What we have here is an update to their Bluetooth enabled motion sensor, but with a few additions aside from the obviously welcome Thread update. So, if you’re in the market for a beefed up motion sensor, with a nice trick up its sleeve, read on.

PACKAGING | CONTENTS

As you can see from the packaging, this is a Thread device, which is a welcome change from Bluetooth, although the latter is used for initial pairing and as a backup, should your Thread network go down. It’s also only HomeKit compatible, so Google and Amazon users are out of luck until the company deem to release a Matter version.

In addition to Thread and the standard motion detection, the SMS2 includes both temperature and humidity sensors, as before, but also contains a rudimentary light sensor that can distinguish between light and dark. This isn’t exposed to HomeKit, and can’t give you light measurements – even in the Onvis app – but it can still be used in some circumstances, as I’ll explain later. What makes this product stand out in some ways is the option to schedule detection. The SMS2 can be used in scenes to turn off it’s motion sensing capabilities, based on the status of other devices or as part of a larger automation, which can be a lot easier than setting up ‘conditions’ in third-party HomeKit apps for you other motion sensors.

As with the SMS1, the new model still uses two AAA batteries (which are thankfully provided), that should give you around a year of average usage, depending on how busy the sensor is. The SMS2 is designed for indoor use, with an upcoming outdoor version in development.

The dimensions of the SMS2 remains the same, at 64 x 50 x 37mm (2.52 x 1.97 x 1.46″), so not quite as petite as some motion sensors, but certainly on a par with the Eve Motion sensor.

In the box there’s the SMS2, a manual with an instance of the HomeKit QR code, a SIM pin for resetting the device, and a spare adhesive sticker, as the back comes with a n adhesive patch already in place.

The SMS2 has its main motion sensor window on the front, with most of the rear taken up by the easy-to-access battery compartment.

Users of the original model will notice that the company has taken their advice and significantly reduced the size of the Onvis logo on the front. Fair play! You can see the approximate difference between the two above.

As this is a HomeKit device, there’s a QR code on the side which is also home to the reset hole. The rear battery cover opens easily enough, which you wouldn’t think would be an issue for most devices, but still is for some.

The top and bottom are home to a series of vents for the humidity and temperature sensors, with the top also hiding a small light sensor, as seen above.

As with the original SMS1, due to the nature of the shape of the device it makes placement a little limited. So, if you choose to have it high on a wall, it’s going to struggle to pick up motion that’s quite close, so some form of plastic wedge would have been useful. That said, if it’s on a shelf or similar, it would probably work well enough to pick up pretty much all the motion required, whilst avoiding motion events from pets, so it really depends on a few different factors.

INSTALLATION

Adding the SMS2 is pretty easy, and as it uses Thread you don’t need to worry that you’re connected to a 2.4GHz WiFi band. This was also the case with Bluetooth, of course, but with Thread you’re going to get better range (as long as you have Thread Routers if this is placed far away), better and more consistent response times, and hopefully better battery life, although the batteries for my original Bluetooth model lasted for ages, and a lot longer than the twelve months suggested for this model. As it has additional sensors, you can name these as you like too.

All three sensors are exposed to HomeKit as though they were individual devices, so they can be used in automations, as standard. Each sensor will also display the battery life, which is good. All sensors are also visible via the room the SMS2 is located in.

A quick look at the Thread network in the Eve for HomeKit (and Matter) app shows the SMS2 listed and is confirmed as an ‘endpoint’ device. This means whilst it can connect to either a Thread Border Router or a Thread Router device (essentially a repeater for the Thread network), it can’t extend the Thread network itself.

THE ONVIS APP

The Onvis app is useful for customising various options for the SMS2, even if the design leaves a lot to be desired. This includes an option to have the motion active or inactive (more on that later), show the status of the light sensor and other sensors, and even allow you to set the cooldown period for the sensor, which is the time from when it detects motion to it resetting it’s state for the next motion event. You can set it as low as zero seconds, though I don’t see much benefit in doing so, or as high as just a second under three hours. There’s a log section for quick access to recent motion events in a list format, although you can access more details in a different manner via the hard to see icon labelled ‘Stats’ which is just a bit below the HomeKit icon. Both the temperature and humidity sensors also have their own pages, as well as log data.

Further customisation options are available, which includes turning a small LED on or off that is triggered by motion, an option to link motion event triggers with the state of the light sensor, a schedule option that allows you to set times for when the motion sensor is either active or inactive, and a pretty useful pair of options for calibrating the temperature and humidity sensors, by allowing you to compensate for any discrepencies between these sensors and ones that you know to be accurate. To cap things off, you get details on battery life – an overall rating and battery levels.

ACTIVATE/DEACTIVATE THE SMS2

The one feature that does sort of set the SMS2 apart from other sensors – at least as far as I’m aware – is that you can automate whether it detects motion or not. So in this case, the ‘active’ feature is exposed to third party HomeKit apps, like the aforementioned Eve app, the state of which can be used in a scene. I’ve created two scenes here, one to activate the motion sensor, and another to deactivate it.

These scenes are then automatically exposed to the Apple Home app for use in automations. In the instance above, if the ‘Cove Light’ turns off, then the SMS2 is set to be active. The Cove Light in question is situated in the living room, and when it’s on, the corridor (where the SMS2 will eventually reside) is light enough that you don’t really need to turn the corridor lights on. With the Cove Light turned off, it’s too dark in the corridor, hence the need for activating the SMS2, which in turn will then be ready to turn the corridor lights on when motion is detected.

Some might argue that with a workaround, this can be achieved with any motion sensor, which is true; you only need to set conditions in an Eve app automation, but generally speaking, when conditions are used in automations, they tend to slightly slow the automation down – not by much, but enough that something like a motion automation lags slightly, which isn’t great for a motion sensor, where speedy reaction times are crucial, in my opinion. You can also do all of this in the Home app using an automation and ‘Convert to Shortcut’ but once again, this does slightly slow the reaction times down. The option presented here allows the sensor to simply turn on or off dependent on the state of another device. So far, in my testing, it has been incredibly responsive.

SUMMING UP

Even with the original model using Bluetooth (not ideal), i found it to be pretty reliable, and along with the extraordinary battery life, it was hard to knock. Now with the added features of Thread, the light sensor (should that be ‘lite’ sensor’…?), and Active mode, this takes things considerably further. The boxy design isn’t great if I’m honest, which does make placement more of a challenge in some circumstances, but, so far, I haven’t encountered any issues, either with missed motion events, dropping off the Thread network or even any false triggers, so I once again find it hard to knock.

The Onvis app is useful for updating the app and customising the settings for the SMS2, but it’s far from a daily driver, so install it but just try not to look at it! All in all, it’s commendable to see a company like Onvis taking a step above some others, which is hard to do with sensors of most types these days, so good on them. Recommended.

The post Onvis Smart Motion Sensor w/ Thread (review) appeared first on Homekit News and Reviews.

The post Onvis 5-Key Switch and Contact Sensor with Thread (video) appeared first on Homekit News and Reviews.

Onvis are rightly more well-known to HomeKit users these days, thanks to their excellent Kameleon Light Strip (video HERE, review HERE), which I think is still the best multicolour-capable strip for the price right now. Some of their other devices, like the C3 Smart camera (video HERE, review HERE), come with great specs but sadly don’t seem to be getting much love, and their Bluetooth range of devices, whilst also very worthy, are, well…Bluetooth. Regarding the latter, the company has begun the move over to Thread, which is a good thing, with two devices – an update to their CT2 contact sensor (the CT3), and a brand new product, the HS2, or the 5-Way Switch, which we’re reviewing today. Read on…

PACKAGING/UNBOXING

Whilst the product is the main concern of course, decent packaging can be of benefit in protecting the goods, and also give you the impression the company cares about how its product is presented, and Onvis does this well with the box on both counts. The device is shown on the front, with the new ‘Works with Apple Home’ badge, next to the Built on Thread badge, which is reassuring.

The side of the box outlines some of the features, like the five individual buttons each capable of triggering other devices via single, double, or long presses, as is standard for most HomeKit switches, as well as mentioning privacy via HomeKit (as it’s exclusive to HomeKit as it stands right now), and logs of button presses via the Onvis app. The rear lists the specs, which are;

• Wireless connection: Thread + Bluetooth Low Energy 5.0
• Operating temperature: 14ºF~113ºF (-10ºC ~45ºC)
• Operating humidity: 5~95% RH
• Dimensions:
  • Switch 2.17 x 2.17 x 0.79 in (55 x 55 x 20mm)
  • Base 2.32 x 2.32 x 0.39 in (59 x 59 x 10mm)
• Usage: Indoor use only
• Battery: CR2450 button cell battery, 650mAh
• Standby time: 1 year

Inside the box is the switch (or button) itself, a magnetic base, a spare sticker for the base, a manual in a few European languages, and two sets of stickers with icons, designed to help you remember what you actually programmed each button to do!

THE SWITCH

The switch is, to be fair, quite ‘chunky’ for want of a better word, but feels well constructed, which I think is of importance for something that’s going to get a lot of use, generally speaking. The front of the ‘switch’ is made up of 5 buttons – one for each corner, and a central round button, which is actually button #1, with the corner buttons being #2 through #5.

