Great comparison of the different products! Only issue is the confusing star ratings used for the "Difficulty to use'". You should switch it to "Ease of use" as a rating of 5 stars usually symbolizes greater benefit.
like the features, setup was difficult for some of my devices (August Door lock, th-cam.com/users/postUgkxhB5YOMNj04GuoAosExygP4cH-dKeb4aB Bose speaker)... but all switches and outlets (5), thermostat, tankless water heater. Unfortunately all I can do is turn on/off Bose. It doesn't support volume or changing channels, but I believe that is due to the particular speaker I have.... Worth getting if you already have other devices to use it with... I don't sit around and ask Alexa questions much so that doesn't really matter to me....
Thanks for this breakdown Alex, definitely a 1/5 stars difficulty level in terms of the ease to understand. However, it seems like the best solution for the masses is not to have a smart home automation set up now since everything is so fragmented. But will continue to look forward to your videos and updates regarding this.
Appreciate the great video Alex! Just collected the keys to my new flat and I’ve been replaying your videos to help make some decisions. Will be diving straight into home assistant since I have interest in tinkering, gonna be fun :)
@Keefe Tan - I hope to collect my BTO flat keys early next year & am looking forward to also build a smart home with home assistant. My HA is running on my home server; Would love to find out which products you intend to get. @Alex Teo Really enjoyed this video as I have been pondering over this too! By the way I have heard some news that Smartthings maybe discontinued. Check out Paul Hibbert TH-cam channels
@@sherajhussein7574 yeah i watched paul hibbert videos before, funny guy but keep reusing the same jokes haha. ST won't be discontinued, samsung aquire ST like 5yrs ago and now they might sell it to another company that's all, might be a good thing actually
Great information shared! There's actually a modded Mihome version which removes the region lock validation. With this, I've successfully migrated all my China region Mihome devices to SG server. Benefit of this is super fast response, and some devices are now able to be synced to Google Home. For example all my yeelight, robot vacuum, smart switches. It also exposes the hidden device token so that you can add it to HA easily also in case if you're worried about security.
hey thanks man! It depends on which is your main central platform you gonna use, if you are just using mihome to interface those devices to google home then it could be done with their respective apps already. If you wanna go the HA route then have everything based there will do
I'm using smartlife and broad link with google home Alex. Smart life can work with Sonoff which is supposed to work with ewelink. But aqara doesn't work, lucky I only bought 1 sensor.
Home Assistant - Maximum device support, don't want to be locked into an ecosystem. Also don't want to install multiple apps. - Can expose devices to Google Home / Alexa, so I can still use the devices via either if I desire - Local. What I do with my devices is private, not interested in sharing it with some company, american / chinese / otherwise. (Tasmota as much as possible) - Gimme as many if statements as I want. If statements are what makes an automation actually "smart" Cons: - More work and technical know how involved, but tinkering is fun anyway :)
I just started my Home Assistant journey as part of research for my upcoming resale. Was able to install HASS Bridge and control my aqara products through Siri.
Now in 2022, it would be great if you can review the home platforms again, maybe taking into account Aeotec Smart Home Hub, Homey Pro and forthcoming Matter. Thank you for the informative videos. Enjoyed them.
@@AlexTeo I will be keen on your view on Homey as well which I am currently using but contemplating switching to a more stable and cost efficient platform
@@moonsterla i tried going back to apple with their iphone 12. After like 2 weeks I cannot take it changed back to android and gave my mum the phone haha
oh then that's the best case for home assistant since you will have servers running 24/7, just sideload a VM that's all. I see constant improvements from home assistant making it more user friendly already
I assumed that Google Home would be the best solution but it seems they aren't. Really cool stuff Alex. I first stumbled upon your videos while looking for home reno tips and my gf and I were both shocked at how informative and practical they were and also how similar our concerns are (example: cleaning and maintenance must be easy, everything that can be automated, should be automated etc). Keep up the great work bro!
@@AlexTeo You're most welcome. I was watching your home gym setup and saw the dumbbells and sent to my gf and she's like - Alex your best friend now huh? 🤣
I was about to buy the global version Aqara M2 Hub, D1 switches for my new place and have them connected to Google nest Hub. Now I am having second thoughts.Back to the drawing block.... lol
@@darylcheong8342 of course i will recommend smartThings now haha and I still like aqara switches design the most, not natively integrated but can be done, that's basically what I am using now
Thanks for this video!! I have been researching about smart home and wa... so confusing and so hard to decide which to go to. Was ready to just engage some home automation company to settle my upcoming bto lol. I have a clearer picture now! Guess i shall save those bucks and buy more smart devices to play around with home assistant!
As IT savy, definitely i choose HA for my upcoming home, started to learn and play around after bought a Raspberry PI 4 and waiting my Conbee II (Zigbee USB stick) to arrive! Must get rid of all the zigbee gateway!!!
