With these sombre thoughts in mind, today I’m turning my attention to a small and relatively cheap smoke detector/alarm, made as a collaboration between Mijia and Honeywell.

• Now before I go headlong into the review itself, it should be noted that this is certified for use in Mainland China and Hong Kong only. This doesn’t mean you can’t use it (although that also depends on the laws in your particular country), but if you did have a fire, and wanted to claim on your insurance, whilst relying on this device as your only form of smoke detection, chances are you wouldn’t be covered, as it wouldn’t be considered admissable as a certified device (unless you live in China or Hong Kong, obviously). So, it’s probably best to view this as a backup as opposed to the main sensor/alarm/detector, or better still, simply treat it as a notification device, with a regular ‘dumb’ smoke alarm as the main detector for the purposes of insurance, as well as an extra layer of safety. More is better I would suggest.

UNBOXING

The Mi/Honeywell Smoke Detector has been around for a few years now, and in that time the packaging hasn’t really changed since I bought my first unit in early 2018. The front shows the device itself, or at least what you’ll see of the device once it’s in place, with some Simplified Chinese text at the bottom that basically translates to ‘Smoke detector’ or ‘smoke alarm’.

The sides of the box are equally barren of much detail, with only the Mijia and Honeywell logos on one side, and a smoke icon with the same Simplified Chinese text as is found on the front.

Once opened, the smoke alarm is the first thing you’ll see. Underneath that is the provided CR123A battery, also known as a half-AA battery (not to be confused with the less common ER14250 battery). To complete the list of contents, you’ll find two rawl plugs and corresponding screws, two small booklets in Simplified Chinese, and two double-sided curved strips if you don’t want to mount the alarm with the screws.

THE SMOKE ALARM

The device is relatively small, although probably no smaller or larger than a standard ‘dumb’ smoke alarm. It’s circular, coming in at 90mm/3.54in in diameter, and 36mm/1.42in in depth. It weighs approximately 100g/3.52oz, so is light enough to be suspended from a ceiling without the worry that it’ll fall under its own weight. The front has a series of holes for the alarm, with an inner, elevated circle that exposes the smoke detecting sensor array. Imagine a typical flying saucer with windows atop the disc…There’s a button to set up the device, that can also be used for testing and muting the alarm when necessary.

The rear of the detector houses the battery compartment and is held in place with the backplate the slots into position with a slight turn. The two curved adhesive strips sit in the recessed areas of the backplate perfectly. You also have two screw holes if you go with the more permanent fitting option.

The alarm part of the device has an 80dB built-in siren, which might not be the loudest on the market, but in my tests, it is plenty loud.

IN MI HOME | AQARA HOME | APPLE HOME

The smoke detector can work as a standard device without the app, so if you don’t want to use the smart parts, then it still functions as required, which is great, as you wouldn’t want the device to only function if it’s connected to a network. Of course, if you want notifications, or use it in automations, you’re going to need to add it to either the Mi Home or Aqara Home apps, and as it uses the Zigbee protocol for wireless communication, you’re going to need a Zigbee hub. As this is an older device, it will work with the older Mi hub, as well as the newer Aqara hub. You’ll need the Aqara hub if you want it exposed to HomeKit, with the hub on at least 1.5.0 firmware.

If you use the Mi Home app for this device set to the Chinese Mainland server, along with the Aqara hub, it will, in turn, be exposed to Homekit and appear in the Apple Home app. In the Mi Home app, you have a few options for the device; You can automatically link the smoke detector to the alarm part of the hub without the need to create an automation. You can, of course, create separate automations, although you may want to create your automations in the Home app to control other HomeKit devices, like lights or smart bulbs, for example. There’s an option for the app to remind you to test the alarm monthly, although I’ll be honest and say I can’t ever recall getting a notification as such, so I’m not sure if it actually works, and I’ve just not noticed. The self-check function simply asks you to start the procedure and confirm if you’ve heard a loud beep from the device, to confirm both the battery is in working order, and the device is connected. In terms of where the device is situated, you can adjust it to one of three detection tolerance levels;

• Smoke-Free Zone
• Zone for a small amount of smoke (eg a living room where someone may smoke a cigarette)
• Zone for a moderate amount of smoke (eg kitchens)

