Anyway, let’s have a look at this device.

So, as it’s an iDevices ‘device’, you know you’re going to get decent, protective packaging, and so there’s absolutely no disappointment in that area. The socket is housed in a tough little box, with a plastic inner to hold the device securely. The packaging, as with other iDevices products, comes with their distinct purple ‘livery’, the product image on the front, along with the all important ‘works with HomeKit’ stamp on the front, with a fair bit of detailed information on the back. besides the socket itself, there are also an instruction manual that also contains one of two instances of the HomeKit code, along with a smaller manual for non-HomeKit/Android users.

Onto the device itself, and whilst it’s fairly small, this socket will add some height to any lighting fixture you add it to, which we’ll touch on a bit later. The second instance of the HomeKit code appears on the side of the socket itself, which while a guaranteed way to not lose it, may also present a problem for scanning the code, should you need to reinstall the device in the future, but it’s set into a high ceiling fixture for example – so make sure you keep the other code! The iDevices logo is printed on another part of the body, along with the physical switch. So, the same possible issues mentioned regarding scanning the code on the device also exist with the physical switch, located on the side of the device. This isn’t an issue if you have it in a floor lamp or if you exclusively control it via the iPhone or perhaps even use iDevices’ very own Instant Switch, but if like me, you have it in a ceiling light, you may eventually get a step-ladder out eventually. No one said Home Automation would always be easy…

What sets the iDevices Socket apart from other smart sockets is hidden in the top of the device, namely a set of full colour LEDs, so, just like it’s smart switch brother, this comes with a night-light. This LED ‘ring’ also appears as a separate controllable device in the ‘Home’ app. Having tested this in a white lamp shade, I can say with certainty that not only is it a great night-light, but it’s also nearly as powerful enough to give a genuine colour bulb a run for its money, depending on the colour you choose. As with most decent colour bulbs, iDevices claim the night-light is capable of up to 16 million colours. I won’t be counting…

So, we should really address the issue of the product adding ‘height’ to your light fitting. While this and other sockets allow a ‘dumb’ bulb to become ‘smart’, it also adds height to an area that’s mostly already limited in terms of space. It isn’t always a problem, but it’s wise to make sure you know where it’s going to go and make sure you have the headroom to begin with. I’ve got one of these, along with the Incipio model, and luckily I’ve managed to use them with lamp shades that are large enough to accommodate the additional height. However, that might not be the case with an enclosed bathroom fitting, so you really have to make sure this will fit before spending your hard-earned cash.

Onto the final point in regards to making your bulb ‘smart’, this socket does allow you to adjust the brightness of the LED light you have plugged into it, which is fantastic, but you must ensure the bulb you’re using is in fact capable of being used for dimming, as not all bulbs, LED or otherwise, are. The brightness levels can be controlled in the Home app, iDevices’ own app of course, but you can tell Siri to also set the brightness, and if like me, you are using the iDevices Instant Switch, you can physically control the brightness this way too.

All in all, this is a product that can really provide a lot of uses, in very certain circumstances, which may seem limiting, but you do get the addition of a really colourful night-light that could almost be considered a colour bulb, but you also get dimming capabilities too, so for me, it’s definitely the best of a (very small) bunch!

The post iDevices Smart Socket (review) appeared first on Homekit News and Reviews.

iDevices are one of the better HomeKit manufacturers, and have steadily brought out a great range of smart products that work seamlessly with other HomeKit products, as well as providing compatibility with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. I have two of these particular devices, and along with the fact they work really well with HomeKit, are solidly built, and stay connected to the network like glue (some devices disconnect occasionally), they also look great.

Like many other brand-savvy manufacturers, iDevices have a consistent theme with their packaging, deploying purple across the top, as their colour of choice. The box itself it’s nice enough although maybe not quite as sturdy on the top as some others I’ve come across. However, the device itself is held in place quite tightly, so there should be no instances of the smart outlet coming free and subsequently bouncing around. Indeed, the plug itself feels very solid, so I don’t imagine the carton being squashed from the top would make any difference to the plug. Inside the box, you simply get a concise setup manual,  ‘support’ card, which contains specific information for contacting the company for help or enquiries, and the device itself. There’s also an included booklet for Android users (not pictured).

Setting up the device is very straightforward, with options for either installing via iDevices’ own HomeKit-compatible app, or simply via the Home app, by way of the standard ‘add accessory, scan code’ method, which I won’t go through here. The required HomeKit code is on the device itself, but there’s also a copy of the code included in the manual. As with almost all HomeKit devices, this will only work on a 2.4gHz wireless network, which whilst slower than the newer 5.0gHz system, does offer greater signal reach. You can have a router that has both, but you will have to ensure that when you’re setting it up, it is able to pick up the 2.4gHz signal. If you’re having to reset this device as opposed to it being a brand new install, there is a little more to getting this back into HomeKit, which I’ll explain* at the end of this article.

