Smart plugs are the backbone of the DIY connected home. By acting as a network-connected middleman between your wall outlets and the powered gizmos in your house, they allow you to remotely control and automate “dumb” appliances. Over the past couple years, dozens of manufacturers have developed their own versions, and now D-Link will soon join the fray.
Earlier today, the company announced the Wi-Fi Smart Plug (DSP-W215): the first product in D-Link’s new line of connected home solutions slated to be released over the course of the next couple years. Similar to other connected plugs that are currently on the market, D-Link’s plug allows users to monitor and control their home’s electronic devices from anywhere in the world using an accompanying mobile app.
But that’s not all it does. Undoubtedly realizing that it was a couple years late to the smart plug game, D-Link loaded the DSP-W215 with a number of features you won’t find in competitor products. In addition to standard functions like remote control and the ability to set on/off schedules, the company’s new plugs also allow you to track energy usage over time, and are even equipped with a thermal sensor that will automatically shut off connected devices if they overheat. Belkin’s Insight Switch plugs offer this same energy tracking functionality, but as far as we can tell, D-Link’s product is the first smart plug with thermal detection built in.
And to top it all off, D-Link’s smart plugs are cheaper, too. DSP-W215 plugs are available online for $50 — a full $10 cheaper than Belkin’s version. Find out more here.
