lot louder than that of the M2, it still won’t replace a professional alarm siren, but at least for notifications etc, you can actually hear without straining now.

There’s a separate section that allows you to add the M3 to other platforms, check what platforms its connected to, and manage those connections. It lists Apple Home, as I added the M3 to HomeKit using Matter. Apple Keychain stores the basic data for that hub in relation to its Matter connection.

AC control in the Aqara app offers pretty much all the control you need, although it could depend on the capabilities of your AC too as to what options you get. Via Matter the AC control is exposed to HomeKit, although you only get the basic controls – off/heat/cool, and temperature control. In order for you to get more fuller features over the AC, you do need to add an Aqara temperature sensor to the M3, which in turn can be linked to as a climate sensor for the AC control. This then shows you the temperature as part of the AC control in both Apple and Aqara Home. Without it, the temperature will show the default zero degrees. You can’t use a temperature sensor connected to another Aqara hub, even if on the same account and WiFi network.

As the M3 has an IR blaster, it can control other devices besides the AC, although unlike products like the Switchbot Hub 2 (review, video), or the Nature Remo Nano (review, video), which can expose other IR controlled devices to HomeKit, the M3 cannot. This may not be such a big deal for a couple of reasons; The first is that although the two aforementioned products can expose more IR devices, they only appear in HomeKit with basic on/off functionality, much like a smart plug, so for a TV remote, you can only turn it on or off. The other thing is that with Aqara having all the controls for other IR devices in its ecosystem, you can still create scenes to trigger certain aspects of that device, and export those scenes to HomeKit, which may actually be better in a round about way.

The M3 has a plethora of other settings, like custom ringtones, so you can upload your own sounds to the M3, for use in automations, as well as the hub offering four different language options (Chinese, French, Spanish, English).

Possibly the biggest change is that you can now migrate devices and automations on one hub, to an M3. This feature effectively factory resets the M3, moves the data from the old hub to the M3, then factory resets the original hub. This migration assistant only works in the Aqara app, so when it comes to the old hub in Apple home, it’ll still be listed, along with any child devices, it’ll show as offline, so you’ll have to remove this instance of the old hub from HomeKit. This option also means that you’re better off doing the migration from one hub to the M3 before you add any child devices to the M3, or for that matter (no pun intended) add the M3 to Apple Home.

THREAD, MATTER, ZIGBEE, BLUETOOTH – CONFUSED?

It’s already a thing that many are confused about the hub’s capabilities, what the different protocols are for, and what can be added. This wasn’t helped by the fact that Aqara released the M3 with very limited Matter support, which added up to just a handful of brands and devices being compatible at launch. This is not how Matter is supposed to be of course, and to their credit, they did fully unlock this feature, allowing all supported Matter device categories to be used with the M3. They still should have done this before releasing the M3 instead of retroactively responding to customer complaints, but it’s done now.

However, initially, this issue was further impacted by the fact that neither of the company’s own Matter over Thread devices could be added to the M3, which is a pretty bad self-own. Again, this was quickly rectified – partially – but still didn’t allow these devices (contact, and motion sensors) to be used as part of Aqara’s own security system, need I say how bad this looked? So for the third time, there was an update that remedied this final issue. It really shouldn’t have been this way, and somewhat tainted the launch in many peoples’ eyes.

So, aside from the missteps mentioned, what are all these protocols supposed to be for? Well, The M3 is many things, and in some way’s these roles are equals. First off, this is a Zigbee hub, just like the M2, so you can add Aqara Zigbee devices to it. It can then be exposed as a standard Zigbee hub to Apple Home using either the Matter or HomeKit QR codes. However, it’s also a Matter bridge, which is much the same thing; the difference is that it exposes those child devices to the four main platforms using Matter. This is different to HomeKit for the previously mentioned reasons, and when it comes to the other platforms, adding the hub via Matter circumvents the need for a cloud connection, which Google and Amazon have relied on – they basically connect to your account on the Aqara server, allowing that server to communicate your instructions to Amazon or Google’s own servers. Matter does away with this, and allows communication between the Aqara M3 (or other Matter enabled Aqara bridges) and your smart home platform, without the need to connect to your account in the cloud.

So, it’s a Zigbee hub/bridge/gateway, and it’s a Matter hub/bridge/gateway for Zigbee devices…

It’s also a Matter Controller. This means it acts as a central organising piece of kit that allows your Aqara smart home devices to run locally and effectively within the Aqara ecosystem. For example, the Apple TV, HomePod, and HomePod Mini are all Matter Controllers too, doing the same thing in Apple Home. Basically speaking, each platform requires its own Matter Controller, and the M3 is such a device for Aqara’s smart platform. Google’s Nest hubs, and Amazon’s own range of displays and speakers are all Matter Controllers for their respective ecosystems too.

Thread – yes, it’s a Thread device, but not like a Thread motion sensor, no. This is a Thread Border Router (TBR). This allows Aqara and third-party Matter over Thread devices to connect to the Aqara ecosystem. If it didn’t have the TBR inside, it could still act as a Matter Controller, but only for devices that connect through a Matter Bridge (like the Philips Hue Bridge, for example) or with Matter over WiFi devices. The older Apple TVs, and the original HomePod are such devices – Matter Controllers but without a TBR inside.

Bluetooth – This is included in part due to the way Matter works when a device is ready for adding to a Matter ecosystem. Bluetooth is the initial connection between the device, your phone, and the Matter ecosystem in question. Although it’s unlikely it’s used for much else, it could be used for some Aqara locks that use Bluetooth, but it’s not clear if that’s an option.

THIRD PARTY DEVICES

I already had an M3 from China back in January, and once the international version of the M3 arrived from Aqara for review, things had moved on. By that, I mean that I was now able to add the Hue Bridge to the Aqara ecosystem. How, you might ask. The Hue Bridge can now be added to Matter ecosystems by simply going into the Hue app, and generating a Matter code. You then add the bridge to Aqara’s own newly Matter-enabled ecosystem using that code and the Bridge and all its child devices are exposed to the Aqara ecosystem.

As you can see from the screenshots above, I’ve added a Hue Bridge to Aqara Home using this method. the Matter icon appears in the corner of the icon to show that it’s added using Matter. Due to the Hue Matter update, some other third-party Zigbee devices that could be added to the Hue Bridge, but not show up in Apple Home, can now be exposed to Apple Home because of this. The same is true for the Aqara ecosystem, which in my case shows a standard colour Hue bulb (LCT016) alongside a Tradfri bulb added to the Hue Bridge. This is an instance of Matter over Bridge, which is less talked about than Matter over WiFi or Matter over Thread, but is equally useful.

As it stands now, pretty much all Matter devices should be able to be added to the Aqara app if you have the M3. There’s a caveat here in that Aqara themselves have said many devices from third parties haven’t been tested, so there’s the possibility some won’t work as intended or even fail to add, so you’ll just have to try and see what happens.

The one question some people might ask is why would one want to expose devices to Aqara via Matter, if they already work with HomeKit. For me, the simple answer lies in Aqara’s automation options. In many ways, they’re so much better than what other platforms offer, but if you want specifics, it’s the way in which Aqara allows a lights to be turned on or off, with one automation. If that doesn’t make sense, in Apple Home for example, if you have a smart button controlling a smart bulb, you can set the button to turn the light on with a single press, but you don’t have an option for the bulb to be set at the opposite state to its present one. In essence, I want to be able to single press a button, and turn the bulb on or off with that single press, depending on the on/off state of the bulb. Yes, it’s possible by converting an automation to a Shortcut in the Apple Home app, but you shouldn’t have to make a convoluted IF/THEN automation when Aqara do it quite easily. Their app has an option that allows you to set a light to “on/off”, so you can rely on a single press on a smart button to to act just like a normal switch. This something I’ve longed for in Apple Home, but I just can see it ever happening. Now, as I have a collection of Hue bulbs and wireless buttons from Aqara, with the Hue Bridge in Aqara Home, I can achieve this. But I can also have those bulbs remain in Apple Home for other purposes, so it’s a win-win.

WHAT’S WRONG WITH IT?

When I originally set up my Chinese M3 back in late January, soon after, I noticed that some of my Thread devices became very sluggish to respond, and at different times went offline for a while, before coming back. This at first seemed to be limited to HomeKit over Thread devices, but then it started to manifest itself with Matter over Thread devices  too. The products that showed these kinds of odd behaviour were some of my Nanoleaf bulbs, Eve Energy smart plug, Wemo smart plug, and Wemo Stage Scene Controller. These are all HomeKit over Thread. Additionally, the Matter over Thread devices that acted up, were the Tuo Smart Button, and SmartWings Roller Blinds. After this began to get tedious, I assumed there was an issue with the Chinese model I had, and removed it, boxing it up for another day. Soon after I did so, everything behaved like it had before, with snappy response times, and no offline devices.

When the international model arrived, I set it up, and yet again the same issues came to the fore, with the same set of devices, so I now could see this wasn’t a fluke. I once again removed the newer M3, and as before, things became stable again. I have spoken to Aqara about this, and the majority of their beta testers hadn’t experienced any of these problems. That said, I’ve been contacted by maybe 5 or 6 people that have had the same issues, so it’s clearly not totally isolated.

just until a day ago, I was considering removing the M3 again and just making do with what I have for the sake of my sanity, however I seemed to have stumbled upon a fix of sorts. at first, my M3 was wired to an network switch that was connected to the router, which is when all the issues surfaced. I didn’t have any free ports on the router itself, but I did have an ethernet access point in another room, so connecting the M3 to this AP was essentially the same as connecting it directly to the router (as far as I can see). After testing this method out for a day, none of the sluggish response times and offline issues plaguing my Thread devices have returned, so I believe the M3 being connected to a network switch was the problem here, even if that shouldn’t be the case. Either way, I’m sticking with the M3 set up this way now, and will monitor the situation further.  With this frustration seemingly solved now, I can say the M3 is actually a very good product in many ways, and possibly their most forward thinking product to date. I hope at some point they find a solution so I can connect the M3 in a manner of my choosing, but for now I’ll just make do with what I have.

Wrapping things up, there’s a lot to like, and considering the issues I mention with the lack of Matter support are largely taken care of, and assuming most people won’t be experiencing the issues I had with a problematic Thread network, then I do think this is a worthy purchase. At the very least, you’re buying into a device that expands the Aqara app to include more third-party devices, adds AC control, has a louder speaker, and unlike the M2, offers 5.0GHz WiFi and PoE. If that’s enough to sway you, then go for it.

