Aqara Unveils New HomeKit-Compatible Panels, Sensors, and More

[MacRumors]

Aqara has announced a new lineup of smart home devices at CES 2025, emphasizing tighter integration with Apple HomeKit and the Matter protocol.

The flagship Panel Hub S1 Plus features a 6.9-inch touchscreen and dual-band Wi-Fi, enabling centralized management of up to two wired light fixtures. As a Zigbee hub and Matter bridge, the device simplifies the integration of Aqara's Zigbee accessories with HomeKit and third-party Matter-compatible devices. The panel also supports real-time camera streaming, including footage from Aqara's doorbells.

The new Touchscreen Dial V1 builds upon the Panel Hub S1 Plus's capabilities by introducing a rotary dial and a smaller 1.32-inch round display. It allows for granular control of both wired lights and connected smart devices while maintaining compatibility with Apple HomeKit and Thread.

The Doorbell Camera Hub G410 introduces several notable upgrades, including a 2K resolution sensor for sharper video, a 176-degree field of view, and built-in mmWave presence detection to reduce false alerts. It supports dual-band Wi-Fi, Thread, and HomeKit Secure Video, as well as options for secure storage via iCloud, local microSD, or NAS. It supports both battery-powered and wired setups.

The Presence Multisensor FP300 combines PIR, ambient sensing, and mmWave technology to accurately detect human presence while monitoring light, temperature, and humidity. Similarly, the Climate Sensor W100 provides precise monitoring of temperature and humidity, with an e-ink display for secondary data and additional buttons for smart device control. Both sensors support Thread and Matter.

The company also introduced the Light Switch H2 and the Dimmer Switch H2 with Thread and Zigbee support. They are designed to accommodate a wider range of home wiring configurations, including setups without a neutral wire. Thread compatibility ensures faster response times and more reliable connectivity, particularly in HomeKit environments where Thread is already widely utilized.

The first wave of products, including the Panel Hub S1 Plus (EU version) and Touchscreen Dial V1 (EU version), are set to launch this month, with additional models and U.S. versions rolling out throughout 2025.

Article Link: Aqara Unveils New HomeKit-Compatible Panels, Sensors, and More

 

[9081094]

Nice to see some new things coming with matter and supporting HomeKit. The doorbell looks nice on the photo. I currently use Netatmo doorbell but it’s a nightmare with Apple.

 

[sw1tcher]

The flagship Panel Hub S1 Plus features a 6.9-inch touchscreen and dual-band Wi-Fi, enabling centralized management of up to two wired light fixtures

So a tablet to turn your lights on and off

 

[xmach]

slightly OT: are there any Wi-Fi routers available that also include Thread radios?

 

[Biro]

I’m happy for people who want or need this. As for me (and as I have posted before), the Internet of Things isn’t a thing in my house.

EDIT: Again, I am fascinated by the down votes. Exactly what is being disagreed with? The fact that I am happy for people who want or need these devices? Or the fact that the Internet of Things isn’t a thing at my house? I assure you that both are true. 🤣

 

[WarmWinterHat]

slightly OT: are there any Wi-Fi routers available that also include Thread radios?

Eero does.

 

[Slix]

Love to see more Matter and Thread HomeKit things coming. I have the 1st generation doorbell from Aqara and it's really good already. I wish we knew prices for these upcoming products to know if it's worth waiting, or trying to get the current ones on sale or something.

 

[WarmWinterHat]

I’m happy for people who want or need this. As for me (and as I have posted before), the Internet of Things isn’t a thing in my house.

These look pretty nice, but I agree. I got mad at the Amazon system about a year ago and in a single point of rage tore out all my smart home stuff and posted it on marketplace that afternoon. My wife didn't even notice it was gone, nor did the kids.

I'll try a smart home again in five years or so.

 

[justperry]

One problem here…zigbee, it’s a shame Zwave is not the de facto protocol, faster and stable.

 

[Belisama]

The Internet of Things is becoming increasingly chaotic and unreliable IMO. I had hoped that Matter and HomeKit would rectify this situation, but unfortunately, that hasn’t been the case. Manufacturers aren’t communicating effectively, and we’re burdened with an excessive number of apps, hubs and confusing "standards". The only system I’ve found to be reliable in my home is Philips Hue. I’ve tried connecting various smart objects from Aqara, Eve, Eufy, and Nanoleaf, but I’ve gradually lost interest.

 

[Belisama]

slightly OT: are there any Wi-Fi routers available that also include Thread radios?

I've been using Eero routers with thread since 2018. Very happy with the system. It's fast, reliable and stable in my home.

 

[Jason2000]

The Internet of Things is becoming increasingly chaotic and unreliable IMO. I had hoped that Matter and HomeKit would rectify this situation, but unfortunately, that hasn’t been the case. Manufacturers aren’t communicating effectively, and we’re burdened with an excessive number of apps, hubs and confusing "standards". The only system I’ve found to be reliable in my home is Philips Hue. I’ve tried connecting various smart objects from Aqara, Eve, Eufy, and Nanoleaf, but I’ve gradually lost interest.

You need a real home automation hub such as Habitat, Home Assistant or Homey Pro. These will tie everything together with proper routine/automations. And of course they all allow you to share your devices with HomeKit so you can use Siri (Alexa/Google Assistant) to control them via voice.

 

[lazyjj1]

No mention of g5 pro camera?

