CES 2017: Leviton Debuts New HomeKit-Enabled Light Switches and Dimmers

[gsmornot]

Here's the big question mark for me that hasn't been mentioned here.

There's absolutely no mention of how it will integrate with HomeKit without a Hub. Will it be like the Eve switch which uses Bluetooth (crappy) and is known to be unreliable or will it have an integrated Wifi chip in the switch which you'll have to connect to your Wifi network?

If it's bluetooth, this thing is going to be horrible. I have high hopes since Leviton has been in the business for decades and they won't release something subpar.

I put in a few Lutron Caseta Dimmers and while I'm not a big fan of the dimmer itself, it's rock solid to the point where the on/off functions just like a dumb switch, so if your Wifi goes wonky or the Hub isn't reachable, it will still turn the damn lights on/off.

I can't say the same about the Hue Dimmer. Because it isn't directly wired, I often have to hit the button a few times before the lights turn on and it drives me nuts. I'm now only going to stick to HomeKit compatible directly-wired switches, hopefully with a mechanical (Decora-style) feel (Lutrons are push buttons which are sometimes hard to find in the dark).

I sent a note to Leviton from a link in their article asking for more information. If I hear back and remember I will try to update this. My question is switch position when resting. Looks like the simple switch may rest in the on position and the bottom (off) position is clickable. They have this on some other models already. I don't care for it. The dimmers however look like they may rest in the center position, neither on or off. That I can handle if it looks and works similar to my current standard Decora style I have today. I curious too about the connection and assume it will be Bluetooth LE. I don't want to say it stinks until I see results but I would prefer it was setup similar to Lutron. I have a Lutron hub already but have not yet bought a switch because I was doing research on what I wanted when the Leviton announcement arrived. Now I'm waiting to learn more before I move forward.

 

[Jkingsle]

Here's the big question mark for me that hasn't been mentioned here.

There's absolutely no mention of how it will integrate with HomeKit without a Hub. Will it be like the Eve switch which uses Bluetooth (crappy) and is known to be unreliable or will it have an integrated Wifi chip in the switch which you'll have to connect to your Wifi network?

If it's bluetooth, this thing is going to be horrible. I have high hopes since Leviton has been in the business for decades and they won't release something subpar.

I put in a few Lutron Caseta Dimmers and while I'm not a big fan of the dimmer itself, it's rock solid to the point where the on/off functions just like a dumb switch, so if your Wifi goes wonky or the Hub isn't reachable, it will still turn the damn lights on/off.

I can't say the same about the Hue Dimmer. Because it isn't directly wired, I often have to hit the button a few times before the lights turn on and it drives me nuts. I'm now only going to stick to HomeKit compatible directly-wired switches, hopefully with a mechanical (Decora-style) feel (Lutrons are push buttons which are sometimes hard to find in the dark).

I heard it will be wifi, which is great news, assuming it's true.

Next question I would have is that if I currently have a 3-way setup, will these switches work in that configuration and if so, do you just have to replace one end of the setup? For example my outside sides are controlled both in the kitchen and bedroom... I'd still like physical switches in both places, and the automation and control from HomeKit. Any ideas?