Looking at the ‘Switch’ itself, as mentioned before, it’s feels really solidly built, as though you could easily stand on it without it falling apart (please don’t try this at home folks…). The main housing is a sort of slightly off-white matte plastic on the top and bottom, with slightly glossier plastic for the rest of the body, which is quite understated, with the iDevices logo indented across the top. On the side of the device is the socket itself, and on the opposite side there’s a large physical One/Off button. As with other smart plugs, this outlet doesn’t really do a lot other than allow you to control ‘dumb’ devices like lamps, coffee makers etc, but it does have within the iDevices app, the ability to monitor energy consumption, which is good news for anyone conscious of their electricity bills.

Once you have the Switch set up in the Home app, you will notice that there are not one, but two tiles; one to represent the switch itself and therefore whatever is plugged into it, and the other tile to represent the night-light strip that runs the length of the switch. Depending on the colour you choose, the strip can be a great night-light if it’s placed in the right location. The hue and brightness of the night-light strip can be adjusted, and of course you can just choose to not use it at all – all totally separate from the main outlet.

To me, the LED strip is a real gem, as it not only gives you a free night-light, as I’ve mentioned, but utilised cleverly, it can even be used to give you information on other smart devices. For example, you could have this device in your home office, which might be on the other side of the house, and with that you may not hear someone come home as they open the door. But, if you have any kind of HomeKit enabled door sensor, you could get the LED strip on the plug to light up red when the door opens, and maybe green when the door closes. I already employ this method, as I spend a lot of time in a room where I don’t often hear the door open, and this is a great way of knowing when someone has come home.

The size of the device is almost perfect, as you can have two of these sitting in adjacent sockets quite snuggly. Currently there are three devices that I have that could be classified as ‘slim’; these are the WeMo Mini Smart plug, the iHome iSPX6 and this one. Whilst the iDevice switch isn’t quite as slim as the other two, it is the shortest, and having the socket on the side does present some advantages over the other two (imagine sockets behind cupboards or sofas for example). Add to this, the night light, which can be used for many automations by itself.

As this is a HomeKit compatible device, there is little reason to go into iDevices’ own app, although it is necessary to have it on your iPhone or iPad for software or firmware updates. Besides this, the energy monitoring functionality is only available in the company’s app.

I’m guessing that most people who are reading this review will generally be in the HomeKit ‘camp’, but if you’re also one of those that has a Google Smart Speaker, an Alexa device, or you simply have someone in the home that uses an Android phone instead of an iPhone (like most sensible people…), then it’s good to know that this smart outlet will work with those platforms as well, and in tandem, so you’re not stuck with an ‘either or’ situation. My iDevices switches work with both my HomeKit setup and my Google Home Mini, and there have not been any issues to date.

Wrapping up, this is in many ways the perfect smart outlet for me, as it’s small enough to not cover two outlets with the one plug. It has the separate night light capable of the standard 16 million shade of colours as well as adjustable brightness. The position of the socket does really help when you have to place this in areas where depth is an issue.

* Going back to the setup procedure I touched on earlier, I should point out that whilst the steps for setting up a brand new device is very rudimentary, if you’re reinstalling after previously removing this device from your ‘HomeKit setup, or for some reason you have to reset the device, then there is a routine you will have to go through before you can re-add it. This involves plugging in the device, making sure there is power going to the outlet, then holding down the physical button on the side until the LED strip flashes red rapidly. You then continue to hold the button down for a further 5 seconds, then let go of the button. The LED strip should then flash blue continuously, which indicates the switch is ready for pairing. From there, the installation procedure is as before.

• Requirements:
  Home Wi-Fi® (802.11 B/G/N)
  WPA or WPA2 Network Security
  Free iDevices® Connected App
  HomeKit requires an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch with iOS 8.1 or later.
  
• Size & Weight:
  Depth: 1.65″ (42mm)
  Width: 2.71″ (69mm)
  Height: 1.57″ (40mm)
  Weight: 3.3 oz
  
• Power:
  Power Input: 120 VAC, 60Hz
  Number of Power Outlets: 1
  Resistive: 1800W
  Tungsten: 600W
  Motor: 1/2 HP
• More info:
  https://store.idevicesinc.com/idevices-switch/

The post iDevices Switch Smart Outlet (review) appeared first on Homekit News and Reviews.

• REMOTE ACCESS: Control and monitor your lights with the iDevices Socket from anywhere, no hub required
• DIMMING CAPABILITY: Works with standard Edison style bulbs up to 60 watts. Supports LED, CFL, incandescent and halogen bulbs. Dimming feature requires dimmable bulb. Socket is compatible with all standard light bulbs with a minimum lamp harp size of 8.5 inches
• SCHEDULING: Create unlimited schedules to turn on an off your electronics based on your daily routine. Create a Scene to turn on multiple devices with one command
• EASY SETUP: Download the iDevices Connected app, screw in the Socket, scan the unique code. No need to enter Wi-Fi network information.

