Aqara shows off new smart home lineup with Matter support

By Jon Bitner September 5, 2024 12:01AM

A collage of the new Aqara products from IFA 2024. — Aqara

Aqara offers a variety of smart home products, running the gamut from smart locks and sensors to smart lights and smart curtains. The brand is now ready to expand its catalog even further, with the reveal of several new smart home gadgets at IFA 2024. A common thread throughout the reveal was support for Matter — making it easy for shoppers to integrate the devices with the rest of their home.

The Camera Hub G5 Pro is the standout product, as it’s Aqara’s first security camera built for outdoor use. Its 4MP camera captures color night vision and uses onboard AI to identify people, pets, vehicles, and packages, allowing for more accurate notifications when motion is detected. And since it’s officially rated for outdoor use, you should have no problem finding a good spot for it on your property.

Aqara also revealed the Garage Door Controller T2 Kit, bringing support for two sectional garage doors plus full Matter compatibility. The smart garage controller market is rather limited, making this a welcome reveal at IFA.

Other smart home devices on display include the Aqara Valve Controller T1, which can detect leaks to automatically turn off water or gas lines, the Aqara Smoke Detector with a staggering 10-year battery life, and a variety of smart wall switches and light bulbs.

As for Matter, the Hub M3 is getting something known as Advanced Matter Bridging. With the feature, users can sync their “IF” and “THEN” conditions in the Aqara Home app to other supported Matter apps. This gives access to more robust routines and ensures all devices in your home network play nicely with Aqara’s lineup.

Expect to learn more about pricing and availability soon.

Jon Bitner is a writer covering consumer electronics, technology, and gaming. His work has been published on various websites…

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