One edge features a small LED that flashes in one of three different colours, depending on the type of action;

• single press – white LED
• double press – green LED
• Long press – Blue LED

I’m not sure what benefit the LED provides, other than to confirm what action you chose to use, but then that would require you to be actively looking at the LED whenever you press it, so I’d suggest other than for testing purposes, this is only going to affect battery life, albeit maybe in a very minor way, perhaps.

Another edge features the Onvis logo, which thankfully is a lot more discrete now compared to how large the logo was on their other products, most notably the CT2 contact sensor. On this point, it’s worth pointing out that whilst this review focuses only on the 5-Key Switch, I do review the new Thread contact sensor (CT3) in the accompanying video (see below), and they took the opinion on logo size seriously, with the CT3 now featuring a much smaller logo.

If you look carefully at the buttons, you’ll notice dots that correspond to the number of the particular switch, with a ‘ring’ for the central button. These are in fact luminous, so they’re visible in the dark, whilst not having any impact on battery life. I’m honestly surprised more companies don’t employ such a feature.

The switch comes with the previously mentioned magnetic mounting plate that can either be stuck to a surface with the sticker already present on the back of the plate or screwed to a wall etc using the provided screw and rawl plug.

You get an extra mounting plate sticker if required, but as both the plate and the switch are magnetic, you can also stick either or both to any metal surface, like a fridge door, as pictured above. By itself, the plate isn’t as strong when placed on a magnet-conducive surface, but combined with the switch, it holds up pretty well and doesn’t begin to ‘slide’ down a surface at all. The switch can also be stuck to a metal surface by itself and holds up slightly better than the mounting plate.

IN HOME | HOMEKIT

Adding to the Home app is as standard as it gets, and because it uses Thread, there’s no need to ensure you’re on a compatible WiFi band. As it uses Bluetooth for initial pairing, it can be slow to be added, but it gets there if you’re patient. Like pretty much all smart buttons (not Hue’s offerings, unfortunately), each button is capable of the standard three actions, so with 5 buttons to choose from, this gives you 15 different actions (or even more if you use time-based conditionals in third-party HomeKit apps).

In the Eve app, you get the same options, although you also get to see more details on its Thread ‘credentials’ which can be viewed if you go into Settings > Thread Network, where all of your other Thread devices will be listed. You won’t be able to view Thread Border Routers (HomePod Mini or Apple TV 4K 2nd gen/3rd gen 128GB) unless you have at least one wired Thread-enabled device from Eve, like their smart switch or the Eve Energy smart plug. As you can see in the details for the HS2, it’s an endpoint or child device, as it’s battery-powered, which also means it’s not capable of spreading the Thread mesh network.

IN USE

I’ve been using the HS2 since December, and it hasn’t given me any issues at all, aside from the very rare instances of not seemingly registering a double-press, but other than that, it’s always showing as connected, and so far has not even had one of those instances where the reaction time is seriously delayed, which is something you’ll definitely encounter with Bluetooth devices eventually. One issue that initially plagued both the contact sensor and button was inaccurate battery levels, going as far as reporting battery levels dropping to 5% after very little usage. This isn’t the device eating through batteries, but a bug, which has since been rectified with firmware updates.

I’ll be honest and say there aren’t too many HomeKit devices or categories that get me excited right now, and smart buttons are certainly in this group. Still, as it has Thread, and doesn’t use Bluetooth (except for commissioning), it’s still worthy of some attention. When I posted about this button’s existence in the Summer, opinion was a little divided on the design, with many not really liking the ‘chunky’ nature of it. With the included plinth/wall mount, it is indeed ‘substantial’, although it’s actually the same size in two of its three dimensions as the Eve Button, which no one has claimed to be too large. The HS2 is definitely deeper than Eve’s Button, but not by much. I guess there’s a limit to what’s accepted, even if it’s just a few millimetres! Personally, it doesn’t bother me, and with it offering five buttons, I’m not sure there’s any other way to design such a switch, or indeed to fit in all the tech required. Compared to the Aqara Mini Switch, it is larger in all three dimensions, but then the Aqara doesn’t use Thread and only offers one button, just like the Eve. The only two devices that offer almost as much, or more, are the Aqara Cube T1 Pro (video HERE, review HERE), which has six ‘buttons’ (faces), and the Aqara/Opple 6-button wireless switch (review HERE). The Cube only offers one action per face/button, and the Aqara/Opple is a lot wider, being that it’s based on an ’86’ type switch.

The bottom line for me is that if a device has Thread, then I’m interested at a minimum if it’s going to be replacing a device using either Bluetooth or WiFi like the Airversa Purelle Air Purifier (video HERE, review HERE) has done. Whether it’s going to get a Matter update is of little consequence to me, although I can see why people want to see something that’s a little more future-proof, that’s a decision the individual has to assess.

The post Onvis 5-Key Switch w/ Thread (review) appeared first on Homekit News and Reviews.

PACKAGING

Much of the time you see the packaging for light strips showing a multitude of colours on one strip, which is far from the reality of most of what they’re able to achieve. Not so with what you see on the packaging here, which is WYSIWYG* for once. There’s nothing else to talk about in terms of the front other than the fact it reveals its compatibility options (Apple HomeKit, Google Assistant, and Amazon Alexa), although the slogan ‘Paint your light’ gives you further clues as to the strip’s multicolour capabilities. Both the 2m and 5m version of the strip is basically the same, save for a couple of details relating to the relevant strip lengths and the power they consume.

*What You See is What You Get 

Specifications (2m/5m):

• Model: K1
• LED: 5050 RGB, total 60 pcs/150 pcs (individual LEDs)
• Lighting unit: 20/50 units
• Beam angle: 120º
• Length of light strip: 2m/5m
• Life cycle: 20,000 hrs
• Adaptor input: 110~240v AC, Max 1.2A, 50-60Hz
• Adaptor output: 12v 1A/2A
• Water resistance: IP65 (light strip ONLY)
• WiFi: 802.11 b/g/n, 2.4GHz

If you were in any doubt about its aforementioned capabilities, then the sides of the box spell it out, with phrases like ‘Polychrome effect’, ‘paint freely’, and ‘independent unit control’  listed alongside the usual suspects. We’ll get into these details later.

CONTENTS

We’re focussing on the 2m version in this review, but aside from the length of the two options, there’s nothing to distinguish the two in terms of usage.

In the box, you get the all-important power supply, with a ‘clip-in’ adaptor for your region, a spare double-sided adhesive patch for the controller, which already comes with an adhesive patch anyway, five clips and screws to affix the strip, although it already comes with standard adhesive backing, and finally the manual in a few different languages, as well as an instance of the HomeKit code.

The connector on the strip is a 3 pin affair, that connects to the corresponding connector on the power supply, which once connected to each other a securely held in place by screwing them together via a ‘gasket’.

The controller, which comes in a weird sort of lozenge or ‘coffin’ type shape, has, as already mentioned, an adhesive backing, and nothing more. The side of the controller also features an instance of the HomeKit code. The front of the remote features three buttons, as well as a small home that houses a tiny microphone used for the ‘Music’ mode, which we’ll talk about later.

Ostensibly, the buttons on the remote simply act as power supply (middle) with the plus and minus buttons used to control the brightness of the strip, however, there’s a lot more to these buttons than you’d think. More on that later too.

The strip seems fairly standard at first glance, although for every three LEDs you also get a separate chip that performs all the multicolour magic that the K1 is capable of.

THE STRIP’S CAPABILITIES – BASIC MODE

At its heart, this can be a standard strip capable of single solid colours for the whole strip, but even then, Onvis has managed to make even this staple a bit more interesting.

In the basic colour mode, you can set the way the strip transitions from one colour to the next, with five different options, plus a Random option that uses a mixture of the five aforementioned transitions. The transitions start off with…

• Transit – which simple smoothly blending from one colour to the other.
• Converge – which brings the change of colour from both edges of the light strip to the centre
• Diverge – does the same as Converge but goes in the opposite direction, from the centre to the ends of the strip
• Foward – starts from one end of the strip, transitioning to the other end of the strip in one linear direction
• Backward – does the same as forward, but in the opposite direction

Also in this main section, you have a few options to further control transitions.

• Brightness Cycle Time allows for the strip to go from zero to 100% brightness in a loop at speeds from 1 to 12, with 12 being the slowest transition.

• Colour Cycle Time allows for transitioning between the eight set colours (which you can change), and allow the adjustment of speed of the transition between colours.

• Timed Gradual Allow you to set a time for the strip to come on, at a specific colour, and transition to another colour or colour temperature, based on a target time. So, you can have the strip turn on a 7.30am set to orange at 10% brightness, and have it transition to natural white at 100% by the time it gets to 8.30am.

• Timer allows the user to set an on and off time for the strip, either in a static colour state, or any one of the special modes that are available.

• Transit is in some ways like Timed Gradual, although in the case of Transit, you set a period of time for a given transition, as opposed to the time of day. In this way, it acts as a countdown timer, in effect.

PAINT MODE

Paint mode is the star of the show for me, with the ability to ‘paint’ various colours onto the strip. As you can see in the first screenshot, the strip is represented in two ways at the top of the screen, with an overview of the strip first, and then a longer doubled up version that allows for easier selection of ‘units’. You can also see in the third screenshot that the second representation of the strip is longer, as it’s the 5m version.