 

[Mr_Ed]

So a tablet to turn your lights on and off

Kind of like this glorified iPad. 😁

 

[ChrisA]

So a tablet to turn your lights on and off

Yes. I have a few that are the same size is a US standard single gang light switch and run off AC power, so I can use them to directly replace a normal light switch.

Of course, the panel does more. One feature I set up and actually use is "delayed off", In the master bedroom I have a bath with four lights, heater and fan and a walk-in closet and there are five lamps in the bedroom. "Delayed Off" will turn all of those off 4 seconds after pressing the right-hand physical button and then disables the motion sensor so ,moving while in bed does not turn any of the lights back on.

I can and do toggle the lighting mode. I have set up two modes (1) normal with warm light in the bedroom at about 60% brightness and (2) work/cleaning mode which sets the light in the bed, bath, and closets to "bright as daylight" for housekeeping chores. I use a "long tap" to toggle lighting modes. There is another mode called "nightlight" that turns on just one floor lamp to 10% brightness

I can also do things like setting the color temperature and brightness of each light bulb, control the downstairs lights or the filter and light in the aquarium. But doing that is rare. I paid about $70 for the panel.

A simple light switch only can turn off/on one light circuit. The trick is to make the touch panel easy to use. This means it can be used literally with your eyes closed so the controls have to be "touch anyplace" or "swipe in any direction". You can't ask the user to read small text in the dark

 

[centauratlas]

So a tablet to turn your lights on and off

And to only control "up to two wired light". Not 20 or 200, but 2. That seems kind of odd unless I am misunderstanding something.

 

[coolfactor]

I have the Aqara Doorbell G5 and the one issue that I have with it is that it only supports 2.4GHz WiFi, not the 5GHz network. Looks like they fixed that with the the upgraded G410. Weird model numbering, though.

 

[ChrisA]

The Internet of Things is becoming increasingly chaotic and unreliable IMO. I had hoped that Matter and HomeKit would rectify this situation, but unfortunately, that hasn’t been the case. Manufacturers aren’t communicating effectively, and we’re burdened with an excessive number of apps, hubs and confusing "standards". The only system I’ve found to be reliable in my home is Philips Hue. I’ve tried connecting various smart objects from Aqara, Eve, Eufy, and Nanoleaf, but I’ve gradually lost interest.

This is a big problem for consumers. Building out a full system that uses parts from different manufacturers requires considerable study and experience. Most end-users will end up with an ad-hoc collection of a half dozen apps and hubs and need to use a different app to turn on the kitchen light and another app for the bedroom lights.

For most people the "'solution" is to pick just one system and stick with it. Philips Hue is the best lighting system for most people. I've set up a Hue system for a couple very "non-technical" people and they like it. It is 100% reliable. But Hue lacks some basics like for example a door sensor and garage door opener

Today if you want to combine parts from multiple vendors into a single integrated system you need to have a fairly deep understanding of the technology and "exotic level" computer skills like typing into the command line or reflashing a microcontroller.

 

[Alan Wynn]

And to only control "up to two wired light". Not 20 or 200, but 2. That seems kind of odd unless I am misunderstanding something.

You are. It has two physical controls that can control the power for two lights. The touch panel can control as many as you want.

 

[xmach]

I've been using Eero routers with thread since 2018. Very happy with the system. It's fast, reliable and stable in my home.

I have been wary of Eero since Amazon purchased them in 2019. How has Eero's privacy and security held up? Do current Eero routers phone home to Amazon?

 

[dbc34]

I’m happy for people who want or need this. As for me (and as I have posted before), the Internet of Things isn’t a thing in my house.

EDIT: Again, I am fascinated by the down votes. Exactly what is being disagreed with? The fact that I am happy for people who want or need these devices? Or the fact that the Internet of Things isn’t a thing at my house? I assure you that both are true. 🤣

I don’t understand why people care what you have in your house. That’s a choice you’re allowed to make.

 

[ChrisA]

The Presence Multisensor FP300 combines PIR, ambient sensing, and mmWave technology to accurately detect human presence

If this works, I'll buy at least a half dozen of them.

What I'm finding is that you really do need a combination of mmWave radar and PIR to control lights. The annoying problem is..
With PIR the lights go off if you are not moving, like watching TYV or reading a book. We solve this by using mmWave Radar which is sensitive enough to detect the motion if breathing or even a heartbeat. So the light only go off if the person is dead. But the mmWave needs several seconds to to "notice" you are there so there is a lag that is too long before the lights go on.

So I like to use a PIR to trigger the lights on and then leave them on until the mmWave radar says the room is clear. It is a lot of work to set this up using PIR and mmWaves from different manufacturers. Now hopefully I can buy one sensor that turns the lights on instantly and does not annoyingly turn them off when you are still breathing. And it works over a Thread network

 

[mikekow80]

I can't get their devices to stay connected. Auara seems like they are on a good path so hopefully these newer devices are more reliable.

 

[ungoogled]

For IoT devices which have access to our internal networks and cameras, I think it would be helpful to list the country of origin.

 

[Itinj24]

No mention of g5 pro camera?

It was already announced. Would be like Apple announcing the iPhone 16 at WWDC and the iPhone event in September.

Supposed to be released this month. Was actually supposed to be released Q4 last year but there was a slight delay. I personally can’t wait. Been longing for a decent outdoor HomeKit camera and I believe Aqara can deliver.