Wemo Launches New Stage Scene Controller Wireless HomeKit Remote

[MacRumors]

Belkin's Wemo brand today announced the launch of the Wemo Stage Scene Controller, a wireless remote control that allows HomeKit users to manage and control their various HomeKit scenes.

The Wemo Stage works with up to six HomeKit scenes, with each scene activated through long and short press functions. HomeKit scenes can be set up to activate multiple HomeKit products, and are useful for changing the lights at night, adjusting temperature when coming home from work, and more.

There's a self-adhesive faceplate included with the Wemo Stage that allows it to be mounted in a convenient location, and a magnetic slot allows the controller to click into place so it can function as either a replacement wall switch or a portable remote control. Belkin says the Wemo Stage is compatible with standard Decora faceplates. The Wemo Stage connects to HomeKit over Bluetooth, and it also has Thread support to improve connectivity with other Thread devices. There is no hub required.

Belkin has a whole lineup of other HomeKit-enabled Wemo products, including the WiFi Smart Plug, Smart Light Switch, Smart Dimmer, and more.

The Wemo Stage Scene Controller can be purchased from the Belkin website for $49.99.

Article Link: Wemo Launches New Stage Scene Controller Wireless HomeKit Remote

 

[countryside]

I have been impressed with Wemo... for the low price. I use them for their cheap SmartPlugs. Only use the Apple Homekit app, not the Wemo app. Highly recommend the brand or at least the Wemo smart plugs.

 

[munpip214]

Seems a little pricey for a remote. I can get the Philips hue remote with four buttons for $25. Sure it needs a hub, but it's probably one a lot of people have anyways. Also this runs off of Bluetooth, so I'm guessing if it isn't within range of anything it will not trigger scenes or there might be a delay.

Plus is that it says "Thread Ready".

 

[jonen]

Interesting. Price point is a bit steep for me, but not out of range. I'll probably pick one of these up since I already own 2 Wemo plugs though!

 

[schlitzz]

I used to be a hardcore Wemo user, but I quit using this brand, after issues with the newer switches. I'm quite happy with Meross Homekit devices at this point.

 

[Caliber26]

What’s the advantage to using a remote to activate a scene? Why not just speak a command to your smart speaker that will trigger the scene you want activated? Am I missing something there?

 

[gk4]

What’s the advantage to using a remote to activate a scene? Why not just speak a command to your smart speaker that will trigger the scene you want activated? Am I missing something there?

• Speed
• Not wanting to annoy people who are sleeping/on a call/or countless reasons why loudly talking to a speaker may not be optimal
• Not wanting to deal with Siri misunderstanding and doing something totally different

I'm sure there are other reasons people would have - but those are the main ones that drove me towards remotes everywhere

 

[hlfway2anywhere]

What’s the advantage to using a remote to activate a scene? Why not just speak a command to your smart speaker that will trigger the scene you want activated? Am I missing something there?

• Speed
• Not wanting to annoy people who are sleeping/on a call/or countless reasons why loudly talking to a speaker may not be optimal
• Not wanting to deal with Siri misunderstanding and doing something totally different

I'm sure there are other reasons people would have - but those are the main ones that drove me towards remotes everywhere

Another one for me is guest access. When someone stays at my house, I need a simple way for them to turn the lights on and off without having to give them a crash course on how to talk to a speaker and ask it to turn the lights on, paired with night time use (not making extra noise in the house to turn a light on), this would be useful.

 

[KrispE00]

Another one for me is guest access. When someone stays at my house, I need a simple way for them to turn the lights on and off without having to give them a crash course on how to talk to a speaker and ask it to turn the lights on, paired with night time use (not making extra noise in the house to turn a light on), this would be useful.

That’s the beauty of the smart home…”Sorry, you can’t stay at my place. You wouldn’t understand the lights.” ?

 

[sclawis300]

Another one for me is guest access. When someone stays at my house, I need a simple way for them to turn the lights on and off without having to give them a crash course on how to talk to a speaker and ask it to turn the lights on, paired with night time use (not making extra noise in the house to turn a light on), this would be useful.

They could always just do it the same way the do at their own house.

I could see myself losing this thing all the time or it would never be within reach and I would end up using my phone to activate the scene anyway. Phone or watch are always right there.

 

[gk4]

They could always just do it the same way the do at their own house.

I could see myself losing this thing all the time or it would never be within reach and I would end up using my phone to activate the scene anyway. Phone or watch are always right there.