• On the subject of Units, it should be noted that in the case of the 2m strip, it contains 60 individual LEDs, and each unit contains three LEDs. each ‘unit’ is capable of being a different colour, so doing the math, with a 2m strip, you get 20 units, hence 20 separate colours to use on one strip. for the 5m strip, that increases to 50 units, and 50 separate sections of colour.

To colour the strip, you select one of the colour boxes below the strip, and begin painting the sections with your finger, by simply tapping or sliding your finger along the strip overview. if you tap on one of the seven boxes when it’s already selected, you go into edit mode, so you can change the colour to something you prefer. The app allows for a total of six presets which you can overwrite with your own ‘creations’, although if you want to revert to the six presets that come with the app, that’s easy enough to do.

• Play Gallery allows you to cycle through all six of the presets, although I’m told whilst at present it only allows you to cycle through all six, a later update will allow you to choose which of these six you can cycle through as well.

• Spectrum gives you the option to create a colour spectrum preset, but customised to your brightness levels, as well as restrict the colour spectrum. So if you want to just have a spectrum that covers green through to dark blue, you can select the markers to restrict the spectrum this way. You can also either have the colour spectrum run from one end of the strip to the other, or, have the spectrum mirrored going from the centre outwards, or even from the edges inward. You even have the option to set your own brightness and saturation levels, which is pretty fantastic in terms of granular control.
• Saturation is in many ways the same as Spectrum, but it deals specifically with one selected colour and makes the strip into a gradient, that goes from anywhere between zero to 100% brightness and saturation. Like the Spectrum option, you can have the gradient linear or mirrored, with the saturation gradient going from the edges inward from the centre outward.

When it comes to colour, the strip does a decent representation of the different shades, although, whilst we don’t have official numbers for the maximum amount of lumens, in my own opinion, strips are for accent lighting in the main, and so brightness is of secondary concern generally. What is impressive is that while the strip is only RGB, it still does a decent job of both cool and warm white. The warm white is impressive as it’s doesn’t go overboard with orange, like a lot of colour temperature lighting can do.

MUSIC MODE

I’ll be honest and say that aside from Paint mode, the other modes are of less interest to me, and that especially goes for Music mode, as I’m not really interested in turning my living room into a dancefloor… That’s not to say it isn’t impressive, and if you were to use this for a house party, it would be an excellent addition to the range of functions the strip can do, which ‘outstrips’ its competitors with ease (pun intended).

So, with that said, I’ll skate over the many options in this mode, of which there are many. You have four basic modes – Beat, Move, Dash, and Bounce, which determine the style in which the lights react to sound, be that something as mundane as the slamming of a door, or a full-on EDM track. On top of that are six ‘Fashion’ sub-options, with a seventh being random, which chooses from the six options…randomly. On top of that, you have a sensitivity option, which simply gives you low or high as choices for how much it reacts to sound. The only mode that slightly deviates is the Bounce mode, which has a separate ‘single’ or ‘double’ option.

TWINKLE MODE

As with Music mode, Twinkle is something I’ve not really delved into so much and compared to the Music option, the number of choices is legion! Twinkle, as the name would imply, is designed to replicate the kind of Christmas lighting you might haul out of the loft once a year, with lights that blink on and off, and give off the appearance of moving along the line of lights. Twinkle mode does this with a swathe of preset options. These options also include the ability to choose both the range of the colour spectrum used but also set a minimum and maximum for both brightness and saturation. Hopefully, you can see why I’ve not had time to explore all the variables! There are separate tabs labelled ‘Rand’ (random), and Routine. Go explore nearer to Christmas, or Eid, Diwali etc. and tell me how you get on.

SECURITY MODE

As the name would imply, this is designed to work as a sort of an add-on for any security automations you might already have. It’s very basic and doesn’t even have its own screen to make any adjustments as such, so it only does one thing. This ‘thing’ is basically a series of animated light sequences using blue, red, and white lights, that are meant to replicate the kinds of flashing lights you might see on a police car. In tandem with an alarm automation and siren, this could be quite effective, although it is sort of a gimmick. Still, flashing lights and a siren can do wonders at deterring most opportunist burglars – or so I’m told!

PRESET MODE

Preset mode is exactly that, it has a series of preset lighting effects – five to be exact, with hopefully more coming as time goes on. Like the Security mode, these are not customisable, so you either love them or loathe them.

Personally, the ones I like are those with more subtle animations, which are Cherry Blossom, Romance and Rainbow, the latter of which looks great as an animated sequence, especially so on the 5m strip. I also like Meteor, which shows a sliver of coloured LEDs dash across the length of the strip at random times. I guess that means the only one I really don’t like is Fairground, with its rapidly blinking lights. The kind of lighting that could quite possibly irritate or even make one nauseous after a while.

MODES IN HOMEKIT

You’re probably thinking, this is all well and good, but how can I get these modes – especially the multicolour ones – into the Home app?? Well, the good news is, quite easily. It simply involves taking either one of the presets you’ve created in the Onvis app and saving it as a Scene. That Scene will then appear in the Home app! You can do this with any of the modes, with each sub-mode having the ability to be added to a scene as well.

 CAN I CUT IT – YES YOU CAN!

Despite what was previously reported (including by ourselves), the light strip can be cut, although the process for making this work correctly is still being worked on. The update for the app and a firmware update for the strips will be available next month. These updates will allow you to deactivate individual units, although only in sequence starting from the end of the strip. Once zones are deactivated in the app, you can then go ahead and cut these units from the strip. The good news is that you can still deactivate these zones without having to actually cut the strip, in case you find a use for the full length of the strip at a later point.

It should be noted, that if you do decide to deactivate one or more units (up to 50% of the available units can be deactivated), then the six presets in the Paint mode won’t completely match; for the first of the three rainbow-coloured presets on a 2m strip, the first three colours are dark pink, purple, and blue, so if you deactivate the first three units on the strip, the rainbow coloured preset won’t readjust, meaning those first three colours will simply be missing. This just means that you’d have to readjust the preset or create a new one that fits in all the relevant colours. Likewise, if you have an effect that relies on a specific colour being in the centre of the strip, after deactivating a few units, it’ll no longer ‘appear’ to be centred. It’s not a massive deal if you’re creating your own colour presets that don’t rely on some form of symmetry, but it’s something to be aware of with some presets.

THE ONVIS APP

As the Kameleon light strips are so special, in that they have the ability to be customised in so many ways, inevitably, you’re going to have to use the company’s own app, which is not uncommon for many products when they have specific functions or options not exposed to the Home app framework.

I’ve never been a massive fan of the Onvis app, or any other app for that matter when it comes to day-to-day use, but for the purposes of the light strip, it does the job well enough. I don’t plan to spend too much time changing the strip presets, so I can live with some of the design choices used in the app, even though the graphic designer in me would love to overhaul the look of it.

That said, the Onvis app has on occasion been known in the past, to crash or freeze. The company seemed to have fixed these issues, but freezes when using the light strip seem to have returned, and so during the course of testing out the light strips, I’ve come across a few occasions where I’ve had to force quit the app and relaunch it. This is less than ideal, regardless of whether you’re trying to do a review and test all the aspects, or are just a regular consumer, so I do hope the freezes is addressed asap.

Aside from that, I find it for the most part, easy enough to follow, which is also in no small part thanks to one of their beta testers I know, who has been pushing for all sorts of changes, that have led to a lot of improvements, not only in the way the app UI is presented but the additional functions that were simply not there when the product was first in beta testing.

DAY-TO-DAY USE/FINAL THOUGHTS

I’ve been using this long enough now to get a measure of what it’s capable of and how stable it is in terms of functionality and connectivity. Regarding the former, there have been no issues, other than the aforementioned app freezes, so the light strip has performed excellently in every mode and does exactly what I’d hoped it could do.

As for connectivity, obviously, your experience is almost certainly largely dependent on your own network, but both the 2m and 5m strips I’ve had for the last few weeks have shown no sign of issues when it comes to dropping off the network, which is something we all dread. I’d say ‘rock solid’ would be the appropriate term in this situation.

Am I happy with the Kameleon? Hell yes! Ever since I heard about its existence, I’ve been anxiously awaiting its arrival in order to try out the multicolour options it is capable of. Of course, I’m well aware of the LiFX Z-Strip, and how it can do much the same in terms of multiple colours, but at the price point the Kameleon is set at, along with the plethora of options available, it’s hard to deny that Onvis have done a great job of pushing as much customisation as possible into this product, and in that respect, they get my vote. As hardware, it has been flawless and is only occasionally let down by issues with the app. The fact that my multicolour scenes can also be exposed to HomeKit is the big bonus many I’ve spoken to have been waiting for, as for some it would have been a dealbreaker.

Some may compare this to the capabilities of the Hue Play Gradient Strip, which would be massively unfair on many counts – not least due to the enormous cost outlay to get this strip to work with your TV. If a strip matching what’s on your TV is important to you, then the Hue Play, along with the Hue Sync box, and Hue Bridge, is what you need. The Kameleon can’t do that, and never will, but what it does do, is great in my opinion, especially for the price. Highly recommended.

Full disclosure: Onvis provided HomeKit News with the Kameleon K1 Light Strip (2m & 5m) 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 Onvis Kameleon Colour Strip K1 (review) appeared first on Homekit News and Reviews.

