iDevices debuts HomeKit-compatible Instant Switch wireless wall switch
Smarthome accessory maker iDevices expanded to its range of HomeKit-connected hardware on Friday with Instant Switch, an easy to mount wall switch that connects to and controls most iDevices products.
Originally promised to launch last year, Instant Switch is iDevices' take on installation free smart accessory switches that have gained in popularity over the past year.
Similar in function to Logitech POP and Philips Hue Dimmer Switch, Instant Switch is a hassle-free solution for controlling iDevices power and lighting products. With HomeKit integration, users can control Instant Switch via Siri and include the device in house-wide scenes. Amazon Alexa support is also included.
Using Bluetooth, the battery-powered Instant Switch pairs with iDevices products like the Switch WiFi Smart Plug or Socket light bulb adapter to provide remote control from almost anywhere in a user's home. Along with basic on/off control for plugs and adapters, Instant Switch can connect to the iDevices Wall Switch or Dimmer Switch, both hardwired solutions, to automatically create a 3- or 4-way control configuration.
Unfortunately, Instant Switch does not support the iDevices Thermostat, though that model can be directly controlled from the Home app and included in HomeKit scenes.
Boasting a sleek flat panel design, Instant Switch can be mounted to a wall with the included 3M Command Strip, offering the aesthetic of a traditional residential electrical switch box cover. Users can customize their installation by swapping out the faceplate with any standard two-screw panel that accommodates standard rocker switches. A built-in level helps with installation.
As a semi-permanent device, Instant Switch comes with a pre-installed battery said to last for two years under normal use conditions.
Instant Switch is available now from iDevices' website and Amazon.com for $34.95.
Originally promised to launch last year, Instant Switch is iDevices' take on installation free smart accessory switches that have gained in popularity over the past year.
Similar in function to Logitech POP and Philips Hue Dimmer Switch, Instant Switch is a hassle-free solution for controlling iDevices power and lighting products. With HomeKit integration, users can control Instant Switch via Siri and include the device in house-wide scenes. Amazon Alexa support is also included.
Using Bluetooth, the battery-powered Instant Switch pairs with iDevices products like the Switch WiFi Smart Plug or Socket light bulb adapter to provide remote control from almost anywhere in a user's home. Along with basic on/off control for plugs and adapters, Instant Switch can connect to the iDevices Wall Switch or Dimmer Switch, both hardwired solutions, to automatically create a 3- or 4-way control configuration.
Unfortunately, Instant Switch does not support the iDevices Thermostat, though that model can be directly controlled from the Home app and included in HomeKit scenes.
Boasting a sleek flat panel design, Instant Switch can be mounted to a wall with the included 3M Command Strip, offering the aesthetic of a traditional residential electrical switch box cover. Users can customize their installation by swapping out the faceplate with any standard two-screw panel that accommodates standard rocker switches. A built-in level helps with installation.
As a semi-permanent device, Instant Switch comes with a pre-installed battery said to last for two years under normal use conditions.
Instant Switch is available now from iDevices' website and Amazon.com for $34.95.
Comments
http://appleinsider.com/articles/17/12/07/homekit-flaw-in-ios-112-allowed-remote-access-to-smart-devices-temporary-fix-already-in-place
And why try to take the thread in a different direction than the article intended anyway? Off-topic stuff ends up as thread derailment far too often.
The Caseta wired switches are pretty easy to install. The only downside I discovered is that if you have LED lights, you better make sure they're 'compatible'. It turns out the recessed LEDs my builder put in aren't. They work, but give off an annoying buzzing sound :-( Since they were put in just about everywhere, the only places I can use the 2 Caseta switches I bought (their startup bundle) is in a couple places. Anyone wanna buy some LEDs from me? :-) I'm too cheap to buy a bunch of new LEDs (not cheap!) when the old ones otherwise work just fine.
And I want to be excited.
There is one problem with these smart switches/remotes: None of them seem designed to fit a standard Decora sized wall plate opening, including this one based on the photos shown.
The Philips Hue Dimmer this same problem. And the Tap is a weird circular shape.
The Lutron Pico remotes fit neatly into an existing row of Decora-style switches under a standard switch cover plate (or an extended row if you add an additional remote to existing switch locations). But the Lutron Pico doesn't appear in the Home App so it cannot be programmed (directly) to trigger HomeKit scenes. There are people who have hacked together a system where the Pico controls a plugin dimmer (without any devices plugged in) which then triggers HomeKit scenes, but that is a ridiculous hack that I'm not interested in on principle.
In the case of the Philips Hue Dimmer, the intent is that the remote is easily removable from the wall to become a nightstand remote, which is a very cool convenience. And I wonder if the intent to remove it from the wall-mounted location (which is likely installed over an open electrical box in retrofit installations) raises electrical code/safety concerns in case the installation is done badly and wires are exposed when the remote is removed? It seems like they could design a holder bracket that would safely hide any in-wall wiring behind the switch. The Lutron Pico remote has a bracket that holds the remote in position behind a wall plate, but it isn't designed for convenient quick release. The wall plate must be removed before the Pico Remote can be taken out of the bracket.
Does anyone know of a HomeKit Remote Smart Switch (not a wired unit that switches a particular picture) that will fit into a standard Decora sized wall plate?
Don't we already have AI articles where relative security comparisons are discussed? You (not specifically) should use 'em.
I'm researching this wall dimmer now:
https://www.incipio.com/accessories/commandkit-accessories/commandkit-smart-wall-switch.html
...they said in email it's an HK accessory, but I'm waiting for them to confirm I can use it in Apple Home app scene building to control other HK accessories.
Oh. from your link in case it matters:
I have plenty of Hue accessories but they don’t really meet all home decor use cases. For the overhead lighting plan in our living room we want to use particular lighting fixtures that will never have Hue bulbs. Enter a HK dimmer, so that I can hopefully issue Siri commands to, etc.
The photo in the AI article made the switch look too wide to fit a standard plate.
This is exactly what I've been looking for.
Thanks for interneting for me