Aqara’s new seven-inch home control tablet can replace a light switch
I’m a big fan of different ways to control your smart home outside of using your phone or relying on voice, so I was very excited to see that Aqara is launching three touchscreen controllers at the CES tech show in Las Vegas this week — and one has a wheel!
The new Panel Hub S1 Plus, Touchscreen Dial V1, and Touchscreen Switch S100 can be installed in place of a regular light switch. They can control the existing circuit and wirelessly manage devices connected to the panel through the Aqara smart home app. This lets you — and anyone in your home — use touch to adjust lights, thermostats, blinds, and more without needing a phone or knowing the right voice command. The Panel and the Switch can also control Matter devices, exposing six wireless buttons to Matter.
Aqara is also launching new non-touchscreen smart switches that can connect over Thread or Zigbee. The Aqara Light Switch H2 and Dimmer Switch H2 come in several switch configurations and don’t require a neutral wire. The Light Switch H2 can also control Aqara’s wired smart lighting products, such as its T1M ceiling light, giving you an option for physical control that doesn’t cut off the device’s smart features. They’re slated for release in Q1 2025.
I first saw several of these products showcased at the IFA tech show in Berlin, Germany, last year, and now Aqara is debuting US versions. The Panel Hub works over dual-band Wi-Fi, has a 6.9-inch touchscreen with a 1440 × 720 resolution, and can be installed in a regular light switch outlet. It can connect to two lights on a wired circuit to automate them, including Aqara smart lights such as the T1M ceiling light.
The customizable display can show several widgets to control devices connected to an Aqara smart home, such as lights, locks, thermostats, and curtains, as well as trigger scenes and routines. It can also act as a display for viewing live camera feeds from an Aqara camera and as a video intercom for an Aqara doorbell — such as the new G410 Aqara Doorbell that’s also launching at CES.
A proximity sensor can turn off the screen when it’s not in use, and you can upload photos and custom wallpapers. The Panel Hub also doubles as a Zigbee hub for connecting the company’s Zigbee accessories like sensors and locks and can bridge those devices into Matter.
The Touchscreen Dial V1 is a compact tactile rotary dial that looks and feels a bit like a mini Nest thermostat with a 1.32-inch touchscreen inside. I got to play with the European version at IFA, and it was easy to swipe through the touchscreen to choose a device to control and then turn the dial for fine-tuned adjustments, such as dimming lights, adjusting a thermostat, or opening or closing curtains or shades. Unlike the Panel and Touchscreen Switch, the Dial is not Matter-compatible.
The Dial V1 can be wired to an existing light fixture. It has a temperature and humidity sensor and a presence sensor for screen activation. The Dial V1 and the Panel Hub will launch in Europe later this month and in the US later this year.
Finally, the Touchscreen Switch S100 US combines the physical and digital in one device. A smart switch with two physical buttons and a 1.3-inch touchscreen, the S100 can control an existing light fixture and wirelessly control smart devices and scenes.
Like the touchscreen on the Dial V1, you can use the touchscreen to dim lights or adjust a thermostat. Unlike the other two touchscreen devices, the S100 includes Thread as well as Wi-Fi and can work as a Thread border router and through Matter over Wi-Fi. Aqara hasn’t provided a launch date for the Switch.
If switches aren’t your thing, Aqara is launching a new smart sensor that can control your lights automatically. The battery-operated Presence Multi-Sensor FP300 packs five sensors: PRI, mmWave, light, temperature, and humidity.
A follow-up to Aqara’s wired mmWave-powered presence sensors, the FP2 and FP1E, the FP300’s mmWave sensing can detect presence in a room with precision down to someone’s chest rising and falling when they breathe. This should ensure your lights never turn off when you’re quietly working on your laptop or reading a book.
One of the first wireless mmWave sensors, the FP300 can operate on two CR2450 batteries for up to two years over Thread and three years using Zigbee and a connection to an Aqara hub, according to the company. (You can pick your protocol.)
The company also announced an updated climate sensor. The Climate Sensor W100 has the option of Thread or Zigbee and features an integrated display that can show room temperature, humidity, and more. Three wireless buttons can be programmed to control any connected smart device, including a thermostat.
Finally, Aqara is adding a new entry-level smart home hub, the Hub M100. The small device includes Wi-Fi, Thread, and Zigbee to enable connections for all of Aqara’s smart devices as well as third-party Matter devices. It can act as a Thread border router and a Matter bridge for Aqara Zigbee devices.