For me the biggest benefit is when walking into a room. My phone is also in my pocket, but hitting the remote as I walk in is way faster and less effort then every other method. When I'm sitting on the couch and want to tweak the brightness - definitely the phone is easier then getting up.

 

[bluespark]

They could always just do it the same way the do at their own house.

I could see myself losing this thing all the time or it would never be within reach and I would end up using my phone to activate the scene anyway. Phone or watch are always right there.

This is for scenes, so it may not be able to activate them in any way guests would be familiar with. For example, many of my HomeKit scenes involve quite a few lights (in come cases, more than 15), many of which lack switches.

As far as losing it, it attaches magnetically to a wall plate.

 

[Rychiar]

FINALLY A THREAD REMOTE!!!?

 

[lehrblogger]

I'm pretty excited about this too. Is it the first device to satisfy all of these criteria?

• Triggers multiple HomeKit scenes
• Non-specific button labels (e.g. no light bulb iconography)
• Compatible with Decora faceplates

I also find speed, discoverability, and reliability advantages to using a wall switch over voice commands or my phone. I'll probably use one of these as a second garage door opener and another for whole-house morning/night scenes.

The next-best ideas I had were modding Hue switches to mount them on blank Decora inserts, or using Lutron Caseta Pico remotes with something like Home Assistant, but this will be simpler

 

[hipnetic]

I like that it's Thread and I like the Decora-compatibility. But $50 for this? $25 tops seems like the right price for me to consider it. But more power to them if this is successful for them at this price.

For people more budget-conscious who want similar functionality, Ikea's Trådfri Shortcut Button (Zigbee, not Thread) costs just $8 and is HomeKit compatible via their $35 Trådfri Gateway.

 

[hlfway2anywhere]

They could always just do it the same way the do at their own house.

I could see myself losing this thing all the time or it would never be within reach and I would end up using my phone to activate the scene anyway. Phone or watch are always right there.

At my house, anyone who touches my light switches so that my hue lights show unresponsive won’t be invited back ?

 

[TechRemarker]

I like that it's Thread and I like the Decora-compatibility. But $50 for this? $25 tops seems like the right price for me to consider it. But more power to them if this is successful for them at this price.

For people more budget-conscious who want similar functionality, Ikea's Trådfri Shortcut Button (Zigbee, not Thread) costs just $8 and is HomeKit compatible via their $35 Trådfri Gateway.

The big win with this appears to be it can fit into a standard wall switch outlet plate. All the others I've seen to activate scenes are silly little buttons you have to stick onto a wall. A more native looking solution is ideal for everyone else in the house and or guests. Yes, this is still three buttons that are not labelled so still requires telling someone top is on (for say whatever room it's in and bottom is off), and then you as a pro user can set additional things for the middle buttons or long presses for yourself.

 

[trigf]

We have 15 Wemo devices in our home and I was so tired of them not being responsive in the app or through virtual assistants. It seems like if there is a network hiccup, they can't re-establish a link with the app.

Had this problem managing them though Alexa, HomeKit (Siri), and even within their Wemo app. What finally fixed it was running them all through the Wemo HomeBridge Plugin instead of using Homekit. I have Homebridge set to check on every device every 30 seconds and haven't had a single issue since. It can re-establish a connection every time we have an internet hiccup, something Wemo's own infrastructure can't even seem tohandle.

 

[beanbaguk]

Somebody please tell me the advantage of these overpriced buttons????

If you want exactly the same type of device with more functionality, buy a Hue bridge and remote. It will cost you the same, yet give you mountains more functionality.

Moreover, additional remotes are just $20 each......

 

[HeinoM]

I used to be a hardcore Wemo user, but I quit using this brand, after issues with the newer switches. I'm quite happy with Meross Homekit devices at this point.

I have a bunch of Meross Products, and they’ve been great. And their customer service has been really good, too. I had one switch arrive dead, I contacted them and they sent out a replacement right away.

 

[sclawis300]

At my house, anyone who touches my light switches so that my hue lights show unresponsive won’t be invited back ?

Switches are the way to go I guess.

 

[gk4]

Switches are the way to go I guess.

The best of both worlds (but obviously expensive) is smart bulbs and smart switches that can control the smart bulbs rather than the actual power on the circuit.

With Smart Bulbs - you get color control, you get to create scenes where you can do different things to individual bulbs in a fixture, if you have multiple fixtures on the same circuit you can now control them individually, etc.

But then smart switches let you control those bulbs with a really sleek looking, in wall switch where you never need to worry about batteries and you can have your lights work in a way that's familiar to everyone.