The sweet spot for me seems to be those products which support Mi Home & HomeKit at the same time. You really get the benefits from both worlds. Aqara + Yeelight + some Mi Home products which support HomeKit or at least Siri shortcuts work well for me.
Hey Alex! Your newest subscriber here! Didn’t expect to do so but you’re so simple in your explanations that I couldn’t help it, another great video 👌 PS: could you pls refer to the comments section in your guide to Taobao video, I had some questions there. Cheers and keep up the great content!
As a long-time Apple user tied to the ecosystem, HomeKit is what I’m looking at when BTO is ready. I have seen videos talking about the integration of Thread and how the HomePod Mini is actually a step towards making the system more accessible. What are your thoughts on the technology on relevant devices reaching SG? Separately, agreed on the look of Aqara switches, but the lack of more permanent 3-way switch option is a bit of a turn off. I know Lutron is known for its reliability but the multiple buttons are not my favourite.
yeah if you are going with homekit then going with the homepod mini is more future proof since it supports thread. Right now, only big companies are going to have their devices supporting thread like nanoleaf, phillips hue which are definitely available in sg. Lutron caseta is very expensive man, I am not sure whether it will be compatible in sg since the cutout size is already different. What you mean by Aqara lacking a permanent 3-way switch? Don't quite get it
@@AlexTeo Thanks for your thoughts! Agree that Lutron is waaayyyyy too expensive and that it is more compatible to the US switch plates. I understand the cost of pulling neutral wires will be quite high, so if Aqara switches don't work well in long-run, it will be a bit annoying to switch out after. 3-way switch meaning 2 switches controlling the same light (e.g. turning on/off the lights from both the wall and next to the bed; first-world problem I know!) Some people use the wireless Aqara switch and stick to the wall, but I was hoping for a more permanent solution.
@@pyl4472 personally using non neutral aqara switches, close to a year soon still no issue. You can always wire the switch to a dummy point and have it act as a wireless switch though, infact that's more flexible because you can set it to on/off any number of lights. I believe you can still do it the traditional way just that I am not sure exactly how haa
@@AlexTeo So is neutral absolutely necessary? Am considering to DIY now after watching your first video. Ha. I'm planning for a new home reno now. Concern is really whether I can progressively improve the home or must I be having neutral wires done up just to future proof. There will be so many lights to worry about.
Should watch this earlier, great video! Currently I am using smart life app and I am satisfied with it. I found that it is identical to Tuya smart system, so I bought devices that are compatible with Tuya on Taobao, like switches and IR remotes. After I watched your video I believe they are programmable to compatible to smart things and Home assistant too. Will check them out when I found scenarios that can't be supported by smart life app.
thanks! just need to be careful when you are buying those tuya devices because it seems like any random company can just buy Tuya's smart home module and installed on their product
Thanks Alex for the great sharing and videos! I have benefitted from the learning. Basically I am using Alexa echo system and it is really easy to use, plus I am also using Ring too.
Hey Alex, cool channel for local content. Saw one of your earlier videos on smart home but this is definitely more on the right track for smart solutions! It's a pity that there has not been much traction for it here in sg. I've found that Home Assistant is the best and the possibilities are really endless. I hook it up to a bunch of xiaomi sensors, ikea sensors, broadlink devices, smart plugs etc. If you are into Alexa, you can enable state reporting of Alexa in HA so that they can complement each other. If you opt for the monthly subscription, you could also get Alexa integration. With HA running on a Pi, you could also add a zigbee gateway 😀
I will go with VM with intel nuc if im switching to HA in the future haa.. Yeah market and audience size is very small in sg. You probably seen my very first video which I didnt intend to record for youtube lol
Hi Alex, thank you for the informative sharing for smart home videos, really enjoy it. Would you also be able to share with us your total cost breakdown of your smart home journey as well? I am inspire to build my own smart home for my new BTO but at the same time contemplating between engaging a smart home solution vendor versus procuring and building my own smart home solution myself.
the cost is tie to the quality of product you are getting so you can't compare with a smart home solution vendor because most of them are just using the tuya module and placed inside the product itself. For eg, a philips hue E27 smart bulb can cost about $80, an unknown brand using tuya E27 smart bulb on shopee cost about $15
Hi, is there anyway that I could turn off Ewelink app notifications automatically when I reached home and turn on again when I'm leaving home. It would be very helpful since I used the Sonoff motion sensors as part of my home security in conjunction with Google assistant and android phone. Thanks .
Thanks for the video! I need a solution for a smartphone that I want its charging percentage to be stopped at say 85%. I want to make this happen by a smart plug while there is no internet connection available but a Bluetooth connection. So what do you suggest me for this setup?
Good to see u back Alex! Its been a while😅 Wow! Didnt know there were more smart home hubs. Looks like Google home have some fierce competitors. But glad to see that the smart home world is expending 👍🏽
Hey Alex! Wanted to check back on your Google assistant to see if you still face issues adjusting settings on your app? Are there any new updates to your smart home set up
Hi Alex, thanks for the great video once again. will you be doing a detailed video explanation on how you transform your current home setup from connecting your Aqara D1 switch to Samsung smart things v3 hub? Also would appreciate it if you are willing to share your existing codes for smart things setup with us. :)
Wow HA seems like the way to go! if u changing to HA next time, can consider recording the step by step how u manage to change your setup? It will be super helpful!