PACKAGING

The product I have here, whilst coming with German packaging, is actually the same as any other versions you may find. One thing that Onvis are good at is making sure their products are well protected, and the CT2 is no exception, with a very sturdy box. One side reels off the basic features of the device itself, although they’re more examples of the kind of automations you can create than features as such. The rear of the box lists some basic legal text, and the other side has some specs;

• Communication protocol: Bluetooth 5.0
• Operating temperature: 14ºF ~ 113ºF / -10ºC ~ 45ºC
• Dimensions: Sensor – 1.18 x 1.81 x 0.59in / 30 x 46 x 15mm | Magnet – 0.47 x 1.02 x 0.41in / 12 x 26 x 10.5mm
• Battery: CR2450

The sensor, magnet and spacers (I’ll go into those in a bit) are really well secured inside the box, so there’s no fear of them rattling around at all. Besides these parts, you get the manual, which is in English funnily enough, a few extra double-sided stickers, a sim pin for resetting the device, a spacer cap (once again – in a bit…), and a contact card.

THE DEVICE

The main sensor, with all the sensory parts inside, is fairly non-descript save for the rather large instance of the Onvis logo. It comes with a tab that keeps the battery from being active whilst in transit, and also has a double-sided sticker on the rear.

While from the front both the sensor and magnet are rectangular, from the side they have a convex profile. On one side of both parts, you have a marker to enable you to align the two sections accurately.

The spacers that are included in the package are designed for a door or window where the door jamb and the door don’t align for whatever reason. Essentially, these allow for the magnet to be raised to match up with the sensor, assuming that the sensor, stuck to the door frame, is higher or sticks further out than the magnet when it’s stuck to the door. This setup comes with a main spacer that sticks to the door/frame, with a further three spacers that can click into place, with a final lid or plinth that sticks into the last spacer, so that the magnet can have something to stick to itself. it’s unlikely you’ll need all of these plinths, but it’s good to have more than you need than not enough. Of course, these spacers aren’t always going to provide a perfectly aligned magnet and sensor, but thankfully contact sensors are a bit forgiving in this respect.

IN HOMEKIT

Even if you’re new to HomeKit, adding most devices these days is so simple there’s no point in going through the process here, and with the CT2 being a Bluetooth device, there isn’t any network information to pass between your phone and the device, so it’s even easier. The one change that has happened with iOS14 for HomeKit and sensors, is that they are no longer presented with their own tile, which I personally find is a step back. So when it comes to viewing the status of the device, it will appear on the top of the screen, and if there is more than one door sensor, then you will have to press on the circular icon for all your contact sensors in order to see the status of one in particular (Apple, what were you thinking?). If you only have one each of the different types of sensors set up as ‘favourites’, then on the home screen it’s not as bad, as you’ll only see the details for each of these sensors, so that’s one workaround. When it comes to the settings section for the CT2 in the Home app, you do get to see the battery level, which is nice, along with options to change the type of sensor it is shown as – Blinds, Contact Sensor, Door, Garage Door, Window. From there, each option has different icons you can choose from to represent the sensor type you’ve chosen, except for ‘Contact Sensor’ and ‘Garage Door’ which only have the one icon each to choose from. In my case, I chose the double door icon; in my case, I stuck the sensor to the two halves of a pair of sliding doors, so the icon that looks most like them is the double door icon you can see above, although the open doors don’t open like that, but who really cares?

Onvis’ own app provides a little more in terms of details, so aside from showing the CT2 with its own icon, in the settings section, you have a page that shows a record of when the door was opened or closed. As the contact sensor has been set up in an apartment that we don’t frequent on a daily basis, I can’t say for sure how long the records span but going to guess it’s around 30 days. Aside from this handy record of events, you get to see the battery level, which they’ve split into to separate readings – one for the battery percentage, and another for the battery level, which spans from 1 to 5, with 5 being anything between 100 – 81% (I believe).

IN USE

I have to say that whilst I’ve had it installed for about a month now, as it’s in a place I’m not living in regularly, I can’t say how fast it has been over the course of a month. At the time of installation, I was able to test it over the course of 5 days, and as expected with any Bluetooth device, there was the occasional late response if it hadn’t been triggered in a while, but generally, it worked fine, which has been the experience of pretty much every Bluetooth based contact sensor I’ve tested to date, which includes models by Koogeek, Eve, and Vocolinc. It’s also not too far from the Apple TV in this location, so there are never any issues with no connection. Putting it up against each of these models, it does have something over each one, albeit minor plusses. Although it’s not that easy to get into the CT2 to change the battery, it’s still a lot easier than the Koogeek model, which I detailed in my review of that product. The Eve contact sensor uses a much less common battery than the Onvis, which is an ER14250, which I’ve found to be very difficult to find. When pitted against the Vocolinc model, in terms of the overall design, the Vocolinc looks a lot more stylish and is a lot less deep than the CT2, however, the battery for the Vocolinc contact sensor only lasts for an average of 6 months, so half that of the CT2, although they do use different batteries.

Generally speaking, if you prefer to have devices that don’t hog your network, and can work even if there’s an issue with WiFi, then Bluetooth is the way to go, and with Bluetooth 5.0 you do get wider signal coverage. The trade-off is the occasionally slow initial response, but that’s something that can’t only be levelled at the CT2, as all the sensors I’ve mentioned will suffer this occasionally. The provided spacers and the decent price are its saving grace, but in all honesty, if you have the Aqara hub, along with their contact sensors, it’s almost impossible to beat the speed of Zigbee in terms of reaction times, although in fairness, there isn’t a lot in it, and even Zigbee is prey to the same occasional slow response, even if it is quite rare. If you don’t like the large logo, get a craft knife out and see if you can scratch it off – then it’ll definitely be worth looking at!

Full disclosure: Onvis provided HomeKit News with the Onvis CT2 Smart Contact Sensor for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was made, requested or has not in any way influenced our opinion of this product.

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Home automation and scenes: Define rules according to which the connected devices are automatically switched on and off by intelligent plugs. Switch off the household appliances when they are not needed or if you have left the house. Voice control: Control the socket with your voice via Siri, Alexa and the Google voice assistant Requires iOS13 or higher and Android 10.0 or higher. Only supports 2.4 GHz WiFi.

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Local MicroSD card (FAT32) supports up to 128GB storage. Dual-Band Wi-Fi: The C3 uses both 5GHz and 2.4GHz Wi-Fi connection, enabling high-speed data transport. Setup can be completed in seconds. Two-way audio allows you to talk and listen to family over iPhone and Apple Watch anytime. Notifications & Automation: An iOS notification, with an image preview right at the lock screen, will be sent to you when motion is detected. Set Automations and scenes for smart control with HomeKit enabled devices.

• • Storage: iCloud ( HomeKit Secure Video), MicroSD card (up to 128G)
  • Resolution: 1080p@30fps X4 (1 for iCloud recording, 2 for live streamings, 1 for MicroSD card )
  • CMOS Sensor: IMX Starlight sensor, 2M pixels
  • Wi-Fi: 5GHz and 2.4GHz, 802.11 b/g/n/ac
  • 2-Way Audio
  • Lens FOV: 134°
  • Starlight Night Vision: Auto IR Cut, supreme quality
  • Adapter: Input 100-240VAC, 50/60Hz, 0.2A; Output 5.0VDC, 1.2A, Type C
  • Dimensions(WxDxH): 4.4×3.4×3.1 inch (112x87x80mm)
  • Operation Temperature: 32ºF~104ºF(0~40ºC)
  • Operating Humidity: 10%~90% RH non-condensing
  • Storage Temperature: -4ºF~158ºF(-20ºC~70ºC)
  • Storage Humidity: 5%~90% RH non-condensing

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First of all, here are some technical specifications for Onvis S3EU Smart Plug:

Power

• Input: 230V~, 50Hz
• Rated current : 10A (MAX)
• Rated Power: 2300W

Wireless Connection

• 2.4 GHz 802.11b/g/n Wifi

Compatibility

• Europe: Type E & F sockets

Safety

• Internal protector: 10A built-in type non-replaceable fuse
• Ambient temperature: 35℃ (MAX)

PACKAGING | DEVICE

From the very first moment, from the packaging to the product itself, there’s a feeling of the high-quality materials used. The package contains details of all functions, so if you do happen to find this in a physical store, then you will be able to know if this is the right product for you immediately. Of course, on the front you can see that the S3 plug works not only with Apple HomeKit, but also Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa.

After opening the package, inside, apart from the socket itself, you will find the user manual in English, German, French and Spanish. Information on how to connect the socket to the aforementioned systems is included, as well as information on how to contact technical support in case of any problems. The S3 plug itself gives the impression of being very carefully made of matte plastic with grey accessories and quite discreet, inconspicuous, Onvis logo. It has one single button that is used for various functions that I will describe later.

Its size does not differ from other sockets of this type available for the European market, but the rounded edges certainly make it visually appear a bit smaller than it really is. Unfortunately, as with most of these types of products, it is in fact, quite large. So, just like nearly all other EU smart plugs, it blocks the second outlet in standard double sockets, and you will not be able to connect two S3 plugs directly next to each other. The Onvis S3 plug also has built-in overload protection.

Overall, the device makes a very positive impression, but let’s see how everything works whilst it’s in use, and what additional functions – if any – there are.