The post Aqara Hub M3 (review) appeared first on Homekit News and Reviews.

UNBOXING

I pre-ordered the Mysa for ACs directly from the company, and although it took a while to arrive, and from such a large distance, due to the decent packaging, everything arrived unscathed, so full marks to the company for making sure my investment was protected. All text on the packaging is in English and Canadian French, and if you were to spot this on the shelf of a store, the box tells you pretty much everything you need to know. This includes information on which smart home systems it works with – Apple HomeKit, Amazon Alexa, and Google Home. It also shows the types of ACs it can work with, which includes window ACs Mini Split ACs, and even portable ACs, although in all cases this depends on the remotes that come with these devices, as the Mysa is essentially replacing the remote. If your remote isn’t capable of displaying the different modes or the target temperature, chances are this is not going to work for you.

If you’ve ever had a Smart AC thermostat before, you’ll know that apart from having to navigate some menus on an app to determine the make and model of your AC, as well as the app downloading the relevant codes for infrared signals, it’s all pretty simple to get running. This is exemplified with a quick 3-step setup guide on the inside of the box if you’re keen to get things running ASAP.

In the box, you get;

• The AC controller
• A USB-A to Micro USB cable for power
• A USB power brick (Type A, non-polarised)
• A desktop stand
• Some cable clips
• Four adhesive strips with velcro on one side
• A welcome booklet

THE DEVICE

The AC controller itself follows the same design language of their other products – the Thermostat for Baseboard Heaters, and Thermostat for Underfloor Heating – in that the front is one large slab of white plastic. The front employs touch-sensitive controls, which I’ll go into more later, along with a couple of sensors, which at the time of writing are inactive. One of the sensors is for proximity, so when someone approaches, the display turns on, in anticipation of being controlled. The other sensor is for ambient light detection, so the display will dim in relation to the overall brightness of the room. Mysa inform me that these functions will be activated at a later date, so hopefully, by the time you do read this, that functionality will arrive.

First impressions of the unit are that it feels well made, with a decent amount of weight to it.

The rear of the unit has a cutout section for the USB cable to fit flush into the back of the Mysa, which is important if you plan to wall-mount the device. Also on the back is a HomeKit code, which in this case doesn’t deploy a QR code, instead opting for the 8-digit code. The QR code is replaced by the icon used for NFC, as the Mysa has an NFC Chip embedded just under the front face. This allows you to not only add the device without the code (which may be inaccessible if you’ve already wall-mounted the Mysa) but guarantees that should you lose or remove the code, you can still pair it using NFC – even when it’s not powered up! The welcome booklet does come with a standard HomeKit QR code, however.

Both sides of the Mysa feature a circular dot that houses a multicolour LED, whilst one side is also home to a couple of buttons – the Mode button, and the Fan Speed button. The LED will flash in a different colour depending on the mode it’s set to, before eventually stopping and turning off. Depending on the modes your AC is capable of, you may see the following colours;

• Blue for Cool mode
• Orange for Heat mode
• Green for Auto mode
• White for Fan only
• Yellow for Dry or Dehumidify mode
• Red for Off

Both of the side buttons simply cycle through the available settings, so the fan speed button cycles through low, medium, high, and auto speeds, whilst the mode button cycles through the modes listed above, although your AC may have more or fewer modes than are listed here.

The included stand is a nice extra, and whilst you might think that it would be a bit of an afterthought, made using cheap plastic, you’d be very wrong, as it’s tough, nicely finished, and with some weight to it, that fits into the Mysa quite snugly. The base is rubber, with the Mysa logo imprinted, and allows the stand to not slide around, although it should be noted while this works for tapping the touch-sensitive touch surface on the front, it’s not as effective at keeping the Mysa in place when pressing the side buttons.

As with the stand, the provided USB plug doesn’t come across as an off-the-shelf, mass-produced piece of equipment, even though it may well be for all I know. either way, it is once again fairly decently put together, and even features Mysa’s smiling face graphic.

The remaining parts of the package are the USB cable and some adhesive strips to affix the Mysa to a wall, as well as a few clips to hold the power cable neatly in place. Unlike the strips you might see in many other products that need such things, these come as single-sided adhesive strips, with the other side using Velcro. The way it’s designed to work is that you use two of the strips on a wall or other vertical surface, with the velcro side facing outward, with the other two strips stuck to the back of the Mysa, with the velcro side once again facing outward. The velcro parts on the wall and Mysa cling to each other, but also allow the Mysa to be removed without needing fresh strips, should you need to clean the unit, or otherwise take it down for whatever reason. It’s a good idea, but standard double-sided adhesive strips are cheaply and readily available, so I’m sure it’s that much of a big deal.

INITIAL INSTALLATION

I generally advise setting up a device in the company’s native app if there are specific setup procedures that need to be followed, and AC controllers are one such device, as the steps required to teach it your AC remote isn’t something you’re able to do in the Home app. So, even if you were to add this to the Home app first, you’d still have to go through this same procedure to finish the installation.

• Sign up/in and select ‘Add a device’
• Select the model you’re adding
• Ensure the device is plugged in and powered up
• Make sure you’re on the same 2.4GHz WiFi network that you plan to add the device to

• Wait for the screen to show the pairing icon
• Select HomeKit pairing
• Select your HomeKit home

Whilst the device can be added to HomeKit using the HomeKit code, it’s even more convenient to scan using the NFC capabilities of your iPhone, as long as it’s capable (iPhone 7 or later);

• tap the bottom right corner of the device
• HomeKit will identify the accessory type
• Click Add to Home

• Once added just add it to the relevant room
• name the device
• The details for the device will show up, allowing you to also rename them if necessary

• Automation suggestions will show up if you want help with that
• and after pressing Continue, you’ll see that the device has been added to HomeKit and your Home
• Click ‘Done’

• You’ll then return to the Mysa app, where you’ll go through the process of looking for any firmware updates.
• Once done, you can then proceed with the final setup
• Name your device. This is separate from the HomeKit/Home app name, although it can – and probably should – be the same

• You then get to the stage where you need to teach the Mysa your AC remote it’s codes
• once ready with the device and the remote, press next
• aim your remote at the top of the Mysa and press the power button

• The app will identify your AC based on the remote signals, and download the codes for your AC
• Unfortunately, with one of my ACs – a model by Hitachi – although it found the codes, it failed to download them – repeatedly
• When I chose the Daikin AC in our bedroom, it ID’d the AC and downloaded the codes without any issue

Why the Mysa (or the server) couldn’t complete the job for one of my ACs, I’m not sure, but it has yet to be solved as of writing this review, so currently it’s working with the Daikin mentioned above. It’s something to bear in mind when choosing any AC controller though, not just the Mysa. Still, it’s working with the Daikin AC at present and works well. There are no disconnections from the WiFi network, and is responsive at all times, either via the Mysa or Home apps, or via direct control.

APPLE HOME APP

As with most devices in the Home app, the Mysa selects from a fairly standard set of options exposed to HomeKit, although in the case of the Mysa, you get two services – a fan and the thermostat. I’ve got them all under one tile here, but they can be split up and shown separately, although as the app uses what looks like a standing fan, it could be a bit confusing as to the type of fan it is.

You get the standard dial to control the three available modes – heat, cool, and auto (plus off), along with a slider to control the fan speed. This controller is one part that not all ACs expose to HomeKit even though it’s possible. The bottom of the slider also has a circle that, when activated, sets the fan speed to auto (not the mode, just the fan). It’s all fairly basic/standard stuff, but it works well enough.

THE MYSA APP

The Mysa app lists all of your Mysa devices, so it’s a standalone app, as opposed to a HomeKit app, like Controller or Home+, for example. As I’ve only got the one device it only shows one tile, and pressing on it reveals the UI that resembles the front of the device itself to a large extent.

You also see the top of the main screen state “Your Zip/Postal Code helps!”, which is designed to make the app more customisable for the area you live. I’m only guessing, but maybe certain modes – like ‘Heat’ – are disabled for regions where it’s generally quite warm, like Florida for example.

This brings us to an important point if you’re thinking of buying this but don’t live in Canada or the United States. First of all, whilst the device will actually work anywhere, the app itself, which is needed for setup at the very least, is only available on the US and Canadian App Stores. That’s an easy one to circumvent of course but add to this any warranty would possibly be void if used in areas they don’t support, then you may want to think of options available in your region first.

This interface has up and down arrows to adjust the temperature, with separate side buttons to control the fan speed, the oscillation control (for the blades that go up and down on some AC units), and mode selection. AS you can see in my case, the Daikin is capable of not only the standard cool, heat, and auto modes, but also dry, and fan only. You also get access to the four fan speeds – auto, low, medium, and high.

Unlike Sensibo and Tado, there’s no paid monitoring or usage service that goes beyond the basics here, so what you get is the option to monitor your AC usage by day, week or month, with no real frills – but free nonetheless. There’s also a schedule section, which has the option to set schedules manually, whilst also offering a ‘wizard’ to set up your schedules based on a series of questions.

Finally, in the settings panel, you have an extensive set of tools to adjust most aspects of the Mysa, which includes the basics like changing the name of the device, to changing the timezone, as well as resyncing the AC if someone inadvertently changes the AC settings with the original remote. You can change the wake and sleep brightness of the display from 0-100%, and you even have the option to lock the side buttons.

All in all, the Mysa app is pretty decent although the setup process can be hit and miss with the app having frozen or crashed at times when I struggled to add the Hitachi AC. These things can usually be ironed out, and as such, as long as the device itself functions, there’s little to complain about.

IN USE | SUMMING UP

I’d long anticipated this device, not because I particularly needed it (I already have enough AC controllers), but because I’ve always liked the design of their other thermostats, and as this uses the same basic design/format, I was sold on it immediately. The plusses for me, are that it has an always-on display, unlike the Tado, which only shows any readings if you tap the screen. Add to this a more than decent desktop stand, and there’s little to complain about. It has been 100% solid so far, in the couple of months I’ve had it, both in responsiveness and its ability to stay connected to the network, and if it wasn’t for the fact it won’t play nice with my Hitachi AC (other AC controllers have no problem with it), this would quite easily score higher than the other controllers I have.

I do hope they will activate the proximity and ambient light sensors sooner rather than later, as having the two little ‘eyes’ at the bottom of the unit staring at me without a function is a tad frustrating! At this time, If I want to see the temperature displayed in the daytime/evening, but have the display off at night, I have to go into the app and adjust this accordingly, which is a drag. It wouldn’t be so bad if the display brightness was exposed to HomeKit (not necessarily the Home app but for 3rd party HomeKit apps), so I could automate it, but alas that’s not the case.