As I’ve got my Smoke alarm added to the Mi Home set to the Chinese Mainland server, this setup is the most convenient setting, where regional blocks with the Mi Home app and Xiaomi smart home products can be an issue. As far as I’m aware, you can’t add this device to any hub other than the Chinese one if you’re using the Mi Home app, but you can add it to any hub via the Aqara Home app. To add it this way, you need to be signed out of the app, which sets the app to HomeKit Mode. Once in this mode, any device listed in the Aqara app can be added to the hub, including the smoke detector. In the Aqara app, it doesn’t appear you get the same options that you see in the Mi Home app, so no smoke level settings, or monthly test reminders.

Setup via the Mi Home or Aqara home apps is as easy as it gets, and is pretty much in line with other devices in respect of adding them to the system.

IN DAY TO DAY USE / SUMMING UP

With something like a smoke alarm, it’s not easy to truly know whether it will work when the time comes, and how reliable it is until you have a fire! You can do the monthly tests of course, but in order to really know if it can detect smoke, you’re going to have to create some…err…smoke. I’m not suggesting you set your sofa on fire of course, but something like an incense stick or a slow-burning piece of card, held near the smoke sensor should soon tell you if it works. These are the kinds of tests I’ve performed periodically, just to make sure it’s fit for purpose, and so far so good. There’s always the possibility that it could let me down just when I need it, but then that’s true of any smoke alarm in theory.

I’ve had this early 2018, and so far I’m glad to say it hasn’t had to be triggered as part of a real emergency, but all the tests I’ve done, have triggered the alarm each and every time. In the time that I’ve had it, I’ve moved home once, and setting it up anew was as easy as I’d hoped, although keeping it paired to the same hub, which in turn, whilst connected to a new wifi network, still had the same SSID and password, definitely helped. Since having had this smoke detector for almost exactly two years, the battery is still showing as 100%, which is a bit suspect, although I’ve seen this with other Zigbee-based devices, like the Hue Dimmer Switch, for example, so maybe not so unusual. Some online stores claim the replaceable battery has a 5-year lifespan, so in theory, you’d only have to replace the battery once for the average lifespan of the device – it’s recommended that smoke detectors are replaced every ten years.

This is considerably cheaper than many of the other smart HomeKit compatible models available, and it’s worth noting that with the Honeywell connection, it can be taken seriously. I can’t imagine a company like that putting their name to something if it’s not any good. Indeed, First Alert’s OneLink series of smoke and carbon monoxide alarms have had some terrible reviews on Amazon and considering the company’s years of expertise in the field, you’d expect better performance, which according to quite a few less than happy consumers, isn’t exactly the case. I only have a couple of Onelink Multi-sensor devices, and they’ve been very solid, so I don’t have a bad experience with their products, albeit limited to one device type.

Since the introduction of the Aqara hub, with it being the first HomeKit compatible device that also supported child devices that in turn got exposed to HomeKit, many people still ask if this is compatible, and as is evident from the review, it emphatically is. As already stated, you do need to have your hub running firmware 1.5.0 or higher, but it’s unlikely you’re running anything lower than this on your Aqara hub at this point.

So, would I recommend it? Yes, I would, with the explicit provision that it be treated as complementary to a standard ‘dumb’ smoke alarm, and as such, treated as a backup, albeit with smart connectivity. If you live in the US and want just the one device to be smart and not rely on a ‘dumb’ backup, then it would seem that First Alert/OneLink is your only option for HomeKit. If you live in the EU, you have offerings by both Eve and Netatmo, while both expensive, do look good, although they also look suspiciously alike. Both Eve and Netatmo are generally considered as reliable companies, with good products.

It should also be pointed out that as this is an older product in Mija’s arsenal of smart devices, there’s currently no replacement for this product that we’re aware of that’s also HomeKit compatible, with the only other product that works with the Xiaomi smart home system being the Aqara smoke alarm. However, apart from not being compatible with HomeKit, it’s really only designed to work in China, as it comes with a SIM card to dial out in case of an emergency, but is only compatible with Chinese telecoms systems.

Whatever you choose to do, it’s wise to get a smoke alarm regardless of whether it’s a smart or dumb one, as you never know what might happen.