S3 IN THE HOME APP

Since I’m describing products from the perspective of HomeKit users, I’ll start with the procedure of adding the S3 to the HomeKit system. You can use the Apple Home app itself for this purpose, which is available on iOS, iPadOS and also on macOS, but if you also want to have access to all additional functions not supported by the HomeKit framework, along with access to hardware updates for the plug itself, then you will also need to use the Onvis app, which is available for download from the Apple Store for iOS, iPadOS, and also for the Apple Watch.

The process of adding the S3 plug itself is no different from the standard procedure for adding new devices to the HomeKit system, regardless of whether we use the Apple Home or Onvis application.

You need to scan or manually enter the HomeKit code that is found on the plug itself, or in the user manual. After scanning the code, you’ll see the standard procedure for adding the device to HomeKit, where you can assign the device to the place in our home, where it will be used, and give it it’s own name. You also have the option of specifying the plug’s operating mode; There are three standard HomeKit options to choose from: outlet, light, or fan. It’s most useful when you want to control the plug using voice and Siri, with the plug receiving an appropriate icon depending on the selected operating mode. It’s also worth mentioning that if you use the Apple Home app to add the plug to HomeKit, then you can always install the Onvis application and everything will work without the need to reconnect or re-add the device, so the order and method do not matter here.

The S3 uses a 2.4 GHz WiFi connection to communicate with HomeKit. I’ve been using this plug for a few weeks and at the very beginning of using the early firmware version of the plug, when programming, I had a few command response issues. However, Onvis took care of this issue quickly and fixed all these bugs very quickly. Since then, I’m happy to say the S3 works and reacts very quickly and reliably to any commands. I also didn’t notice any problems with the WiFi connection itself. It is important to note that if you get this smart plug with earlier firmware than version 1.2.13, then you will need to make sure to upgrade it to a newer version before using it.

In the HomeKit system itself, you have access to basic functions such as turning the plug on and off using the application, via your voice, or programmed scenes and automation, regardless of whether you are at home or not. To use these functions when we are outside our local WiFi network, you’re required to have an active internet connection and a HomeKit hub, which is responsible for all automation and remote connections from outside our local network. For this purpose, you can use devices such as an Apple TV (4th gen or above), HomePod, or suitable iPad.

From the Apple Home app, the only available parameters to use when creating an automation are the plug, in on or off status. Unfortunately, the Apple Home app does not show and does not support all the functions available in HomeKit’s framework itself for this, which is the same for other smart plugs, so if you want to use functions such as reporting the current power consumption, creating an automation based on it or displaying the status of something that is currently connected to the plug, then you need to use a separate HomeKit application from third parties. In addition to using the app, you can, as with any HomeKit device, also control it using Siri voice control.

S3 IN THE ONVIS HOME APP

Regardless of the functions available via HomeKit, the Onvis application also gives you simultaneous access to all additional functions, such as a timer, countdown timer, firmware update and various power consumption graphs.

On the main page, the plug is represented with a tile showing us the current state of the plug, and whether it’s enabled or disabled. By briefly pressing the tile, you can quickly and easily turn on or off the plug, as expected.

All these additional functions have been placed in the plugin options, which you can open by long pressing on the plug symbol.

On the options page, starting from the top, you’ll see a symbol that informs you as to whether the plug is turned on or off by means of a backlight effect. Then you get a toggle switch with which you can disable or enable the plug. The next symbol informs you as to whether a device is connected to the plug or not. A green symbol means that a device is currently connected to the plug. If nothing is connected then this symbol will be displayed in grey.

Additional functions have been placed at the very bottom of the options page. These are a Timer with which you can program a day and time period for when you want the plug to be turned on and off. You can create any number of independent programs there.

The next feature is Countdown. This function is to turn the plug on or off after a specific amount of time. Timer settings from 1 second to 2 hours is possible, although when attempting to set the timer, the clock allows you to go up to 2 hours and 59 minutes, but will throw up an error when you try to save the timer.

Another function is Usage, i.e. saved data on power consumption by the device connected to the plug. This data is saved locally in the Onvis App and displayed in graphs. You can choose from daily, weekly, monthly or yearly reports. In addition, you can choose whether you want to see a summary of electricity consumption or the total cost of electricity consumption. In the Onvis app settings, you can set any rate of electricity costs.

At the very end You will find Records, a record of the time and time when the plugin was turned on and off.

There is also an extra options page accessible with the checkbox symbol in the upper right corner. There, additional information about the current state of power consumption is displayed. There, you can check the version and update the plug-in firmware, as well as options for connecting the plug to Amazon Alexa and Google Home systems.

A CLOSER LOOK AT THE S3

The Onvis S3 plug also has one physical button located on the housing and a LED diode. By pressing the button shortly, you can simply turn the plug on or off, and by holding the button for a longer time, you can reset the plug to its factory state. A continuous blue LED light means that the plug is on and connected to the Wifi network, while the blinking blue light informs you that there no connection to the Wifi network. Under normal working conditions, if the LED is not showing, it simply means the plug is not on and not powering any device, although it could also be that if it’s not receiving power you would also notice a ‘no response’ issue in HomeKit.

The Onvis S3 is also designed to work with Amazon Alexa and Google Home, however despite the markings on the box itself and in the Onvis app, support for Amazon Alexa and Google Home was not at the time of writing and when we tested this product, and as such, we couldn’t see how the S3 works with these systems.

SUMMING UP

Overall, despite some initial firmware issues with the Onvis S3 plug, which were quickly fixed by Onvis, it quickly became one of my favourite smart plugs for Apple HomeKit thanks to its connection stability and quick response to commands. Each additional feature certainly adds even more value to it. Certainly, a very welcome function is the measurement of power consumption and historical data related to the device. Unfortunately, not every smart plug has this feature and I believe it should be standard as it’s a very useful feature. If I miss something with this plug, it is certainly the ability to export power data from the Onvis application, along with a child lock function, which often turns out to be useful, especially when there are very young children at home. In the Onvis application itself, it’s clear there’s a lot of room for fixes in its operation and general UI improvements. For example, I would like to see easier access to information about the current power consumption and which today is hidden at the bottom, but these are mostly just cosmetic changes and generally do not affect the operation of this plug. As for ‘cosmetics’, it’s certainly not one to blend into the background, with the grey accents as part of the bodywork, which look a bit dated, but if this is going to be hidden from view, it’s not a big deal ultimately.

If you are looking for a European version of a smart plug that works with Apple HomeKit and you can rely on, I can definitely recommend Onvis S3EU to you.

Full disclosure: Onvis provided HomeKit News with the Onvis S3EU Smart Plug for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was made or requested and has in no way influenced our opinion of this product.

The post Onvis S3EU Smart Plug (review) appeared first on Homekit News and Reviews.

PACKAGING

The front of the box simply features the camera, along with the some of the standout features, which we’ll get into in a bit, but it’s clearly designed solely for HomeKit, as are the other two Onvis devices previously mentioned. It also states that it works with HomeKit Secure Video (HSV). The rear of the box simply spells out some of the basic requirements, one of which is the Onvis Home app, although it actually isn’t if you don’t want access to the SD Card recording functionality. You’re still going to need the app for firmware updates, like many HomeKit products, however.

The rest of the box is adorned with a plethora of text, boasting the camera’s features and specs, for which we’ll simply list them below;

Specifications:

• Compatible with HomeKit Secure Video
• Onboard local recording to Micro SD Card, up to 128GB
• 2MP IMX Starlight Sensor
• compatible with 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz WiFi
• 2-way audio
• HDR (High Dynamic Range)
• 134º Field of View
• 100-240V AC @ 50/60Hz
• USB > USB-C power socket/cable
• Four separate streams, each capable of 1080p HD video at 30FPS (1 for iCloud, 2 for live stream, 1 for SD card)
• 4-second rolling pre-record to SD card

It all sounds rather impressive in theory, but then no company presents their products as ‘average’ or ‘just ok’, so it’s what matters in my own findings that are important.

The complete contents of the box include the C3 itself, a manual in English, German, French, Italian, and Spanish, two screws and rawl plugs for affixing it to a ceiling or wall, a USB plug with foldable pins, and a 2m / 6.5ft USB > USB-C cable to power the device.

THE CAMERA

I know you’re thinking, this is an ugly camera, right? Well, yes, it’s not the prettiest camera around for sure, and I’m not going to defend it when compared the beautiful design of the Logitech Circle View, which is a lesson in minimalism all by itself, but then the ‘View’ is almost twice the price, and no local recording option. To be fair to the Logitech offering, it can also be used outdoors and offers a 180º FoV. Yes, it does look a bit like a mix of ET and the large eye you see on those War of The Worlds alien craft. I get it, it’s not a looker. But here’s the thing – it definitely has character, and this wouldn’t look out of place in the Jetson’s household. Still, if this is a security camera, you don’t want it to be seen anyway right, at least not in plain view. I can say that I love great design, and I do admire the look of the D-Link Omna, even three years on, but do I look at it at least once a day? No, I don’t. Taste is a personal thing of course, and so I’m not going to convince anyone on the looks, not that I want to, but it’s fair to play the Devil’s Advocate in this instance. The base of the camera is pretty damn ugly though, I’ll give you that!