All in all, it has been a very good device, and I would recommend it to any of our readers in North America, as the Tado Smart AC Control V3+ isn’t available there, the Sensibo Air is a bit on the pricy side for what you get, and the Aqara P3 simply isn’t designed for use outside of China.

The post Mysa Smart Thermostat for ACs (review) appeared first on Homekit News and Reviews.

Mobile App – Adjust your home’s cooling or heating from anywhere on your Android or iOS device. Scheduling – Use the app to set a schedule for your thermostat in less than a minute. Geolocation – Mysa uses your location to detect if anyone is home so that you’re not paying to cool or heat an empty house. A Smarter Home – Control Mysa through your favourite smart home platforms and home assistants. Lockout – Enjoy the peace of mind that comes with knowing you’re in control of your preferred temperature setting.

Energy Usage – Mysa shows your AC’s runtime, temperature history, and humidity, helping you find ways to grow your energy savings. Thermostat Control – See and adjust your room temperature, humidity, and control your AC’s fan speed and modes, right at your Mysa. Vacation Mode – Going on vacation? Mysa will save energy while you’re away. Shared Access – Share access to your account easily so others can control your Mysas through the Mysa app.

Compatibility

• Most air conditioning units:
  • Window
  • Portable
  • Ductless Mini-Split Air Conditioners

Electrical

• Conveniently powered via included 5V micro USB connection and plug-in AC adapter.
• AC/USB adapter included.
  • 5.2 V, 6 W USB
  • 1.2A adapter
• USB/Micro USB cable included
  • 6 ft / 2 m

Pairing and Control

• Connects to the internet via your Wi-Fi and controls your AC via infrared signals.
• Requires 2.4GHz WiFi network and uses optional NFC pairing for seamless setup.

Display / Sound

• LED display with capacitive touch buttons.
  • Adjustable brightness.
• Buzzer
  • Audible Touch Feedback.

Dimensions

• Height: 4.3 in / 110 mm
• Width: 3.0 in / 75 mm
• Depth: 0.6 in /15 mm

Sensors

• Temperature: +/- 0.4 ℉/0.2 ℃
• Humidity: +/- 2%

Control Range: Off, 61-86 ℉* / 16-30 ℃*
*control range depends on the AC model, may be 17-30, 18-31, etc.

Install

• Wall-mounted with adhesive strips OR place on a surface with the included stand.

Modes

• Heat (HVAC only)
• Cool
• Auto (where applicable)
• Fan only
• Dry / Dehumidify

Modes will be indicated by LEDs on the side of the device.

Wireless

• WiFi – 802.11 g/b/n @ 2.4 GHz
• Supports WPA2

The post Mysa Smart Thermostat for ACs appeared first on Homekit News and Reviews.

The post Aqara P3 AC Companion appeared first on Homekit News and Reviews.

The Sensibo Air is one such device we’re looking at today, following on in the footsteps of the company’s non-HomeKit Sensibo Sky, making the ‘Air’ the first HomeKit compatible product from the company, which also make an indoor sensor and an Air Purifier (Sensibo Pure). Hopefully, the latter will also gain HomeKit compatibility in the future.

PACKAGING/UNBOXING

In contrast to a lot of manufacturers, Sensibo has gone for the ultra-minimal approach to their packaging, with a plain box with a turquoise colour scheme, coming across a bit like a swatch from a Pantone book. There’s almost literally nothing on the box to indicate what systems it works with, revealing no ‘works with’ type logos at all*. It’s no bad thing as long as it’s made clear elsewhere I guess. Still, it protects the contents, and that’s the main thing, as I almost always make a point of checking.

* I’ve since been told by Sensibo that newer packaging is now being used which includes the HomeKit and other logos on the box.

With the sleeve removed, there’s a card ‘wallet’ that hold the Sensibo Air nicely in place, with the accompanying power cable (micro-USB to USB-A), power supply (Type A, non-polarised, in my case), and a double-sided sticker (not pictured) to mount the device to a wall, although as you’ll see there’s another way of mounting it.

THE DEVICE

To say the Sensibo Air is small is a bit of an understatement, measuring a mere 65 x 65 x 17mm / 2.56 x 2.56 x 0.67in. Effectively it can fit in the palm of your hand and is less deep than a pack of playing cards. So, if you’re looking for something that doesn’t exactly stick out, mostly due to its size, this may be what you’re looking for.

The front is solid white plastic, with a black cutout section housing the IR blaster, and the company’s logo, which lights up momentarily when the Air sends out an IR signal. It will also flash if it gets disconnected from your network, or it’s performing a firmware update, for example. On the subject of connectivity, it’s a WiFi device, using 2.4GHz, as expected, and in the time I’ve been using it, the connection has been rock solid, so that was one less cause for concern. Other than the aforementioned cutout, you only get the company’s logotype on the bottom. The sides are all surrounded by the same black plastic used in the cutout, and although you might think the IR signal was designed to go in all directions via this ring of plastic, it doesn’t, so only the part at the front is used for the signal transmissions. One edge is also home to the sensors – temperature and humidity – with small vents or a grille for the sensors to sample the surrounding air. Next to that is a small pinhole to reset the device, as needed.

The rear of the Air has four rubber ‘feet’ so that it can be placed on a flat surface without slipping around, although I’d suggest the preferred location in most cases ould be to wall-mount it. The rear is also home to another cutout for the micro USB cable to travel along. The cable is approximately 1 metre long. The square section in the middle indicates where the provided double-sided sticker is designed to be placed.

The rear also reveals a QR code, which is NOT the HomeKit code and is only for adding the device to the Sensibo app, although Sensibo have told me that newer production models will come with the HomeKit code directly on the product. At the top is a recess with which to hook a nail or screw, should you want to wall mount it, but not use the double-sided sticker.

ADDING TO HOMEKIT

As already mentioned, the package came with no indication that it works with HomeKit, at least on the package I was sent, so it could have been added to newer packaging perhaps. However, when it comes to a HomeKit code in order to add it to HomeKit, it’s a little more involved, as there’s no HomeKit code, let alone any paperwork for said code to be stuck to.

This is where the Sensibo app is needed, at least initially. Once you download the app….

1. you simply add your first device
2. choose the Air (in this case)
3. then set up a Home and a room* for the Air to reside in.

* The home and room are totally separate from what’s already set up in HomeKit, but that’s ok.

In order for the app to give you information on weather conditions…

• you need to give it access to Location Services
• It will then scan for Bluetooth devices, as the Sensibo Air uses Bluetooth for initial setup
• Then once it has found the Sensibo, it’ll scan for nearby WiFi Networks

• When it has found your WiFi network,  add the details for it to connect
• Then scan the QR code on the back of the device

With the Sensibo now connected to your network, you need to teach it how to control your AC. This is simply done by sending a signal (usually the power button) from your remote to the Sensibo. When I initially tried this, no matter what I tried, the Sensibo wouldn’t pick up the signal from the AC remote, no matter how much I tried. I thought maybe the batteries in the remote were a bit low, so I changed them, but to no avail. I then tried the remote directly with the AC, and it worked fine, so the remote clearly wasn’t the issue.

Eventually, I decided to start over, and so remove the Air, and re-added it again. On the second attempt, there was no issue at all, and everything went smoothly, so I going to put this down to temporary gremlins, and not an inherent issue with the device itself. If anyone else has encountered this issue, please let us know in the comments though.

• Once we were up and running again, I was able to access the settings section, where a HomeKit option was visible
• This reveals a HomeKit QR code, which you can either scan with another device (if your phone is usually the one adding devices to HomeKit) or you can take a screengrab, or note the code itself and add it manually. If you have a newer product, the HomeKit code will be on the device itself, so this step will not be necessary in this instance
• The app also gives you the option to use Siri Shortcuts, which in this case would be largely unnecessary, but useful for other Sensibo devices

Happily, as the device is already connected to your network, adding it to HomeKit was a quick and easy affair.

As is the way with devices compatible with HomeKit, to a large degree, you get the same experience and interface regardless of the manufacturer, which is a great thing. The Sensibo Air is no exception, and provides a tile in the Home app, just like a thermostat or any other AC controller. The tile displays the current temperature whether the device is on or off, and will show the temperature it’s set to reach along with the relevant descriptive phrase (Set to…, Heating to…, cooling to…). The Sensibo does give you the extra ‘Auto’ mode, for what it’s worth, with many other products I’ve tried in this device type generally only offering Heat, Cool, and Off.

You can view the humidity levels in the Settings page for the device, but it isn’t exposed as a separate device in the Home app, although you can still use it in automations via any number of 3rd party apps of course, as well as via ‘Convert to Shortcut’ when creating an automation in the Home app.

In terms of features, that’s pretty much it in the Home app and HomeKit, but the Sensibo app does offer a bit more control, as expected.

SENSIBO APP

The Sensibo app gives you additional control of your AC, such as the louver (the blade that directs the air), depending on how much control your particular AC offers, and even allows for fan speed, which is something that the Aqara P3 AC companion actually exposes to the Home app natively. Additionally, you get a very well featured set of notification options, which can be enabled in addition to any notifications you have set up in HomeKit.

One specific function I do like is the Sync AC Power State option; As ACs only receive commands, and can’t send confirmation back – which is why generally remotes aren’t supported in HomeKit, the Sensibo relies on knowing the state of the AC off the back of when it was last controlled by the Sensibo. If someone comes along and changes the state of the AC with the original remote, it may be that in HomeKit the AC is shown as on, but is in actual fact off, or maybe set to cool, when previously it was set to Auto for example. Normally, you’d have to then turn the AC off, or change in the Home app, in order to get things back to being synced, but with this option, you can simply tell the Sensibo that the AC is either on or off.  Now, this only goes as far as allowing you to switch between on/off and doesn’t go as far as remembering the specific mode or temperature, but it’s useful, nonetheless.

The app also has very simple controls for turning the AC on or off, based on the temperature, as well as change the AC state. This is something you can’t do in the Home app via a simple automation, so this may just be a handy way to deal with things, as long as you don’t mind the automation not being in HomeKit.

There are in fact, a lot more options within the app, some of which are part of the Sensibo Plus subscription option, which can be paid for at a monthly or yearly rate. I’ll leave those for you to dig into, should you get the Sensibo Air. Speaking of which, we’ll next look into how the device has performed in the time I’ve had it on test, and whether it’s value for money.