The post Mi/Honeywell Smoke Detector (review) appeared first on Homekit News and Reviews.

• Detection gas: methane
• Input parameters: 12V – 70mA
• Wireless connection: ZigBee
• Working temperature: -10 degree to +55 degree

Dimensions and Weight

• Product weight: 0.0870 kg
• Product size: 8.00 x 8.00 x 3.00 cm / 3.15 x 3.15 x 1.18 inches
• Package weight: 0.1850 kg
• Package size: 8.00 x 8.00 x 7.00 cm / 3.15 x 3.15 x 2.76 inches

Package Contents

• Package Contents: 1 x Combustible Gas Alarm, 1 x Chinese Manual, 1 x Mounted Panel, 1 x Adapter, 2 x Double-sided Tape, 2 x Expansion Tube, 2 x Self Screw, 2 x Three Guarantee Certificate

The post Mi smart Gas Detector appeared first on Homekit News and Reviews.

Main Features:

• Audiovisual alarms are produced when the smoke density exceeds the limit
  
• Remote alarm notifies you of the fire in time via WiFi no matter where you are
  
• Self-checking function and reminder to guarantee long-term use
• Easy installation to be used independently or linked with the upgraded gateway or air conditioning companion

Note: it is powered by CR123A cell battery (not included).
In order to achieve full functionality, you need to connect it to the gateway / air conditioning companion.

Specifications

• Brand: Xiaomi/Mijia/Mi
• Model: Mijia Honeywell
• Material: Plastic
• Color: White
• Product weight: 0.1kg
• Package weight: 0.17 kg
• Product size (L x W x H): 9.00 x 3.60 x 2.50 cm / 3.54 x 1.42 x 0.98 inches
• Package size (L x W x H): 12.00 x 5.00 x 3.50 cm / 4.72 x 1.97 x 1.38 inches

The post Mi Smart Smoke Detector appeared first on Homekit News and Reviews.

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As for smart stuff that is included, It has geofencing built-in. This means that when your paired phone gets a certain distance from the device, it will go into economy mode. There are onscreen buttons that will allow quick access to presets and also allow for information on the weather outside, so you’ll know whether to wear a sweater, or take an umbrella. As, just mentioned there are also different modes, so if you’re working out at home and need the room to be a little cooler than normal, then a quick tap will do this for you. You can also quickly change the device from ‘heat’ to ‘cool’ if you’re in a hurry.

As it’s a thermostat, its main job is pretty standard in that it changes temperature. You can do this manually; you can control the preferred temperature via the ‘wheel’ on the thermostat itself. This wheel has haptic feedback, so you can ‘feel’ the moving wheel as you turn it. You can even schedule the thermostat to be off for a set amount of time, so if you know you’re going to be out for 4 hours, you can dial that in quickly and it’ll turn off until that time has elapsed.  you can also schedule timers  via the Honeywell app or the official Home app, which allows for further automation in addition to working with other HomeKit enabled devices. Finally, you also have the ability to control the thermostat via Siri.

On the subject of voice control, Siri gets almost all commands about ‘heat’ but not so much with ‘cool’ commands. Siri seems to prefer “siri thermostat –temp-“, so stating the desired temperature is the best way to get it to respond. As for remote access, If you update the stat to ‘off’ while you’re away, it doesn’t go back to auto temp when you update that in any way. so, don’t do that!

All in all we are happy with the Lyric, despite the few quirks.

• Perfect for the future home – Works with Apple HomeKit(TM), Amazon Alexa, Samsung SmartThings and IFTTT
• Control your Smart Home with Amazon Alexa for voice control (Alexa device sold separately) and Apple HomeKit with voice control using Siri, the Apple voice assistant
• “Feels Like” temperature function considers both humidity and temperature to maintain your comfort
• Adaptive recovery learns how long it takes to achieve the right temperature at the right time, with auto change from heat to cool
• Smart Alerts – push notifications for filter changes and extreme temperatures
• Minimum requirements: You’ll need an 802.11 b/g/n wireless router and a smartphone or tablet with Android 4.2 and above or iOS 8.4 and above.
• Energy Star Certified

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