The rear of the camera has the downfacing USB-C port, and although it’s a minor plus, I don’t think a day goes by when I haven’t seen someone bemoan manufacturers sticking to Micro USB ports like their lives depended on it, so I for one, am glad to see this. One side of the camera has a pinhole for resetting the device, along with a Micro SD card slot for onboard local recording. The top of the camera has a speaker grille for the tw0-way audio functionality.

The camera is held up by a stem that rests into a balljoint at the top of the rather odd-looking base. This affords the C3 plenty of room for positioning, but by the same token, it’s not so easy to get it so that the camera is totally level. It just takes a bit of adjustment, so it’s not a big deal. As already mentioned, the camera can be wall-mounted using the provided screws, that fit into the two holes on the base of the stand. The underside of the stand has a circle of dense foam to give it a bit of weight, as well as make it less likely to slide around if placed on a shelf, for example. The stand itself does look and feel a bit like an afterthought, to be honest, and doesn’t feel particularly strong, but once it’s in place, I doubt there’s any need to move it.

THE C3 IN HOMEKIT

As you might expect, as this is just like other cameras that are HomeKit and HSV compatible device, it’s going to have most of the same features. In the live view in the Home app, you get the live stream, as well as microphone and speaker icons at the top, along with the settings icon, and the video capture timeline at the bottom, if the camera is set to ‘Stream & Allow Recording’. If this is set up, you also have the option to export recorded footage via the ‘share’ icon above the recording timeline. In iOS13, you also get quick access to any devices that are located in the same room as the camera itself. None of these is unique to the C3, but if you’re new to HomeKit or even HSV, then it’s good to know, all the same. The C3 also has a pixel-based motion sensor, which gets exposed as a separate device. Pretty much every camera has something like this, but in the case where you don’t happen to have a motion sensor, it’s a useful addition, although PIR (Passive Infrared) sensors are usually preferable. The great thing about having a motion sensor built into the camera is that not only will you get a notification when motion is detected, but said notification comes with a thumbnail image of the instance that set the motion off in the first place. Although motion detection zones are coming to iOS14, they aren’t available to iOS13 users at present, so one thing that is quite handy with the C3 at present is its ability to create motion zones within the Onvis Home app, via a grid that divides the image into squares, which you can turn on or off. We’ll show that later, but it’s good that this motion detection customisation is also applied to the motion sensor when in the Home app.

The camera itself pushes out three 1080p streams (two for live streaming and one for HSV, plus a fourth stream for SD card recordings) at 30 frames per second (fps), which goes above the minimum requirement of 24fps. Whilst this may not seem like a large leap, combined with the faster capabilities of the 5.0GHz WiFi, the live stream appears smoother, which is something I already noticed with my D-Link Omna, another camera that also connects to 5.0GHz WiFi. Anecdotal evidence seems to suggest that cameras on the 5.0GHz network launch quicker, although this is just my personal findings. I do wish more cameras had this option, as it’s quite easy for the 2.4GHz space to get clogged up with devices. That being said, whilst the image in daylight and decent artificial light is good, the night vision isn’t so great. It’s not a bad picture, per se, but if you look at the night-vision screengrab above, you can notice a bit of graininess towards the bottom of the door. I’ve mentioned this to Onvis, and they’ve stated that they’re working on a firmware update to address the issue, so hopefully, this will improve to the point where I can remove this ‘negative’ if and when I update this review. Bonus points for anyone who’s able to correctly identify four other HomeKit devices in this picture (five, if you include packaging…).

THE ONVIS HOME APP

I think it’s fair to say that many 3rd party apps for HomeKit devices just aren’t up to the task, whether that’s a confusing interface or simply a badly designed one. I have to say, whilst the Onvis Home app isn’t the worst one I’ve seen (that honour goes to the Etón app), it does lack a bit of polish, and only really serves to be able to view the SD card recordings, and functionalities related to this, as well as for firmware updates.

In the images above, you can see a snapshot of the feed at the bottom of the screen, which refreshes every ten seconds, just as with the Apple Home app. Upon clicking on the preview, you get to see the live feed. Below the feed are icons for two way audio, and muting the sound. At the bottom is a screen that shows previews of the most recently recorded events – events recorded to the SD card, not to HSV. The button says ‘LIVE’, which shows you’re seeing the live feed, but if you press on it, the button will change to show ‘VIDEO’. This will then proceed to play the most recent SD card recording in the large screen area, along with a timeline of recordings. These recordings are broken down into two distinct sections; the previews will only show the recordings made in a one hour slot, so the preview recordings you can see in the timeline in the third screenshot, are from 9-10am only. Above this section, you have the option to choose different time slots, so in the example, above we have 9am (actually 9-10am) and prior to that 5am (actually 5-6am). I’m using a TestFlight version of the Onvis app, and as such it’s slightly unfinished, which is evident from the dates section at the top of the screen which shows Chinese characters for the day of the week (三 representing both the number 3 and Wednesday, in Mandarin) instead of the English equivalent. This should all be fixed by the time the camera goes on sale in the West apparently.

The main settings page for the C3 shows a prominent ‘firmware update’ button at the top. You then have access to the name and room settings for the C3, as well as being able to adjust the individual levels of both the microphone and the speaker. Further down, there are options for the motion sensor, which we’ll go into shortly, an option to rotate the camera view by 180º, in case you want to mount the camera to a ceiling upside down, and further options relating to local SD recordings, and the way in which the image is viewed.

For motion detection, the Onvis Home app allows you to turn on or off certain areas of the camera’s view. This is done by dividing the image into 16 blocks, much like you get with the Aqara G2H, D-Link Omna and others. You also have the ability to set one of three sensitivity levels. Motion detection in the Home app is reflective of what is set in the Onvis app.

For local SD recording options, you have a few interesting options, one of which includes being able to choose whether or not audio is included in the recordings, although this is also available in the Home app as well, but only for HSV recordings. You can also choose a default recording length for your recordings, with the minimum being five seconds, up to a maximum of thirty seconds. In addition, you can even choose the resolution at which the recordings are made. You can choose between;

• 1920 x 1080 (full HD)
• 1280 x 720 (HD)
• 640 x 360
• 480 x 270
• 320 x 180
• 1280 x 960
• 1024 x 768
• 640 x 480 (SD)
• 480 x 360
• 320 x 240

I have to say, that even though I would tend to record to the SD card at full HD, it’s impressive that they’re able to offer so many different options. Such options are designed to maximise recording storage of course, and although I’ve only got a 32gb Micro SD card installed, the C3 is capable of accepting up to 128gb cards. The only current downside is that at present there’s no way of retrieving the locally recorded footage, unless you first remove the SD card, and then plug it into a computer or similar device capable of reading the video contents. I’ve mentioned this omission to Onvis, and they said a feature to download clips to your iPhone’s library is coming in the next planned update.

Going back to aspect ratio options for the camera, there’s a section that allows for the camera to be displayed in three different ways;

The first of the three options is what you might typically see on most cameras; All of the image is captured, but you get lens distortion as a result, with vertical lines bowing towards the edges of the image. The second option attempts to straighten out the bowing whilst bringing slightly more of the image into the frame, but by doing so, stretches the image vertically to fill the 16:9 screen ratio. The third and final image is the default, which fixes the lens distortion to some degree but also keeps the aspect ratio correct and not stretched in the vertical plane. This results in some of the image going off the edge, so you see less. This is the preferred version for me, and the loss of some image on either side is not something I’m concerned about.

PERFORMANCE AND COMPARISONS

I’m writing this in full awareness that not only has the HomeKit and HSV compatible camera market increased substantially in the last 6 months, not least with the arrival of the Eufy indoor 2K cameras, with the abundance of options within their own app, as well as ridiculously low price points, it makes life tricky for a camera that many have already judged to be an ‘also ran’ simply due to its looks. The specs for the C3 are reasonably impressive, so you would think it stands a fighting chance, but pricing seems to be everything in this day and age, so who knows whether the specs really make a difference. As I’ve already stated, I personally don’t think it’s the most attractive looking product, but I really don’t plan on gazing into the lens on a daily basis and have found that I don’t tend to think or notice any of my cameras very often, even if they’re placed in plain sight, so I can’t see this being an issue for me, but it may still be for others.

In terms of how it has performed since I was sent the camera, I’ve been consistently reporting back to Onvis, with any issues – even minor ones – and to their credit, they have issued software or firmware fixes where necessary, albeit belatedly at times. The live-streamed image is fairly comparable to other cameras in the home, which includes the D-Link Omna, Abode Iota, EufyCam 2C, and the Aqara G2H. I do have both of the Eufy 2K Indoor cameras, and a Logitech Circle View here, but have yet to test them to any large extent, so I’ll reserve judgement on those for now.

In terms of how reliable it has been, it has been incredibly fast to load up in the Home app, which I think I can partially put down to it being connected to the 5.0GHz network, although in the Onvis app this isn’t always the case. As already mentioned, I am using a beta version of the app, so things like this are expected, but in the Home app, I’ve yet to have an instance where it has become unresponsive. I’m happy that I can use an SD Card to record events, as I really don’t plan on upgrading to the 2TB iCloud plan at this time, so I’ll end up using the Logitech Circle view as the ‘designated driver’ for HSV, with all the other cameras using their local recording abilities to cover everything else. The app is a bit disappointing, but I was already aware that it wasn’t great, so all that needs fixing is a simple way to access the SD card recordings, as I don’t plan on using the Onvis Home app as my daily driver anytime soon.