IN DAY TO DAY USE

Having used this for a few weeks now, with the temperature being uncommonly changeable over that time, has provided me with a lot of options to test out all the modes, including Auto, and it has been very responsive, and fast at sending the signals to my bedroom AC unit. In terms of connectivity, it has been very solid, so no real complaints there, although it does, of course, help to have a decent and sturdy network, to begin with.

The look of the device appeals to me, and it’s small enough to not be a distraction, if you prefer uncluttered walls, although with the cable hanging down if you’ve wall-mounted it, you may want to think of a way in which to hide that. Having tested out a couple of products from Ambi Climate (the AmbiClimate 2, and AmbiClimate Mini), what wins over these is simply the official HomeKit integration. I’ve also had the Tado AC Control V3+ for the longest time, and I’m very happy with it, mostly due to the fact it has a physical interface. Whilst physical control shouldn’t matter in a smart home, there are always times when you need to use your hands, and so this is one thing I miss with the Sensibo, although to be fair, this is so small, it’s really designed to not really be seen, so it’s not really the fault of the device as such.

The only main gripe I would say, if I was looking to buy it, is the price. On Sensibo’s website, the list price is US$169.99, but it’s on sale for $139.99. It’s also listed on Amazon.com for $149.99. To me, this is quite pricy, especially when you consider that the Tado I previously mentioned, is about US$99.00, and comes with physical control. However, the Tado is not available easily outside of Europe, so until they do sell in North America, it’s a case of importing, which is a hassle for some, not to mention the cost of shipping and potential import fees. On the other hand, the Ambi Climate offerings are roughly the same price, but without official HomeKit support, so I’d suggest if Sensibo can bring the price down to $129.00 they’d have a more compellingly priced product.

Despite all this, it’s nice to see Sensibo biting the bullet and adding HomeKit support – hopefully Ambi Climate will do the same one day…!

You can also find more information on the Sensibo Air and the company’s other products on their website.

Full disclosure: Sensibo provided HomeKit News with the Sensibo Air for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was made, requested or has not in any way influenced our opinion of this product.

The post Sensibo Air Smart AC Controller (review) appeared first on Homekit News and Reviews.

The post Sensibo Air Smart AC Controller appeared first on Homekit News and Reviews.

Way back in the middle of 2019, we reviewed the Ambi Climate 2, a smart AC controller that was able to work with Google, Amazon, and IFTTT, but not HomeKit, at least not officially. Later on, the company – Ambi Labs – added Siri Shortcuts to their app, as a stopgap measure, so that you could at least set your AC using your voice via HomePod, iPad, iPhone etc. Moving onto 2021, and the Hong Kong-based company have released an update/addition to the Ambi Climate 2, in the form of the Ambi Climate Mini.

If you’re not sure what this device is, it replaces your standard AC remote, allowing you to control many aspects of your AC via your phone, voice, or using automation, depending on what route you take in using this device.

As you can probably guess, this new device is smaller than the previous model, but basically does much the same stuff. The main difference, aside from the much-reduced size, is that the company’s A.I. tech has gone from being free to a subscription service. Whilst that may give you pause for thought as to whether this device is worth a subscription, it’s also worth noting that the service you’re paying for is a lot more advanced than other AC controllers on the market. That said, as it’s still not officially HomeKit compatible, this could push you to look at alternatives. Today I’ll have a look at this newer model, and hopefully give you a better understanding of the product, as well as give you an idea as to whether the extras are worth paying for.

In case you find you’re interested in purchasing this product, Ambi Climate are offering an additional US$10 off the standard price if you purchase via their website, using the exclusive promo code HKN10. The code is valid until June 2021.

PACKAGING

The packaging follows on from the design used in the Ambi Climate 2, and looks good, clear and easy to see – assuming you’re browsing in a department store (less likely in much of the world right now…) – and even comes with the little plastic handle for it to be hung on a display. As you’ll see, there’s no HomeKit logo, which is a shame, and with another company making a similar product – Sensibo’s Sky AC Controller – gaining official HomeKit support, it looks like Ambi Labs are out on their own a little.

It is what it is, so if you’re aware of that, or use HomeBridge/HOOBs, then it matters less. It does work with Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, and IFTTT though, and also includes the new ‘Add to Siri’ badge, meaning it works with Siri Shortcuts. I’ll go into that more, later.

The rear goes to great lengths to let you know that this AC controller makes use of what is described as a ‘Comfort AI Assistant’ – this is the subscription option I mentioned in the previous paragraph. The good news is that whilst you get a free one-month trial, you don’t need to use this functionality in order to use the Mini and can control the AC along with all aspects of your particular AC anyway.

The base of the box lists a few details, including compatibility, the contents of the box, and basic specs;

Compatibility

• WiFi – 802.11 b/g/n 2.4GHz
• iOS 10 or later
• Android 4.1 and above
• 2-year support and limited warranty

Contents

• 1 x Ambi Climate Mini
• 1 x USB adaptor (100 ~ 240v, 5v/1A)
• 1 x USB cable (1.8m / 70.87in)

Specifications

• 110.2 x 24.5 x 46.8mm / 4.33 x 0.96 x 1.85in)
• 50.8g / 1.8oz

The inner box contains everything you need and even has little ‘hand drawn’ icons to show you what should be in the box (cute). The mini is at the top, with the USB cable, power adaptor, and mounting bracket kit in the lower section, a bit like a bento box (look it up…). The USB cable is USB-A to USB-C, with the power port on the Mini being USB-C also, which is a step up from the Micro-USB setup with Ambi Climate 2. The USB power supply I have is suitable for both China and North America, being a Type A, non-polarised plug. The company also provide localised adaptors for Europe (type C), the UK (type G), and Australia/New Zealand (type I), so if you’re purchasing this locally, you should get the right plug, although if you buy from Ambi Climate’s own website, you need to specify your preference.

In addition to all of the above, there’s a small box containing a wall mounting bracket, a screw, a matching rawl plug, and a single 3M double-sided adhesive strip. The documentation includes a fold-out sheet that goes through the basic setup process in a variety of languages – English, Chinese (trad), German, Finnish, French, Italian, Japanese, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish.

THE AMBI CLIMATE MINI

I did like the design of the previous model, but I have to say this one is way more impressive, despite taking on many of the same thematic design queues; the plastic, magnolia body, and a large black ‘eye’ that houses the IR sensor, and not one, but two light sensors, both take their starting point from the previous model. The Mini also has temperature and humidity sensors which are actually located near the back of the device where there are vents to allow these sensors to measure the relevant metrics without being affected by any heat coming from the other electronic parts. One edge of the mini has a USB-C port for powering the device. It may seem like a small thing, but using USB-C does make a difference, even if it’s not the kind of device you’re generally going to plug and unplug.

As with the Ambi Climate 2, the base is a sort of wooden plinth that houses the aforementioned vents. As the Mini is designed to be mounted on a wall, the wall bracket clips into place on the underside, which is quite simple but effective in its design. You can use either the screw to fix it to the wall, or the double-sided strip, and as the Mini is so light, the strip will hold up without any issues.

Of course, you don’t have to mount the Mini, and can just as easily have it sat on a desk, coming as it does with a pair of rubber ‘feet’. The only issue with having it wall mounted is the sight of the power cable trailing underneath and down the wall, although there are ways of fixing this. I’ll just leave that to your imagination.

INSTALLATION

The initial installation process needs to start in the Ambi Climate app, beginning with adding a device, selecting the particular model, and following the on-screen prompts, which go through your location, your wifi settings, and pairing with your AC.

You then allow the app to find your location, before then deciding the name for your location (home, office etc), and then what room it’s in. If you’re going to add this device to HomeBridge or HOOBs later, this info will also be needed, so it’s best to give the location name some relevance.

With all that done, you then need to place the device in the relevant room and make sure the device is within I.R. range of the AC it’s going to control. To add the device to your network, you need to temporarily come out of the app, and select the device from the list in the WiFi section of the settings screen (in iOS). I imagine it’s much the same on Android.

With the Ambi Climate 2, I had odd issues with connecting to one of my WiFi networks but somehow managed to overcome it eventually. I’m happy to say I had no such issues with the Mini and was able to connect it to my network, although it did take its time doing so.

After that’s all in the bag, you need to go through the process of setting the Mini so that it can control your AC. It’s a short process thankfully, which in the first instance asks you to enter the details of the make and model of your remote, as it’s the remote that is being replaced by the Mini, essentially. If your model isn’t listed, it’s simply a case of instead, teaching the Mini to learn the basics of your remote. This requires just a few steps that involve pointing your remote at the Mini, so that it can figure out the remote and what functions of the AC it can control. After it’s done, it’ll tell you what your AC is capable of via the Ambi Climate app. This will include the basics, like setting the temperature and the mode (Cool, Heat, Auto, and Off), but it can also include things like the fan speed, and control over the swing and louver of your AC (these are the blades that direct the flow of air from your AC).

If you haven’t figured it out by now, the Ambi Climate Mini is essentially a wall-mountable IR remote control, connected to an app, that can send instructions to your AC, as well as set conditions for when it comes on and off (via timers), or maintain a specific temperature range. Whilst some of this may be achieved with your original remote, the app and device also let you control the device whilst you’re out of the house, so this is where it’s taken beyond the realms of even the fanciest hand-held remote you can think of.

AMBI CLIMATE APP

Once you’re all set up, you move to the main screen. From here, you can access a ton of different sections, including the control modes;

• Comfort mode
• Temperature mode
• Away mode
• Manual mode
• Off

All of these modes, in addition to other options I’ll skate over are also available to owners of the Ambi Climate 2, so nothing has changed in this respect, apart from the fact that for Mini users who want to use the A.I. functionality, will now be required to pay for it, after the free one month trial. You can still use the other modes without a subscription, but you’re going to have to set the AC yourself without Comfort mode, which basically controls the AC for you, based on the feedback you provide in this mode. It takes time for the A.I. to learn your preferences, as it’s built, in some measure, on you telling the A.I. if you’re too hot, a little hot, too cold, a little cold, or just right. It takes this data, in combination with other factors, like local weather conditions, the temperature and humidity in your room, and thermal readings of your surrounding provided by the two light sensors (IR light, and visible light sensors) to build up a picture of your environment, and what you feel is comfortable. It all sounds quite impressive, and for that reason, you can maybe appreciate more why the company want to charge for this functionality, which also requires a server connection that they have to maintain. I’m not going to try and convince you one way or another as to whether it’s worth it or whether the company should be charging for this, but to paraphrase a saying, “there’s nothing in life that’s free”.

