Aqara has been busy as of late. The company announced Matter support for 50 new device types earlier this month, and now it’s launching three new products — the Aqara M100 Hub, Climate Sensor W100, and Camera Protect Kit Y100. All three are now available for purchase.
If you’re interested in syncing all your smart devices together, the Aqara Smart Hub M100 is bound to be the most exciting of the bunch. The next-gen smart hub is designed for seamless Matter compatibility, allowing you to set up complex automations between Aqara products and Matter-enabled products from other platforms.
The M100 works with up to 20 Zigbee devices, and it even lets you use features like facial recognition across Home Assistant and other Matter-enabled ecosystems. Its tiny design means you can place it just about anywhere, and there’s virtually no setup required — after plugging in the hub, you can start connecting other gadgets once you’ve signed into your network. Support for 2.4GHz Wi-Fi 6 should result in smooth performance.
Aqara also revealed the Climate Sensor W100. This isn’t exactly a smart thermostat, but it can be synced with other devices to help you control your home’s climate. Three buttons are located next to a large 3.4-inch display, which shows the current temperature and humidity. Think of it as a device that lets you control your smart thermostat while away from your physical HVAC device.
It’s a bit more compelling than using your smart thermostat mobile app, as you can program multiple different functions across its buttons. This will primarily appeal to niche shoppers who need increased control over their systems — but its reasonable price of $40 could make it intriguing to shoppers with a large home looking for an alternative to installing a second thermostat.
The last product released by Aqara is the Camera Protect Kit Y100. The bundle includes a 2K Camera, a door and window sensor, a motion sensor, and a vibration sensor. A microSD card slot is included for local recording, and it can be synced with Apple Home, Alexa, and Google Home for access to voice controls.
All three products are now available. The Aqara Smart Hub M100 costs $20, the Climate Sensor W100 costs $40, and the Camera Protect Kit Y100 costs $140.