When it comes to the price point, currently at just under US$80.00, it’s about half the price of the Logitech Circle View, but double the price of the Eufy 2K Indoor Cam, so we get back to price points over functions again, maybe. The Eufy does have 2K resolution, but then that is irrelevant in HomeKit, as only up to 1080p is supported. The Eufy and the Logitech also only support 2.4GHz, which might not be an issue to some, but certainly makes a difference to me. The forthcoming Eve Cam does also support 2.4 & 5.0GHz WiFi, but the price point still makes it almost double the price. The Eufy does have a much better app, and the camera also has a built-in alarm, which is not the case on both accounts with the C3. The Logitech View has abandoned the need for the Logitech app entirely, it seems.

If I’m not presenting a strong enough argument for the C3, that may simply be because there isn’t enough to sway you, to begin with. My own tentative tests with the Eufy indoor cams haven’t been amazing, to be honest, and it would seem that as of writing this article, some people are less happy about these amazingly priced cameras than they thought they would be, but the image quality is good, so Onvis need to step up to the plate in this regard, even though they’re not far behind. It’s a tough call, and I’ll leave that for you to decide, by weighing up the pros and cons for yourself. If you are interested, then you can get the camera at a limited discount price of only US$72 (regular price US$89.99) directly from Onvis own store (link below). What can be said for sure, is that there are plenty of camera choices in 2020!

Full disclosure: Onvis provided HomeKit News with the Onvis C3 Smart Indoor Camera for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was made or requested and has in no way influenced our opinion of this product.

The post Onvis C3 Smart Indoor Camera (review) appeared first on Homekit News and Reviews.

PACKAGING

Regular readers of my reviews will know I appreciate decent packaging, as much as I despise poor packaging, and I’m glad to say this lands in the former category. It truly is a ‘box’ in terms of the very thick, sturdy card (like the kind you’d get for an iPhone) that’s utilised, so the dainty little device inside is well protected. The front is simple enough, with the product pictured along with the ever encouraging Apple HomeKit logo. The rear is all about the fine print and isn’t really of any major interest. One side of the box gives you a few icons indicating the basic features of the device, whilst the other side goes into specs and requirements;

• Security alarm – Adjustable alarm up to 120dB. Four alarm modes – Home, Away, Night, Off
• Contact sensor – Detect on/off status of your door or window from anywhere
• Notifications – Sends notifications to your device
• Temperature/Humidity – Shows temperature and humidity for the area where the alarm is based
• Home automation – Create custom automations and scenes to control your home with any HomeKit enabled accessories

In terms of specifications and requirements, the device uses two AAA batteries, with a standby time of 1.5 years, and Bluetooth LE 5.0 as its method of communication. They recommend that you’re running at least iOS12.1, and if you want remote access or create scenes and automations, you’ll need a Home Hub, like the Apple TV4 (or higher), a HomePod, or a suitable iPad that’s permanently powered and connected to wifi. All fairly standard stuff. You’ll need to download the Onvis app for access to certain settings and updates, although apart from these, you don’t need to use the app for anything else, so you can use the Home app or other 3rd party apps, like Eve, as I’ll explain later.

Once the box is opened, you’ll see a small bag of contents, which includes the manual (all in English) including HomeKit code, a spare set of double-sided 3M stickers, a set of screws with rawl plugs, and a customer service card. Beneath that is the device itself – The alarm/sensor, the accompanying magnet and two AAA batteries, all firmly held in place with very dense foam. Just as a side note, the batteries in the image above will most likely differ from yours, as batteries weren’t supplied when Onvis sent the device to me – shipping issues apparently – so I provide these myself.

THE DEVICE

The Alarm/sensor is made of very glossy white plastic and has the alarm speaker right on the front, with the Onvis logo directly below. Underneath that is a hidden LED that flashes when the door sensor is activated. At the bottom is a reset button, should you need to get the device back to factory settings. When I first saw this device online, I actually thought it was bigger, but it’s actually not as large as I thought. The main sensor is 90 x 38 x 21.4mm / 3.54 x 1.49 x 0.84in. The magnet part is about a third of the size, at 34.9 x 15.7 x 14.8mm / 1.37 x 0.62 x 0.58in.

All around the body of the main device are openings, which I can only assume are two allow for the measurement of temperature and humidity. Yes, not only does this have a contact sensor with a built-in alarm, but it also contains temperature and humidity sensors. This may seem a bit odd, and I’d probably agree that it seems a bit gratuitous, but if you don’t already have any of these sensors, then it does provide even more value for money, although if this is situated on your front door, I’m not sure how important readings of these kinds would be. I guess it’s all down to placement. This is also the case with Onvis’ other HomeKit device, the SMS1 Motion sensor, which also has temperature and humidity sensors built-in. You can read our review of the SMS1 here.

Both the main sensor and the accompanying magnet have an indented circle on one side to show where the magnet and the sensor should line up. The manual states that the gap between the two needs to be less than 20mm / 0.79in. Initially, I thought this was in reference to the distance between the two parts once they’d been placed on your door, with the door closed, but it, in fact, means that the two circles have to line up to within 20mm of each other in the vertical plane, so if for any reason you’re unable line the circle markers up exactly, then try to ensure they’re within the 20mm limit. Regardless of this, it’s always good practice to keep the sensor and magnet in close proximity.

The battery compartment holds two AAA batteries and is unremarkable except for the fact it’s really easy to open and close. I’d probably say too easy in some respects, and it probably would’ve been a good idea to include a small screw that stops the door from being slid off so easily, in much the same way that some video doorbell cameras can be secured. Despite it only being used for indoors, there could be a situation where someone does manage to get into your home, but isn’t deterred by the alarm and is quickly able to deactivate it by taking the batteries out very fast, which a secure screw would stop or at least seriously slow such an attempt down. Of course, you’d get the notification, but if you’re far from home and you’re hoping the neighbours are listening, it’s entirely possible that the alarm would get ignored if it only blasts out for a few seconds, with some people simply thinking the alarm was triggered by mistake. In most scenarios, a would-be thief would hightail it out of there as soon as the alarm is triggered, so the potential instance mentioned is maybe an extreme one, although still quite possible.

INSTALLATION AND SETUP

As the device is a fully-fledged HomeKit offering, you can simply add it to the Home app in the same way you would any other. However, just like other HomeKit devices, it’s also good practice to have the manufacturers’ app for not only updates but settings that aren’t always available in the regular Home app. As you can see in the screencaps above, once installed, the device gives up four separate tiles, although in the Home app they will initially be bundled into one tile, so you’re going to need to ‘unbundle’ them in the settings. There’s a tile for the contact sensor, temperature and humidity. Additionally, you get the alarm tile. This is pretty much the same situation with the Onvis app, giving you four tiles.

When it comes to customising certain aspects of the alarm, it’s best to do it in the Onvis app, as this is also where you’ll be able to download any firmware updates (hint: there will be ones waiting…). In the settings page, you can change the name of the device, as well as change its location. You can set any of the four states we’ve already mentioned – Home, Away, Night and Off.

You can also set the default volume of the alarm – Low, Mid and High. I’ve been informed that if you want to deploy an external sound source for your alarm instead of the built-in alarm, such as your HomePod for example, the company are working to add a mute option to the alarm modes very soon. Further down, you get to be able to adjust how long the alarm rings for, with a minimum of 10 seconds and a maximum of 600 seconds (10 minutes). Finally, if you’re in need of removing the device, you can do so with the help of the large red ‘Remove Accessory’ button.

ALARM MODES

When you press on the alarm tile in either app you get access to the four separate alarm ‘states’ – Home, Away, Night and Off. This might seem a bit confusing to some who are just used to having ‘Off’ and ‘Away’, but essentially, these states are the starting point for your own setups or automations. The Onvis manual explains how they perceive these different states thus;

• Home (it’s referred to as Stay when you receive notifications) – Home is occupied, and the residents are active. The security alarm plays a ‘ding dong’ sound when the door opens (note: it’s nothing like ‘ding dong’). So, essentially this is the door not set to ‘alarm’, but merely notification, so you know someone has come home, while you – or someone else – is home.
• Away – The security alarm ‘beeps’ (the alarm sounds) for 30 seconds when someone triggers the contact sensor. The Alarm time can be set from between 10 and 600 seconds in the Onvis app. This is the basic armed alarm.
• Night – The home is occupied and the residents are sleeping. The security alarm ‘beeps’ (the alarm sounds) for 30 seconds when someone triggers the contact sensor. The Alarm time can be set from between 10 and 600 seconds in the Onvis app. This is the same as the basic armed alarm, but as I’ll explain later, they can differ.
• Off – The alarm is disarmed. Very simple.

Note: At present, the ‘Historic Records’ button seems to hang, although the company have already submitted a fix for this, so it should no longer be an issue once the app update has passed the standard App Store review process.

In order to get the Away and Night alarm modes to work differently, you need to create an automation that’s suitable for these scenarios, although in each case, these two modes will always trigger the built-in alarm.