The Analytics tab at the bottom gives you three subsections, the first of which, Historic Data, allows for a lot more detailed information on the temperature and humidity readings, over the course of 24 hours, 7 days, or a calendar month. There’s a lot more to this section than I’m showing here, going into a LOT of details regarding the measurements in your home. Insights provides further data on your AC usage so that you can see where you might need to adjust something in order to fix potential issues, and Deployments shows how, when and who controlled the AC unit, as well as show when the A.I. side of things take over.

In the Device tab, you have a section for device settings and timers. The device settings include various sections relating to network connections, AC pairing, LED and bleeper control, and even wallpaper options, in addition to the option to calibrate your sensors if you think they may be off by even a small amount. The timers section not only allows you to program your AC to turn on or off at a particular time and day but also allows each of the aforementioned modes to be active in a particular timer. Admittedly, this is standard for smart ACs, but with Comfort mode, it could make things more useful.

the AC Settings tab gives you quick access to everything that your AC is capable of. This is going to look different depending on the type of AC you have, but as you can see in my case, I have control over the four modes, the fan speed, the louver, and the swing. In addition to this, you get to control which of the four modes is accessed by A.I. mode.

Going hand-in-hand with the A.I. functionality, you can access data on your user profile to see progress on how the A.I. has built up a profile of your usage and preferred settings, that eventually is able to provide the best ‘comfort’ settings to match your habits. if other members of the family use the app and also set up and account, the app can create a combined profile that analyses the data for all users, showing data across the board.

Now if this all sounds like a lot of trouble, and just want to be able to control your AC in the simplest of fashions, then, of course, you can just speak to your preferred voice assistant to control the AC. If, on the other hand, you have ACs running for much of the day in different rooms (like in Florida for example), this could be of use for those than don’t want to have to constantly adjust the settings.

IN HOMEKIT

We’d be negligent if we didn’t bring up HomeKit integration of course, and the two options currently available to you are via a plugin within HOOBS/HomeBridge, or via a MacOS app called Ambi Bridge, which does the same thing as the HomeBridge plugins, but resides on your Mac computer, if you don’t have use for HomeBridge besides getting the Mini into HomeKit. You can read our review of the HOOBS package HERE to learn more.

Whichever method you use, the Mini in HomeKit looks and acts just like any other thermostat in the Home app. I’ve been using the Tado V3+ Smart AC Controller for quite a while now (review HERE) and it has served me well, but what it doesn’t offer in the Home app is the Auto mode. The Mini does, which can go some way to reducing the need to keep adjusting your AC. It’s a small but possibly useful extra.

Another device I’ve had on test for a while, is the Aqara P3 AC companion, a smart plug specifically designed for larger Chinese AC plugs (16A) that typically come attached to wall or window-mounted AC units, that also acts as a Zigbee 3.0 hub, and alarm, as well as an AC controller, using IR. The P3 only exposes the standard three modes to HomeKit, so no Auto mode in this case, but what it does have is the ability to control both the fan speed, and the louver (labelled in the Home app as oscillate).

It should be noted that there are a few different HomeBridge plugins for the Ambi Climate devices, and some of the functions, like fan speed and oscillate are also exposed to HomeKit. It just depends on which plugin you go with.

AMBICLIMATE MINI IN USE

I’ve not had the Mini for too long, but as it uses the same functionality and sensors as the Ambi Climate 2, I feel like I’ve experienced it long enough to know it well, given that I’ve been running the latter for over a year now. Whilst it does the same job, it’s important to monitor any issues, like connectivity issues, sensor inaccuracies, or even any odd behaviour. So far the Mini has been very solid in its connection to my network, and it hasn’t disconnected once in the test period. I currently have it mounted on a wall directly below a Qingping Temperature and Humidity sensor (review HERE), and also above a OneLink Environment Monitor (review HERE) so I’m able to keep tabs on the relevant sensors in the Mini. I’ve found the sensor to be fairly close to both of these other sensors, so only a half percentage point out for humidity readings, and 0.5 – 1.0º for temperature, although this has fluctuated on occasion. Whilst that’s not a big deal at all to me, it could make a bigger difference to some, so it’s good that the app has the option to adjust these sensors if you want them to more closely match a sensor that you put more faith in.

I currently have the Mini running in HomeKit using the macOS app Ambi Bridge. I’ve also had it running in HOOBS, although my HOOBS box was offline for a period of time during my tests, so I stuck with Ambi Bridge. The small disadvantage with this option is that it relies on your computer running in order to control it via HomeKit, however, if you’re running Google or Amazon devices too, then there’s always something available to control it.

I was also going to mention that the other alternative to HomeBridge plugins would be the Siri Shortcuts integration, however, at present, I feel it’s rather limited, and as such isn’t a great alternative right now. In Shortcuts, you only have the ability to set the Comfort mode (so essentially turning the AC on, but only in this particular mode), or turning your AC off. They really should have more options, at least for turning the AC temperature up or down, so I’m not sure why it’s so limited.

That all said, if you’re going to use the A.I. functionality offered, it’s going to be a case that you shouldn’t need to control the AC yourself at all. Whether the subscription cost is warranted, is down to the individual, but the vast array of data you can glean from the Mini and the app is quite impressive nonetheless.

If I were to boil things down to exclusively using the Mini in HomeKit, then I would absolutely prefer they have official support, but I can’t see that happening for the time being, which I think is a shame. Still, if the company believes in their A.I. functionality to any large extent (which I’m sure they do), then having HomeKit integration does seem like a step-down, given what isn’t exposed to HomeKit. With that in mind, if you want a simple AC controller, there are a few other options available to you.

Full disclosure: Ambi Labs provided HomeKit News with the Ambi Climate Mini for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was made, requested or has not in any way influenced our opinion of this product.

The post AmbiClimate Mini Smart AC Controller (review) appeared first on Homekit News and Reviews.

If you would like to read the review in Simplified Chinese, click HERE.

PACKAGING

The packaging for the P3 is very compact. and only contains two products: The P3 air conditioning companion and the Aqara temperature sensor. On the front of the box is the P3, sensor, and the Work with Apple HomeKit logo. The back of the box is marked with the product model number KTBL12LM, which supports two wireless protocols – Wi-Fi 2.4GHz and Zigbee 3.0, with a maximum power of 4000W.

THE P3

The overall appearance of the P3 product is similar to that of the previous-generation Aqara air-conditioning companion (upgraded version), except for the addition of a HomeKit QR code, which is stuck on the side of the body. The front of the unit is a 16A Chinese power socket, whilst above that is an LED indicator. The device is powered by a 16A plug, the bottom of the body has a pill-shaped pairing button, and on the other side, there is a speaker. Incidentally, the P3 motherboard also contains a temperature sensor. Because the temperature generated by the motherboard, there will be a certain amount of variance from the actual ambient temperature, so this thermometer should only be used for overload protection with the P3. The temperature and humidity sensor in the bundle can be attached to any corner of the room to monitor temperature and humidity more accurately.

ADDING THE P3 TO AQARA HOME AND HOMEKIT

At present, the P3 only supports HomeKit and Aqara platforms at this time, so no Google or Amazon integration.

The procedure to add the P3 is very simple, which is especially the case with HomeKit configuration. You can directly open the camera and scan the HomeKit QR code to complete the addition of the device. In this case, we started off using the Aqara app, as we need the app to help with configuring the AC functionality initially.

Open the Aqara app main interface and click the add button in the upper left corner.

• Find the Air Conditioning Mate P3 and tap the icon to add products.
• Read the guidance prompt, confirm that the device has a flashing yellow LED, and click Next.
• The Aqara app automatically brings up the HomeKit interface, so scan the QR code on the side of the body of the P3 (or inside the product box) to add it.
• Name the air conditioner, alarm, and temperature and humidity sensor respectively.

Luckily, the Aqara temperature and humidity sensor is already paired with P3 by default, so there is no need to go through pairing for this device.

CONFIGURING YOUR AC UNIT TO WORK WITH THE P3

• Select the relevant air conditioner device in the menu (the P3 in this case)
• Choose your particular brand of air-conditioning unit
• You then go through a procedure to match infrared signals from the P3 that match functions on your AC unit (on/off, mode, fan speed etc)
• Finally, set the functions for the air conditioner. If your air conditioner does not have certain functions, you can click to disable these functions in the interface. The temperature range defines the maximum and minimum temperature that the air conditioner can adjust to. Some air conditioners may not include a temperature panel display, so the lighting options will not appear on every air conditioner.

FUNCTIONS AND SERVICES IN THE P3
As a compact product, P3 has a lot of functions, and the package contains a variety of functions.

• Aqara Zigbee 3.0 Gateway
• Air Conditioning Companion
• Temperature and humidity sensor (via the sensor in the package)
• Alarm system
• Infrared remote control
• Smart socket

AQARA ZIGBEE 3.0 GATEWAY

the P3 includes a full Aqara Zigbee 3.0 gateway, which can connect 32 sub-devices. For example, the temperature and humidity sensor in the set is connected to the air conditioning partner by default. If you have multiple products including a gateway in your home, it pays to connect each device to the nearest hub so as to ensure the quality of Zigbee signal. Aqara has updated the firmware to support the cross-gateway automatic setting function. It is hoped that Aqara can further optimize the gateway function and let the sub-devices automatically select the optimal gateway access. Zigbee 3.0 also brings a more stable connection and more functions for sub-devices. For example, Aqara human sensor can now display battery levels through the new gateway.

AIR CONDITIONING COMPANION

Follow the previous steps to match the infrared code of the air conditioner, the air conditioning adjustment options will then appear in the Apple Home app. Apple home supports three operating modes: heating, cooling, and off. The temperature can be adjusted to a minimum of 1 degree. Due to HomeKit restrictions at present, there’s no support fan speed adjustment.

Of course, as a HomeKit smart home device, the most important thing is automation. Using the HomeKit geofencing function, you can easily set the air conditioner to turn on when the first person arrives at home, or change the AC to the corresponding temperature when someone arrives at home, or when the last person leaves home, automatically turn off the air conditioner. In the screenshots above, the Siri shortcut function is used to automatically determine the temperature of the home.

• When the room temperature is higher than 23ºC, the ‘cooling’ is automatically turned on, and when the room temperature is lower than 18ºC, the heating is automatically turned on. The air conditioner is automatically turned off when the last person leaves the house.

