When it comes to having a smart home, while the idea is sound, often the reality of juggling hundreds of apps on our smartphones makes it not so easy in practice.
But what if there were some sort of device or control panel that gets rid of this hassle and unites all the things you might want, from your calendar to your music, in one simple place?
Enter Amazon’s new Echo Hub ($329).
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I have had the pleasure of road-testing this revolutionary new device for the past week-and-a-half, and can safely say it has surprised me in becoming my favourite tech gadget in our house.
The clever Echo Hub makes it super easy to organise all the devices in your home, from security cameras to alarm systems, lights, locks, plugs, blinds, and thermostats.
And I now can’t remember life without it.
What is Amazon’s Echo Hub?
Echo Hub is a thin, 8-inch touch-enabled display with a customisable smart home dashboard that makes it simple to group and manage your compatible smart devices, start a Routine, organise widgets or view multiple camera feeds.
Echo Hub can be mounted on a wall or placed on a counter with a stand accessory.
It includes a built-in smart home hub with support for Zigbee, Thread, Bluetooth and Matter, making it compatible with a wide variety of connected devices, without the need for a separate smart home bridge.
What did I love about the Echo Hub?
So what are some of the standout features of the $329 Echo Hub and what do you need to know about?
First up, I love that it can do everything from one place (rather than being locked in one person’s phone).
Easy to use, you simply need to ask Alexa or tap the display to do everything from control the lights and smart plugs in your home, see camera feeds or play music.
Since having it in our kitchen, we have loved being able to sync our calendars to one main device — so you can see who is doing what (and who is on child pick-up) before walking out the door.
I’ve also been loving playing music from the speaker while cooking, setting timers through Alexa when prepping food and adding specific items to a shopping list — so we don’t forget to stock up when we’re next out.
The clever gadget is compatible with the other Sonos speakers in our house, meaning through Alexa you can control what is playing and where.
It’s also easy to use, boasts an attractive functional display, and can display photos to remind you of happy memories when not in use.
But this isn’t all the Echo Hub can do.
Whether it’s wall mounted or set up on a stand, you can quickly and easily see security cameras, adjust thermostats, or turn a light on or off when you’re heading upstairs to bed at night.
It also looks neat on the kitchen benchtop or wherever you choose to display it at home.
In short, despite being skeptical of what the Echo Hub could do for us in the family home, it’s safe to say both my partner and I have been full converted to its benefits.
For more information and to shop the Amazon Echo Hub, head here now.
