16.11.2021 at 02:00 pm
A New batch of Amazon Basics smart light switches have arrived from Amazon. As a result, the number of smart home gadgets branded with the e-commerce giant has reached seven, including a new smart thermostat and a smart indoor air quality monitor.
This new batch represents a huge leap from the only smart components the company has left after it stopped using its indoor smart security camera last year.
The four Amazon Basics smart light switches were launched on November 11th. It includes the unipolar smart switch at $17.99 and the unipolar smart switch at $19.99, both of which are used to control a single lighting circuit.
There is also the 3-way Smart Switch at $18.99 and the 3-way Smart Switch at $20.99, which can control a single circuit from two locations.
The smart switch turns wired lighting into smart lighting, adding app and voice control. It is an alternative to smart bulbs when you want to automate lighting in a room with lots of light bulbs or vanity fixtures.
A feature of Amazon’s smart home devices is that they work with the company’s Frustration Free Setup and Certified for Humans programs.
This means that it should be easy to set up, especially if you have an Echo smart speaker in your home. But the downside is that these switches will not work with any other smart home system or voice assistant, as they are Alexa compatible only.
Amazon smart keys work with Alexa:
These smart switches need to be wired into your home and require a neutral wire. And if you have an older home without a neutral wire, the Lutron Caseta or GE Lighting Cync’s zero-neutral options are a better fit.
The new Amazon Switches doesn’t require a smart home hub to connect to the internet for automation and works with Alexa for voice and app control.
Once installed, it can be used as a traditional light switch. With the added smart features that come from being able to ask the voice assistant to turn it on and off using the Echo speaker. They can also be added to Alexa Routines in the Alexa app, and create schedules. And the two switches with dimmer can also adjust the brightness through voice control or the app.
And, as with Amazon Basics devices, they are simply designed. Unipolar switches look like a regular switch and have a small LED status light on the bottom.
The dimmers have a plus or minus button above the switch to adjust the brightness. Plus a row of green LEDs on top for a visual indication of the brightness level.
However, it is strange to see Amazon mention on the product page that these smart switches are for exclusive use with Alexa. It will not support other voice assistants or smart hubs. Especially considering that the company recently reaffirmed its support for the upcoming Matter open smart home standard in 2022.
Written by:

CEO of OTTO Magazine