You can also add weather conditions as a ‘condition’ according to your needs. Of course, the commands will be more complicated.

In the Aqara app, the P3 supports more additional functions. Compared to HomeKit, it supports heating, cooling, and off three modes, but  It also adds automatic and dehumidification functions, as well as support fan speed and sweep.

Aqara has also added two special modes; ‘quick cooling’ and ‘peaceful sleep’, which is convenient for quickly adjusting the temperature to a comfortable level when you get home, and intelligently adjusting according to the temperature curve when sleeping. It also supports ‘power statistics’ mode, which shows how much power is used in a month. Not only that but it also supports the detection of real-time power. When the air conditioner is in standby, it automatically cuts off the power to ensure that you do not pay an extra electricity fee. Aqara even considers that the light of the air conditioner may affect the user’s sleep quality in the settings, allowing the user to set the temperature display panel to turn off the air conditioner at night.

TEMPERATURE AND HUMIDITY FUNCTIONS

The temperature and humidity sensor that comes as part of the package, will automatically work with the air conditioner partner. The top of the HomeKit menu will directly display the air conditioner status and room temperature. Pull to the bottom to view the current humidity. In the Aqara app, the current temperature and humidity are directly displayed in a conspicuous location, which is convenient for users to view. The barometer function is currently only available in the Aqara app. The parameters measured by these sensors can be used not only for P3, but also for automatic linkage with other products within the Aqara app, and have the same function as the normal retail temperature and humidity sensor.

ALARM FUNCTION

This is an interesting function, and may also be the first domestic complete 4-mode alarm that supports HomeKit. The alarm can be set to one of four modes – Home, Away, Night and Off. Only four modes are supported in HomeKit, and the alarm trigger method needs to be set in the Aqara app. We enumerate the corresponding setting modes under different modes below and hope that the following settings can give you some inspiration, and then make your own unique settings according to the different home environments.

• Home mode
  The garage door and window sensor are turned on. When it is detected that the garage door or window are opened, the gateway alarm is activated.
• Away mode
  The human body sensor and the door and window sensor of each room are turned on and the alarm is armed. When movement is detected or the door or window are opened, the gateway is activated.
• Night mode
  The door and window sensor is turned on. If the door and window are turned on at night, the gateway flashes silent light alarm and pushes the alarm message to the mobile phone.
• Off mode

INFRARED REMOTE CONTROL

Whilst the P3 can control your AC, it can also control other devices, such as TV sets, set-top boxes, electric fans, etc., through the 8000+ infrared commands contained within it. At present, only the air conditioning function can be controlled in HomeKit, however. According to the strict certification conditions of HomeKit, the connected sub-devices must also be certified by HomeKit.

SMART OUTLET

The P3 Aqara Air Conditioning Companion supports changing the working mode to smart socket mode, so it can control some 16A high-powered non-smart electric heaters, electric water heaters, etc., and supports devices up to 4000W, compared with Mijia smart sockets which can only support devices up to 2200W of power. The P3’s output is more stable and the safety is more guaranteed.

PRODUCT COMPARISON

Comparing the Aqara Air Conditioning Companion P3 and Aqara Air Conditioning Companion (upgraded version), the main body appearance is almost identical, but of course, the P3 supports HomeKit, while the ‘upgraded version’ is mainly used with  Mi Home. It is precise because of HomeKit’s accurate geofencing function for family members, that you can easily set different temperature preferences when different members arrive at home, and can also intelligently identify when the last family member leaves, turn off the air conditioning alongside other operations. Geofencing not only relies on your mobile phone’s GPS but also cooperates with the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth functions of Apple’s Home Hubs. The reliability and accuracy of geofencing are higher. Native Siri voice control commands under HomeKit, compared to setting the control voice commands one by one through the Siri shortcut (if used via Mi Home), HomeKit commands are more natural, and there is no need to say the preset commands word for word. At the same time, it supports ‘fuzzy’ temperature increase and decreases, and the upgraded version has no way to respond to ‘fuzzy’ commands.

The Aqara Air Conditioning Companion P3 and Tado Cooling V3+ both support HomeKit. Tado’s design is more in line with the appearance of fully-fledged thermostats. The panel is flat, and the front contains an LED matrix. The panel also supports touch gesture operations. The product is connected to your network via Wi-Fi and controls your air conditioner via infrared. Still, there are many problems encountered in actual use, and Tado cannot solve them fully.

Here is a list of the main problems you might encounter in use. The P3 and Tado both include infrared receivers, which is how the two products quickly match the infrared code of the air conditioner, by reading the commands issued by the remote control. However, after Tado is set up, the infrared receiver does not contain any other functions. For example, there might be other older members in the family who will still pick up the old remote control to control the air conditioner. The Tado will not adjust its own state according to the instructions received from the remote control, causing the display state and air conditioner operation state to be out of sync. In other words, you may turn on the Apple family to see that the air conditioner is cooling, but in fact, it may be blowing hot air.

When Aqara receives the air conditioner remote control command, it automatically matches the command issued by the remote control. The infrared code of each air conditioner manufacturer is different when the Apple home is opened. The manufacturer usually does not publicly provide the infrared code used by its own air conditioner. Aqara needs to preprocess and serialize such infrared codes. After receiving an infrared signal, you need to identify the remote control model of the air conditioner corresponding to the infrared signal through an algorithm, and parse out the air conditioner status, mode, wind speed, set temperature, etc. The older Aqara air conditioning partner would complete this process in the cloud. Powerful computing power can quickly complete code analysis. However, HomeKit is based on local processing operations. The above process needs to be completed on the local chip. This requires higher algorithm and requires a longer time to optimize the hardware and algorithm.

IN SUMMARY

As the first HomeKit intelligent air conditioning companion in China, this product has been in development for more than two years. The product is compact and powerful, and it is especially dedicated to product details. Aqara has considered the user first in all cases. The unique infrared synchronization function also takes into account the actual usage habits of the other people at home who may use the older remotes. It is these details that reflect Aqara’s strong technical prowess in this area. In the purchase of intelligent air conditioning products, the quality of the air conditioner itself cannot be abandoned because of intelligence. With Aqara Air Conditioning Companion P3, professional big-name air conditioners can now also be smart!

The post Aqara P3 Air Conditioning Companion (review) appeared first on Homekit News and Reviews.

So, when the Tado Smart AC Control line became HomeKit compatible (starting with the V3+), I immediately knew I needed such a product – one that would always be in one place (the wall), with a nice animated display, and of course most importantly, one that can be controlled via HomeKit. I’ve now had it for about 4 months – the longest I’ve had a device ‘on test’, so I feel I can confidently assess this device to a much larger degree than any previous review devices. Read on for my findings.

PACKAGING

The packaging, as with many other products in the HomeKit world, takes its cues from Apple to a large extent, which is no bad thing at all. The device is pictured on the front, with logos for Google Assistant, Apple HomeKit, Amazon Alexa and IFTTT along the bottom. The rear of the box goes into a few details about what this device is able to do, in English, German, Dutch, Italian, Spanish and French. I bought this unit from Amazon France, which explains the clutch of European languages represented here.

Inside the box, you’re first greeted by the device itself (herein referred to as the V3+), wrapped in cellophane. Under the wrapping can be seen a sticker that has a QR code (which is NOT the HomeKit QR code), along with a serial number for the V3+ in addition to a 4-digit authorisation code, which you’ll need when you initially set up the V3+ with Tado’s servers.

Removing the top lid containing the V3+, you get to the next level of packaging, which contains a USB to Micro USB cable, a couple of command strips for adhering the V3+ to a wall or other surface, a USB power supply and two adaptors – one for the UK (type G) and one for the EU (Type F). In Taiwan, they use the same Type A/B plugs and sockets as North America, but as this isn’t officially available in the US right now, there is no relevant adaptor.

It doesn’t really matter though, as the power supply seems to be just a regular USB version, so I’m using an off-the-shelf USB plug to power my V3+ and it’s working perfectly well. Finally, you get a simple booklet to help set up the V3+ along with a setup card that contains the HomeKit code, along with a space to place the aforementioned QR code sticker that is stuck to the front of the V3+. There are also boxes on this card to write down the room name and device name, should you need to.

THE V3+

Onto the V3+ itself, and it’s slightly smaller than a CD, coming in at 100 x 100mm / 3.9 x 3.9in. The V3+ is slim at only 12mm / 0.47in. On the front, you have very little to see when it’s idle, with a small Tado logo and a black strip at the bottom, which one would think houses the IR transmitter that sends signals to the AC unit, although I’m told the IR transmitter is actually totally hidden under the plastic casing below the black strip, so the strip could just be for aesthetic purposes. The rear of the device has the HomeKit code and the previously mentioned details for registering the V3+ with Tado. At the top is the port for the micro USB end of the USB cable, along with cutout channels for the USB cable to run through.

The top and side of the V3+ both have small oblong openings for the temperature and humidity sensors.

Whilst the V3+ is mostly a blank piece of plastic stuck to your wall, for the most part, there is a matrix of LEDs just under the surface, that will reveal various aspects depending on what want to do.

By tapping on the left-hand side of the front face of the V3+ (roughly next to where the ‘5’ is in the 3rd image above), the display will turn on and in quick succession, display three pieces of information; first, you get to see the current temperature, followed by the current mode the AC is set to (cool, warm, dry etc.), and then finally the target temperature it is set to, along with tappable up and down chevrons to adjust said target temperature. If you tap the front again whilst it shows the target temperature, you then get access to the fan speed for the AC, with low, medium and auto options. If you place three fingers on the area and hold them in place, the device will shut itself off, with a circle animation. There are a few other animations, for settings and wifi connections etc, but for the most part, the four sections are seen most in day-to-day usage.

INITIAL SETUP
You’re ultimately going to need to install the Tado app to get the setup going, in addition to being able to take full advantage of the V3+ extras, although once you’re done with the Tado setup, you don’t actually need to revisit it again, and just rely on the Home app or other 3rd party HomeKit apps.

