Smartlabs and Nokia have joined forces to launch the brand-new Nokia Smart Lighting. They boast a clean aesthetic that feels like it stepped out of a high-end home design magazine with matte finishes and screw-less wall plates. No word is given about whether the lighting system is as durable as Nokia phones have traditionally been.
Thanks to Smartlabs’ universal technology, any light fixture, type of bulb, and wiring configuration can be set up to work with these new smart lights. You can control the lights through Android and iOS apps, through voice assistants, or through physical controls. The product line includes both paddle and dial switches for easy control.
The smart lighting system provides intuitive controls that anyone can use while still enabling smart control over traditionally unconnected lights. This is an ideal option for people that don’t want to equip their entire home with smart bulbs, but instead connect their entire system to a series of smart switches.
What sets the Nokia and Smartlabs smart lighting apart is the dual-mesh network it utilizes to provide nearly unparalleled performance and connectivity. The system combines radio frequency connections with powerline connections to ensure performance, even if Wi-Fi is down — or if someone has flipped off the power switch. The two types of connections work together and do not impede one another. The modern home presents a lot of obstacles to wireless signals due to walls, interference from other devices, and even the distance from the router to the device.
A dual-mesh network overcomes these obstacles by utilizing the existing wires within the home. It’s a technology first seen in early smart homes, but fell out of favor as Wi-Fi became more prevalent. In addition, Nokia Smart Lighting works as repeaters, reproducing the signal across the network to increase range and allow an almost limitless number of devices in the home.
The system includes a keypad, a bridge, outlets, and different types of wall switches. The Nokia and Smartlabs smart lighting system is now available for preorder from Nokia’s website starting between $40 and $60 per device, with wall plates available in 1, 2, 3, or 4 gang versions.