I’m going to start off with the Home app for the moment, to make clear that whilst you have the four separate alarm states to choose from in the Home app, you aren’t able to set up external/3rd party devices to trigger them as such. This is fairly similar to how the Aqara hub works in terms of alarms, in that the Home app only facilitates activating or deactivating the different modes, not configuring them. So effectively, in the case of the Aqara hub, you have to set the device that triggers the alarm (which has to be a child device bound to the hub –  i.e. Mijia or Aqara devices) in the Aqara or Mi Home app, depending on which of the two you’re using. In reference to the Aqara hub, at present, you only have the arm or disarm (Away or Off) options in the Home app. With the Onvis device, this expands on what modes you want to choose from, although it’s down to what you do with those modes that make a difference. What should be understood, however, is that just like the Aqara hub, only the Onvis contact sensor can actually trigger the alarm. The big difference here is that with Aqara, you can pick and choose your devices as the triggers for the alarm. As the onvis is a device unto itself, only its own trigger device – the contact sensor – can be utilised. As Onvis also make a motion sensor, along with the forthcoming HomeKit camera we mentioned a while back, it would make a lot of sense to include these as additional external trigger devices for the alarm, and after mentioning this to Onvis, they have informed me they’re working on an update to address this functionality.

With all that said, what can you do with these modes? I’d urge you in this instance to start looking at something like the Eve app, or other 3rd party apps that allow full control of these modes in automations. I’ll demonstrate why these apps are important to achieve this later, but first, its good to start off explaining the different modes in better detail. so for example, you might want to either set up a Scene (or automation), that sets the alarm to Away mode, (which by default arms the alarm). The scene can also include turning lights or heating off, of course.

For Home mode, this acts almost the same as Away mode, with the main difference being that whilst the alarm is ‘armed’, instead of the piercing alarm sound being triggered when the contact sensor reports the door being opened, it will play a chime, which I previously said was labelled a ‘ding dong’ sound. In actual fact, it’s a little bit like the electronic two-note beeps you might hear if you open the door to a local convenience store. This is ostensibly designed to let people who are already home, know that the door has been opened, but as they’re home, there should be no cause for concern, as it simply notifies you that maybe your kids have arrived home, or perhaps your significant other has gotten back from work. You might want to create a scene that, when the contact sensor is triggered under this mode, it also turns one light red in the room (or rooms) you spend most of your time in, to let you and others know someone has come home, as otherwise in order to be notified by the chime alone, it’d have to be set to maximum volume if you were at the other end of the house.

Night mode is more of the same but is more akin to Away mode in that if the door opens, the regular 120dB alarm will sound. As before, it should be stated that in order to get a different experience from Night mode compared to Away mode, you might want to work out the appropriate scene and corresponding automation. So, if the alarm is triggered in Away mode, you’ll want the alarm to turn on (as it will do by default), and maybe have red lights come on where the entrance is, to scare the would-be intruder. But, if you set Night mode you might want additional lights to trigger perhaps, like your bedroom lights to come on at 100% brightness, to alert you if your phone is set to ‘do not disturb’ for example.

When you select any of the four modes in either the Home or Onvis app, the sensor will play a tone to let you know;

• When you select either the Night or Away modes, the sensor will give out a short single tone.
• If you select the Home mode, it will give the two-tone sound mentioned previously.
• If you select the Off mode, it will give out two short tones in succession.

CREATING SCENES AND AUTOMATIONS FOR THE MODES

Unfortunately, the Home app doesn’t support automations that utilise the different modes, so it’s down to the Eve app or similar 3rd party apps to do the initial work. In the first image above, I’ve created a simple automation;

• If the Onvis contact sensor ‘contact state’ is ‘no’ (meaning the door is open)
• With the condition that the Onvis alarm mode is set to ‘Night Arm’
• Then activate the ‘Lights Bright’ scene (this turns the bedroom light on at 100% brightness)

As you can also see from the second and third screenshots, once you’ve created the automation, it will appear in the Home app, almost as though it was created there in the first place. If you look at the other options available in both apps, you really can create some very complex alarm scenarios, so you’re only limited by your imagination and what devices you have that can be included in said automations.

PHYSICAL PLACEMENT OF THE ALARM/SENSOR

Like many contact sensors, the Onvis relies on two parts – the sensor and a magnet. The magnet is usually fitted to the door jamb, with the sensor part fitting to the door. Unfortunately, as is also the case with most contact sensors, the magnet within the main sensor is only on one side, and in the case of my front door, the door opens on the left from inside. The connection between the magnet and the sensor on the Onvis is on the right.

This means that in my case (left-hand door), the sensor has to be either placed upside down or placed at top of the door, sideways. Neither looks great, as the Onvis logo is upside down for the first option, and sideway for the second. It’s really not the end of the world, but it would have maybe been a good idea for Onvis to add a magnet to both sides of the main sensor, in order to accommodate door that opens on the left and right. If you have a door with a very large door jamb that can accommodate the main body, then it’s also ok to place the sensor there of course, but unless you happen to live in a palace or castle, most modern houses and doors only have moderately thin door jambs.

IN DAILY USE

When I initially installed the Onvis sensor, all went well, but after the first 24 hours, I did encounter a couple of issues. The first one relates to notifications; For some reason, the Onvis was sending random notifications to my phone via the Home app. These notifications simply reported on the state of the alarm – Away or Off for example. A colleague of mine has reported the same issues with his test unit and has been experiencing several of these notifications. In my case, it has been maybe 2 or 3 a day, and as of writing this review, they seem to have largely stopped. The company are aware of this issue, and I’m told a fix is nearly ready. The other issue I initially had was that the device disconnected on a couple of occasions. I removed and reinserted the batteries and it came back, but what I eventually noticed was that it was basically a little too far from my iPhone and Home Hub (Apple TV4K), and so would disconnect due to a lack of a connection. I was able to simply remedy this by activating a second Apple TV I had in the same room as the Onvis, that was previously not set to act as a Home Hub. As soon as I did this, I haven’t experienced any further disconnections, which is a relief. It does show, however, that despite this being a Bluetooth 5.0 device, which should have four times the reach of Bluetooth 4.2, the reach and signal isn’t as strong as I’d expected. Could this be a bug within the coding for the Bluetooth chip? I don’t know, but I feel it should be better, and hopefully, the company can address this if it is indeed less than it should be. In truth, as many people are aware, there are some serious issues still to fix with the Home app in iOS 13, so it’s hard to place too much blame with the device itself, as at least three times a day, I have to reboot the iPhone in order for the Home app to behave itself, which makes testing devices like this all the more harder, if you haven’t gotten an app to create a normal, stable environment to test it in.

In terms of the alarm, it’s loud, but not quite as loud as I’d expected. Still, at a maximum of 120dB when it’s triggered, which will be essentially right next to where any unauthorised entry will take place, it’s more than enough to make all but the most determined (or profoundly deaf) intruder flee the scene.

Although admittedly, I’m not a massive fan of Bluetooth devices, their Bluetooth motion sensor has been very reliable, and so far, since activating the 2nd Apple TV, the Alarm Sensor has behaved very well too. Obviously, to really know how reliable something is in a broader sense, it takes a long time to evaluate, but one could also argue as to how long one should test a device to deem it reliable – if something is designed for years of service, and you test it for a year before it fails, was that long enough to deem it reliable? I’ll leave that for you to decide, but for the time being, taking into account the current state of things, it seems decent enough, especially for the price.

SUMMING UP

I didn’t have very high expectations for this device, simply based on the principle of how it works compared to a dedicated or even semi-dedicated alarm setup. However, whilst this probably isn’t suitable for larger house perhaps, there are definite use cases for this; maybe you want to use this for a separate outhouse or garage door (within range of course), or maybe even a backup to a door with a sensor already in place. I would suggest that a device like this is ideal for people in smaller apartments or even people who live in shared accommodation, with their own lockable room perhaps. It could also be useful in student accommodation, where there tend to be a lot more comings and goings. It’s also fair to highlight the fact that as it’s Bluetooth, there’s no requirement for a hub, and it doesn’t rely on wifi (except for remote access), so it does have a lot going for it.

I’ve already highlighted the potential for this device to be disabled by simply removing the batteries, although as I also stated, it’s unlikely that someone will spend the time to locate the alarm and figure out how to open it, with 120dB blasting their eardrums, especially when it’s bound to attract a fair bit of attention, so this is an uncommon scenario, to be fair. Ultimately, it would be better if you could choose other devices to trigger the alarm based on the type of mode the alarm is in, but this is how it is with all alarm systems in HomeKit, in that the alarm can only be triggered by devices in its own ecosystem. This is where, in some ways, the Aqara system has the edge, as you can assign different sensors to act as the trigger in different modes. The Aqara system doesn’t currently expose the four modes in HomeKit at this time though, and the US Aqara hub is almost twice the price of this Onvis alarm sensor, even before you start buying sensors, which can range between $10 – $20 apiece. If you already have some Aqara sensors and the hub, you probably won’t need this, assuming Aqara does bring the four modes into HomeKit.

It’s also fair to say that there are a few kinks to work out, but I’m already aware that many issues that existed when this was being tested, have been fixed very quickly by the Onvis team, so I feel confident that any outstanding issues will be addressed equally quickly. So, all that being said, for the price, this is a handy backup device, even if you have an alarm system in place.

Thanks to Richard B for the help with understanding the alarm modes.

Full disclosure: Onvis provided HomeKit News with the Security Alarm Contact Sensor for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was made or requested.

The post Onvis Security Alarm Contact Sensor (review) appeared first on Homekit News and Reviews.