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The post iDevices Switch appeared first on Homekit News and Reviews.

STICK IT ANYWHERE: Create an additional way to control your iDevices products by placing the Instant Switch anywhere in your home in seconds with included Command Strip from 3M

The Instant Switch requires a compatible* iDevices product and the iDevices Connected app and works with an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch that supports Bluetooth® Low Energy and is running iOS 8.1 or later, or Android 4.3+ devices with Bluetooth® Low Energy — it runs on an included and pre-installed coin cell battery with 2-year battery life — Ensure firmware for all other iDevices products are updated via the latest version of the iDevices app. (*Not compatible with iDevices Thermostat)

The post iDevices Instant Switch appeared first on Homekit News and Reviews.

Ok, so with that out of the way, the other important thing to take on is that technically speaking, this isn’t an actual HomeKit device, so should it be here on this site? Well yes, as most of the iDevices range IS HomeKit compatible, and this is able to directly control these devices in a very simple and efficient way. So, my logic is that if it can control at least one HomeKit device, then in theory you could create an automation that allows this switch to control other devices via the original iDevice it controls. That’s the logic, and I’m sticking to it!

The switch arrived in a nicely discreet, brand-conscious box, with iDevices’ now recognisable purple & black colour scheme. As soon as I took it out of the parcel it arrived in I could tell it was well packaged. inside the box you initially just see the switch itself, covered by a protective clear plastic tray, but within the back part of the packaging you will find a rather comprehensive installation and setup guide, a pvc bag containing two sets of screws, an earthing wire (more on that later) and two adhesive 3M Commandstrips.

Once you start to take apart the device for battery replacement and perhaps removing the switch and relocating it to another location, you become aware of the intricate details that have been put into the switch. There’s a rather small but useful spirit level on the top of the inner plate to aid you in placing the switch on the wall straight. If you need to move the device, there a small removable tab at the bottom of the inner plate that gives you access to the non-sticky part of the 3M command strip that allows you to easily remove it from the wall, so there’s no need to try prizing it from the side of the switch with a kitchen knife like you would the Philips Hue Dimmer Switch, for example. The battery compartment is also accessible quite easily with two tabs that you press in from the sides.

iDevices have made it so that you can have this stuck directly to a wall with the provided faceplate, or amongst other switches with a 2 or 3 slot faceplate. They’ve thoughtfully provided an earth wire in the event that if you place it with other switches that are directly wired, there’s no chance of an issue with electrical problems or accidents. If you’re sticking this directly to a blank wall like myself then the wire isn’t needed, but its a thoughtful little touch.

Setting up the switch in the app is very straightforward, using a Bluetooth connection, but you’re advised to make sure the firmware on the device you’re going to pair the switch with is up to date. I plan to pair the switch with my iDevices Smart Socket, which to me is the most obvious and useful reason for having this switch; I have the Smart Socket in a ceiling lamp in the entrance to the main bedroom and it’s far too high up for me to reach the switch that is placed on the body of the socket itself, and whilst I can control the Smart Socket with my iPhone, I don’t want to have to pull out my phone every time just to turn this particular socket on or off when I walk into the room, and if guests use the apartment, chances are they’ll not have an iPhone and will tend to use the standard wired light switch, which will disconnect the Smart Socket from HomeKit anyway.

One could argue that it would be better to have a HomeKit compatible switch that could work with other devices and not just it’s own brand, but actually when you look at the market now, the only non-hardwired switch that is also designed for wall mounting is the Hue Dimmer, and that requires the Hue Bridge, and it has dimming capabilities like the Hue too, so this is the best and cheapest alternative, at least for me and my needs right now. iDevices have their reasons for not making this HomeKit compatible, and I’m sure it has been looked at but as it stands, it’s not.

Besides my use case, it’s quite handy for iDevices lights or switches that themselves might be hard to reach, or you could simply use it as an additional wall switch to go with one of your hardwired iDevices switches without having to do lots of wiring should you not already have a switch in place.

for comparison, here are three of the different switches that I have right now. Its not a real or fair comparison, as the Elgato Eve Button isn’t really designed for wall mounting, and while the Hue Dimmer is, you’re not seeing the faceplate that comes with the switch, but it might give you a rough idea.

I’ll admit that when it first came out I was a bit skeptical and wasn’t really sure what it would be able to do for me, but as it happens I’ve come around to the idea, and as I’m a fan of the iDevices range in general, it was an easy purchase once I’d realised its potential.

REQUIREMENTS