The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) never fails to deliver unexpected delights that span from the eccentric to the downright bizarre. A consistent contributor to these surprises is Shenzhen-based company, Aqara. On top of the recently revealed Aqara hub M3, the company has further piqued our interest by unveiling two additional products. One is a smart plug with Wi-Fi that also doubles as a full-fledged Thread Border Router, and the other is a new Smart Lock integrated with Apple HomeKey.
Leading the lineup is the U300. It is the first-ever smart lever lock to incorporate Matter over Thread, ensuring its compatibility with a wide array of smart home platforms. It lists Apple HomeKey among its multitude of highlights. The lock is designed to replace traditional US door handles or knobs with a deadbolt, making it perfect for side entrances, garage access, home offices, basements, and storage rooms. The U300 offers diverse access methods, which include fingerprints, passcodes, NFC, Apple HomeKey, and voice assistant integration (like Siri, Google, Alexa, etc).
Aqara asserts that the lock has a lifespan of 8 months, a claim made plausible by the power efficiency of Matter over Thread. This feature will synergize incredibly well with the upcoming M3 Hub, making this a Thread Border Router, a Matter Controller, and a Zigbee 3.0 hub. Speaking of Thread Border Routers…
Everyone would be taken aback with this innovative product. While smart plugs are nothing new, Aqara's addition of Thread Border Router capabilities to its new plug is indeed revolutionary. This plug features Thread and dual-band Wi-Fi, allowing Matter controllers devoid of Thread features to supervise Thread gadgets, thereby ensuring seamless integration of Thread devices into smart home systems, without the need for a new Matter controller with Thread Border Router capabilities.
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