• Download the Tado app and sign in or sign up for an account
• Plug the V3+ into mains power via the supplied adaptor (or any suitable USB supply)
• Scan the HomeKit code on the back of the device or from the included card

• Even though you’re in the Tado app, you’ll see the familiar screen to scan the HomeKit code
• Scan the code to begin the connection to your HomeKit setup
• After successfully connecting, you then go through the usual procedure of naming the device, choosing a room and adding as a favourite

• The app will next attempt to connect to the Tado servers
• You’ll then be told that additional setup is required, which is basically setting the device up with your AC
• Once the server connection is complete, you can move on to training the device

• You’ll probably encounter some initial firmware updates, and it’s advisable to update whilst still in the setup process
• Once the updated have downloaded, they’ll install to complete the update
• You then move onto the setup procedure between the AC unit and the V3+, which initially involves identifying the type of remote your AC uses*

* Tado state that in order for the V3+ to effectively work with your AC unit, the remote that came with your AC must have a display.

• Further checks on the type of remote you have will ensue
• You then choose your AC make and model
• Then direct the AC remote towards the V3+ for it to learn the basic instructions

• The AC unit will then be added
• You then should test the V3+ works with the AC unit by aiming the V3+ at the unit
• The V3+ should show a series of options that your AC is capable of

• The app finally advises you on the best place to locate your V3+
• Final signals are then sent out to make sure the location you chose can still reach your AC unit
• You’re done! You can now use the Tado app and/or the Home app to control your AC unit.

Once you’re all done, the Tado app has a main home screen with four tiles, only two of which are of any regular importance; The control tile that allows you to set the mode, target temperature, fan speed and whether it’s on or off. You can do the same in the Home app with the exception of the fan speed. The Home tile allows for geofencing, so if you leave the home, the app will ask you if you’d like to turn off the AC, seeing as you’ve left your home. There are also a few other options in the settings section, which would take too long to go into right now, but one other option, which is something all new users will be required to pay for in order to use, is Auto-Assist, which, as the name implies, does a lot of the controlling of the AC for you, without you having to do anything, such as regulate the status of the AC when you’re home or away. There’s an option to pay for this within the app itself.

IN THE HOME APP

In the Home app, you get similar options as if you were dealing with a regular thermostat in HomeKit. The V3+ only produces one ‘Tile’ in the Home app, although if you go into the settings, you do get to see the relative humidity level, as measured by the V3+ itself. Whilst the Home app doesn’t give you a separate tile for the humidity, you can still use this metric in automations via 3rd party HomeKit apps, like the Eve app, or the recently updated Home+. If you’re in the US and want to use this device, you also have the option to change Centigrade to Fahrenheit. In terms of controls, you get access to a slider and a mode selector (in iOS13 these two screens have been combined into one screen – a rotary dial including the modes).

THE TADO V3+ FUNCTIONS
If someone were to ask what the device is, I could answer that it’s essentially a wall-mounted remote control! As that is what it does, and like the remote, it is essentially replacing, it has a display of sorts that tell you what the target temperature is, and what mode it’s in. Where it stands apart from a handheld remote is that firstly you can control it via HomeKit, which in turn means access to triggers, automations (with conditionals), along with the convenience of voice control via Siri (or Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa). In addition to this, you have remote access and timers.

Depending on the type of AC unit you have and what kinds of functionality it has, the V3+ can replicate those functions, like for example the obvious Heat and Cool options, in addition to fan speed, Auto and Dry/Dehumidify. I’ve got the AC set to just three options – on/off, Cool and Heat, but I set it like that for simplicity, but it’s up to you what functions you want to replicate.

As already mentioned, the Tado app has a lot options in terms of data, which includes information on what kind of energy and financial savings you’re making with judicious use of the V3+, instead of leaving on all day, or manually having to turn it on and off all the time, which can cost more. There’s also an Open Window Detection feature, which, as you can guess, can detect when a window is open and control the AC according to your settings. As with any temperature measuring devices, you’re going to be prone to slightly off readings depending on where you place the device and what other factors could affect the reading, so if you have a device you feel is correct, you can set the temperature readings in the V3+ to be offset, so as to mirror the device you trust.

The app also allows you to set the V3+ to either Thermostatic or Non-Thermostatic control. With Non-Thermostatic control, the V3+ “…sends the desired target temperature to your AC. Your AC controls the room temperature”. With Thermostatic control, the V3+ “…directly controls your AC. Its acts as a room thermostat and measures the current room temperature. It also switches your AC on and off to maintain the temperature you set on Tado”.

In this Mode, you can define a temperature range within which the V3+ should maintain the room temperature, known as the ‘acceptance range’. The one drawback with this mode is that you might not be able to use some of the settings of your AC, like Dry mode, Fan mode or control the speed of the fan.

One small feature that you don’t often see with other HomeKit devices, is the ability within the Tado app to update the Wifi settings, so if you were to move this to a new location with a new network and different SSID, you don’t need to reset and reinstall the device in HomeKit to get it connected to your new network.

V3+ IN DAY-TO-DAY USE
As stated at the start of the review, I’ve been using this device for a fairly extended period of time, and so I’ve had the chance to observe any quirks or issues with the V3+ over this time. The good news is that there really aren’t any issues that I’ve found. It has disconnected on only a couple of occasions since May, the issue is solved very quickly by just unplugging and plugging the cable back into the USB power supply. In terms of the temperature offset, I did initially offset it by a few degrees, but looking at the settings just a day ago, it seems the V3+ may well learn or improve things over time, as it’s now only offset by a mere 0.6ºC.

In terms of the physical interface, it does take a bit of getting used to in terms of placing your hands in the right position (basically to the side of the display in the centre), and there is a limited window of time in which to access the fan speed option, which is only accessible after the target temperature appears, so when the target temperature is displayed, you then tap the same area to bring up the fan speed option. When comparing the use of the V3+ control panel with controlling the V3+ via the Home app, there’s a noticeable difference in the way the V3+ responds, but it seems to be by design rather than anything else. If you turn the AC off or adjust the temperature via the app or via Siri, the response is nigh on instant. If you were to do the same via the touch panel on the V3+, there’s a delay. This would appear to be so that if you select the wrong mode or press the down arrow one too many times when setting the temperature, this delay allows for you to correct those errors before the instruction is transmitted to the AC unit. This isn’t something that bothers me, as it’s nice to have that delay for the aforementioned reasons, but in truth, just using Siri is about as easy as you can get, as long as you’ve got a HomePod. For guests who aren’t connected to your HomeKit home, or don’t have an iPhone, then the physical control, albeit different from a physical dial or LCD display with rubber buttons, is still fairly recognisable to many people.

The only downside to a device like this, which is probably unavoidable, is that communication between the V3+ and HomeKit is constant and two-way, but between the V3+ and your AC unit, it’s only one-way. By that, I mean that the V3+ will send an instruction to the AC via IR, but the AC will not reply by sending any form of communication back. This doesn’t matter too much, but one example where settings can get out of sync in terms of the state of the AC unit is when someone comes in and maybe turns off the AC using the original remote. As the AC unit doesn’t send out a signal, there’s no way for the V3+ to know that the state of the AC unit has changed, and so to the V3+ and HomeKit, the state of the AC will still show the last setting before it was turned off via the original remote. Given that the V3+ is designed to work with many AC units, some of which aren’t in any way ‘connected’ so to speak, its something to be aware of, and not something that can really be addressed, as the onus lies with the AC unit to report back, which it simply isn’t designed to do. From my perspective, just keeping the original AC remote away from unwanted use is enough.

Unlike a regular or smart thermostat, you can only control one AC unit with the one device, so if you have five AC units, you’re going to need five of the Tado V3+, although this isn’t as bad as it might seem, as each room gains individual control over its climate, as each room is more than likely going to have different requirements anyway.

SUMMING UP
I really like this product, from the minimalistic design and display (or lack thereof when not in use) to the app and the just its general reliability. If there was one small downside, it’s that once you’ve mounted the V3+ using the Command Strips, removing the USB cable from the device can be almost impossible without first having to remove the device from the wall first, but seeing as the only time you need to disconnect it from power to maybe reset it, you can just easily disconnect the device from the plug end, so it really isn’t an issue as such – just make sure you keep the card with the QR code and activation code in a safe place should you need to totally reset it. If there was a way to hide the USB cable, then that would make the V3+ look even swisher. Where my bedroom V3+ is located, it’s easily possible to drill a hole (it’s just chipboard), pass the cable through the hole and feed the cable back to a more hidden hole to a power supply elsewhere. I haven’t done that as we rent, and I don’t want to damage what’s not ours, so I’ll live with the cable hanging down.

Even though this device is only available in EU Amazon stores at present (UK, FR, DE, IT, ES), if you’re from outside the EU you can usually still order these and get them shipped out (like I did), with the bonus that as long as your order is shipped outside the EU, you don’t pay the UK 20% VAT (Value Added Tax) included in the list price – so if the device is listed as £70.00, then you can take £14.00 off that figure right away. This should easily compensate for the shipping costs, and as mentioned before, the USB power supply is a non-issue. If you have the kind of standalone AC units, and the accompanying remote is of the correct type (it must have a display and show the functions and modes), then this is an eminently great device and one that, for the price, is hard to beat. Recommended.

The post Tado Smart AC Control V3+ (review) appeared first on Homekit News and Reviews.

There are quite a few smart thermostats available these days that work with HomeKit, including devices from Honeywell, EcoBee, iDevices etc. but when it comes to AC unit controllers there aren’t currently too many choices, although just recently Tado released their Tado Smart AC Control V3+, which we’ll be reviewing soon. However, there is another product on the market that not only allows you to control your AC unit from your phone but also lets A.I. learning do a lot more to take control of your AC for you. This is the Ambi Climate 2 by Ambi Labs. I should point out from the start, that the Ambi Climate 2 is not HomeKit compatible ‘out of the box’, as such, but will work via plugins from HomeBridge, HomeAssistant or, if you have a Mac computer, then an app called AmbiBridge, that essentially does all the hard work normally associated with the aforementioned plugins, and puts them all into a little app that runs on your Mac. This will allow you to then add the Ambi Climate 2 to HomeKit via a QR code provided by the app. The Ambi Climate app also works with Siri Shortcuts, so if you don’t want to use any of the three previous options, you can still control your AC unit via Siri or the Shortcuts app.

UNBOXING
The packaging for the Ambi Climate 2 is pretty nice and in keeping with many other smart home products, we tend to see these days. The device itself is pictured on the front with a quick slogan on the front in both English and Chinese (A.I. Enhanced Air Conditioning Comfort). The rear of the box goes into a little detail about what makes this device smarter than other similar devices, which are essentially replacements for the IR remote controls you get bundled with your AC unit in the first place. The turquoise box is actually just a sleeve for the box-proper inside, which is all in ‘recycled style’ eco cardboard (I don’t actually know if it’s recycled…).

Once the sleeve for the packaging is removed, the first thing to greet you is the aforementioned card box with ‘hand drawn’ style printing. Removing the lid, you’re greeted by the device itself, held nicely in place, along with more icons in the same hand-drawn style.

Under the section that holds the unit, you get a small card wallet with two quick start guides in Chinese and English, along with a box holding the power cable and power supply.

The power cable is simply micro USB to standard USB, with the full-size USB end plugging into the included USB power supply. The micro USB end plugs into the rear of the device.

THE DEVICE
A quick look at the Ambi Climate unit reveals the Ambi Labs logo on the front along with a body in magnolia, topped off with a translucent area at the top which contains the IR transmitter as well as sensors for temperature, humidity and ambient light. This translucent portion is reflected on the back of the device too. The rear of the devices has a small hold for resetting or pairing the device. Next to that is a standard US port that is only designed for use when debugging the device, should it need to be repaired or otherwise tested by Ambi Labs. Finally, there’s a small micro USB port that the power cable plugs into.

The basic concept as to how this device works in the most basic sense is that it sends out the same IR signals your AC’s remote would send out, so in that sense, you could say it’s a replacement remote, although of course, it’s a lot more than that. This device allows you to control all aspects of the AC unit from your phone, and via voice control too, using either Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, or Siri. When it comes to voice control via Siri, you can use Siri Shortcuts to control the device, or if you want to use HomeBridge or HomeAssistant with the relevant plugin, then you can control the device like any other AC unit via HomeKit. The other option, if you prefer not to go into these options that invariably use a Raspberry Pi as a bridge device, is to install a small app on your Apple computer. The app – AmbiBridge – is essentially the same as the aforementioned plugins, but placed in an app that takes on all the hard work and simply lets you scan a QR code that then adds the Ambi Climate 2 to your HomeKit setup. The only issue here is that when you turn the computer off, the HomeKit connection is broken until you then turn the computer on again. This isn’t an issue for me, as my computer is always on up until I go to sleep, and as this device is used in the living room, there’s almost zero chance that the paired AC unit will be on when the household is asleep. As all of these options are not officially HomeKit compliant, adding the Ambi Climate 2 in these ways will generate the standard ‘This accessory is not certified and may not work reliably with HomeKit’. We’ll go into the HomeKit integration a little further later on.

INITIAL INSTALLATION
When adding the device your Home, regardless of whether you eventually decide to add it to HomeKit or not, involves initial setup via the Ambi Climate app. It’s a fairly painless process, which begins with you setting up an account. When that’s out of the way, you choose a device to add – Ambi Climate 1, Ambi Climate 2, or add a device from an invitation, so one that’s already set up. You then add your location (for getting accurate weather data) and the room in which the device will be used – living room, bedroom etc. Once that’s done, you will then go through the process of passing your wifi details to the device for connection, along with syncing the device to Ambi Labs AI cloud servers. After a few minutes, you should be up and running. You then need to start pairing the device to your AC unit. This is achieved by selecting the correct model of your remote, so that the Ambi climate 2 can basically mimic it, and control your AC as if it were the remote that came with it, only with additional smarts and with the ability to control it all via your smart device, or by voice. When you’ve selected the relevant remote mode, you then need to make sure the device is within range of the AC unit, in order for the Ambi Climate 2 to control it. The device will start sending out test signals to your AC and will ask you to confirm that the AC has responded accordingly. After that, you can begin to start using the device at will.

The initial screen shows four tabs, along with a circle in the centre of the screen indicating (in some cases) the mode that your AC unit is in – off in this case here. At the top are lines indicating the historical readings for both humidity and temperature levels in the room that the unit is located in, as well as the current levels, and the minimum and maximum levels reached up to that point. These historical lines will be generated as you begin to use the Ambi Climate 2, so initially, you may not see much. The first of the four tabs at the bottom is Analytics which is broken down into 3 further subsections – History, which gives you access to historical records of temperature and humidity levels, as well as basic mode use. This can be viewed by day, week or month, as well as allow comparisons for previous periods of use. the second subsection is Insights which reveals a staggering amount of data over six screens, detailing AC run time, Average AC set points, average temperature and humidity levels, mode usage, Comfort feedback, learned, and a diagram showing comfort factors via your own usage. The penultimate option is important in that this shows what the AI portion of the software learns about your preferences, and so eventually allows the Ambi Climate 2 to set the temperature, based on a wide variety of factors, so that you don’t have to make any adjustments, as it’s all done for you. This is pretty cool (no pun intended), but it will take a while to get to ‘know you’ and what you consider a comfortable temperature level. The AI doesn’t just access the temperature in the room however, as this is just one metric that could affect the comfort level you require. The AI takes into account the outdoor temperature, the light levels in the room, from outside light, which can affect the room’s relative ‘feel’. It also takes humidity into account, so when it takes all of these measurements, it should set the AC to a mode and level that always meets your level of comfort without you having to lift a finger – in theory. The AC Settings tab gives you access to both the preferences for the AC unit and the AI preferences. With these sections, you can let the Ambi Climate 2 control different aspects of the AC unit via the AC Controls subsection, so if you never use the heating element for example, then you can exclude this from the set of options it accesses. The same also applies to the speed of the AC’s fan, if your AC unit features such options. With the AI Controls subsection, you can control what functionality the AI can access in the AC unit, so if you don’t want it to use the DRY option when it calculates the best setting, you can set it as such.

The third and fourth tabs are Device and Mode, respectively. Device has subsections for Timers, which is self-explanatory, and Settings, which gives you access to all the device and app settings you need, including settings for wifi, device location, AC pairing, user management, sensor calibration, and even the brightness of the LED light at the front as well as the beep volume that the device pushes out for each action.

The Mode tab gives you different options on how to control the AC unit; Comfort, Temperature, Away, Manual and Off;

• Comfort mode allows you to tell the AI how you feel in terms of comfort, so when you press the circle icon in the middle of the main screen, it opens up to give you a range of choices, that then tell the AI if you’re Hot, Too Warm, A Bit Warm, Comfy, A Bit Cold, Too Cold, or Freezing. You tap this icon and choose the relevant option until you get to the ‘Comfy’ level. This all helps the AI work out the best settings for you over time.
• Temperature mode simply allows you to directly set a temperature that the unit will stick to.
• Away mode allows you to let the Ambi Climate 2 control your AC to keep your home within a desired temperature or humidity threshold.
• Manual mode lets you take control of the AC unit and set the desired temperature when using it with timers.
• Off well, you know what this does…it turns the AC off if you don’t need it to be running. This also means whilst temperature and humidity data are collected, no user data is, as you aren’t using it.

IN THE HOME APP
Adding the device to HomeKit via Ambi Bridge gets you two separate devices – the Ambi Bridge via the software version of the bridge to get the Ambi Climate 2 into HomeKit, and the Ambi Climate 2 AC unit. The Ambi Climate 2 gives you options for adjusting the temperature, via a slider that appears via a long press on the tile, in addition to an option to select the relevant mode – in this case, you get four options – Off, Heat, Cool or Auto. This doesn’t match the full range of controls you can achieve with either the Ambi Climate 2 app or the original remote control that would come with the AC unit, but it does allow for timers and automation, with other HomeKit enabled devices allowed to control aspects of your AC unit. The one install of the Ambi Bridge will add all the Ambi Climate devices you have in your home as separate accessories in HomeKit, and it is possible to customise in Ambi Bridge preferences which Ambi Climate mode maps to each HomeKit AC mode. There may be further options I’m not aware of via using the Ambi Climate via HomeBridge or HomeAssistant, so if anyone reading this is using it with either of these, feel free let us know.

You can find the Ambi Bridge app in the Mac App Store.

If you don’t want any of these options, the Ambi Climate app still works with Siri Shortcuts, so voice control is still within its skillset. Setting it up for Siri Shortcuts is pretty much the same as other devices, although you can’t set automations in the Ambi Climate app, so you have to rely on different Siri Suggestions to choose the options you need to control the device this way.

IN DAY TO DAY USE
At this point, it’s only fair to mention that I have had a few issues with the device itself, and I have had the team from Ambi Labs trying to work out the issue. We haven’t gotten to the bottom of the issue, but they have been helpful, and from my own tests, even though I haven’t gotten to the bottom of the issue, I think it’s down to an issue with either interference from other bridges (Zigbee perhaps), or some other interference I haven’t nailed yet. The problem is that I’ve been unable to set it up in the bedroom, where I tend to spend a lot of my work hours. Whenever you set up the Ambi Climate 2, you have to detect the device’s own signal, in order to connect to it and transfer your network details, so it can then connect to the network. For some reason, whenever I’ve attempted to set it up in the bedroom, my iPhone and iPad simply can’t detect the device’s signal, so I can’t set it up. However, if I take it into the living room, the problem disappears, I’m able to connect to the device, and from there continue with the setup. My bedroom has a LOT of wifi devices, including some ZigBee bulbs, a ZigBee hub, and a few Bluetooth devices, all in a fairly small area, so whilst I don’t really know if this is the issue, it’s not beyond the realms of possibility that this could have something to do with it, considering this problem only occurs in the one room.

Putting that all aside, I have had it on test in the living room for the past few weeks, and it works with my Hitachi AC unit perfectly well, even though it didn’t have the exact remote control model I was using. I’ve also tested it with the other AC units we have here, which are all made by Daikin, and it works perfectly well every time. The key to making this device work really well is to provide feedback to the device, so the AI can work out your preferences, so you barely need to open the app or adjust the AC ever again, unless you want to analyse your data, which would be good if you want to see the costs incurred, and how small adjustments can save you more money. At the end of the day, this is as much about collecting the data for you to make use of, as it is about controlling your AC, but it does both equally well.

The amount of options available to users via the app, most notably in terms of data, is quite mindblowing, and even in terms of the device’s settings, there are a lot of options to customise the Ambi Climate to your liking, but that’s something for you to look into, if you think this is something you’d find useful. Even though I’ve yet to review one of the main competitors in this field, namely the Tado AC Control I mentioned at the start, this does have a large head start in terms of its AI skills and the deep data set that it can produce. The only thing you may want to consider is that it’s not HomeKit compatible out of the box, although Ambi Labs have said recently that due to HomeKit being their most requested feature from their current user base, integration with HomeKit is on their road map, so let’s hope that it’s more than Siri Shortcuts that plays nicely.

Full disclosure: AmbiLabs provided HomeKit News with the Ambi Climate 2 for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was made or requested.

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