Hi Alex, I've been watching your videos for this smart home ideas that you've shared. It is really super informative especially for those with zero knowledge about smart home like me. I am planning to transfer my new home to smart home as well. Wanna to check out with you regarding what's the compatible hub can be use for Aqara switches? Is the global version hub compatible for china version switch? Thanks in advance for advise.
technically they can work but doesn't mean it's supported. So if you run into any issues and try to reach out to aqara, they may or may not have a solution for you. They might enforce region usage which can easily achieved with firmware updates
I am revisiting your videos since my renovation is going to start soon. As its a major one so I am changing all my HDB switches to smart switches. I combed all the latest videos from you and tried to update myself. So a few questions cos I watched a few of the older videos and compared it with the latest videos and I wanna be sure that I am updated with the smart home implementation. #1- I am changing all my old HDB light switches about 10 of them to AQARA 1/2/3 gang smart switches including getting their motorised curtains. #2 - I saw that google home now can + aqara home from their list of partners. So my understanding is that once AQARA is added to Google Home, whatever devices that I have added via the AQARA app will appear in Google Home and I can use Hey Google to configure them to turn on and off lights and set different scenes automation in and around the house. My question is - Do I need an AQARA HUB in order to make all these work ? When does the AQARA HUB come into play?
Yes you need the aqara hub unless you are going with a hub based smart home platform as mentioned in this video. In my latest google home buyer guide video, i dont really recommend getting aqara devices due to the limitations in google home. As long as you are well aware of them and dont think that they will affect your smart home setup then thats fine
@@AlexTeo I saw that you recommend tuya in your new video. I can add tuya enabled devices to smart things then add to Google. I still can use smart things HUB tondo all the scenes and automation if I am right ?
Hi Alex, I am doing my home reno soon and this video really helps in considering which Central Smart Home Solution fits me. By switching from Google home to SmartThings, is there any other smart product that you are using that has an issue connecting to the SmartThings? Thank you!!
yes there is, everything migrated successfully except for broadlink and my aqara cube. For broadlink not so bad because you still can take it to the voice assistant side google/alexa and set your routines there. For Aqara cube i'm still troubleshooting, no idea what's wrong haa
How do you use aqara devices (e.g. switches) with smartthings + google home? Connect direct to smartthings hub? Or connect them to aqara hub then connect that hub to smartthings? I'm not sure how things work when you have multiple hubs...
@@AlexTeo Thanks for the reply. I saw before in your videos that you have multiple hubs around the house (e.g one in each room with IR blaster to control aircon). So for all those hubs, you connect the devices in that room to the hub in that room? Then you integrate all devices from all the hubs into smartthings platform via the app? Is that right?
@@AlexTeo To summarise, does that mean ALL devices (e.g. Aqara switches, google nest doorbell, Aqara Hub used for IR blasting etc.) connect to one smartthings hub, and then you set automations there and then cam use google voice to trigger automations? Do I need google home at all?
Subscribed and shared! Thanks for the infomative video! I'm currently using a google nest, and an iPhone with google home, smart life, broadlink, etc. app. If I'll like to get motion sensors to work with toilet lights and storeroom lights, which smart hub, smart light switches, and smart motion sensors do you recommend that I get?
Hi Sensei, I would like to check if I am interested to use apple home kit. Will it be easy to use it with tuya smart switch? Will motion sensor work?? Do I need Samsung smart thing to link everything with home kit?? I am so lost.
Hi Alex, with the smartthings hub - will you still recommend the aqara wall switch? Am doing some renovation works currently - am thinking of replacing the switches to aqara D1. Also - does those aqara switches in smartthings gets ported to google home ? Have a few google nest lying around too
@@AlexTeo thanks for the super prompt response. Oh ya - does the smarthings hub works with aqara switches with 2 or more gangs. I read that its not really stable. Was planning to go for the m2 aqara hub - but aft ur video- am considering the smarthings hub
Personally using HA with apple homekit together. So far using with Sonoff / TPlink KASA / Hue / Aqara which can all be hosted locally to homekit/HA. At least if internet were to go down... least to say, my stuffs still work well. Comparing to GH / Amazon
@@AlexTeo So far didnt had any issues. However i'm running those POW R2. Not those Wall switches yet. Might test a few more Sonoff & Aqara devices. Running HA with Node-Red definitely made it easier to string all those devices together. But requires fair bit of tinkering.
@@soulofsm happy to see so many responses of people using HA in sg, gives me more confidence that i can get it all sorted out in the future if i switch
@@AlexTeo I would say give it a go with trying to integrate certain local polling devices such as Sonoff or Philips Hue. Once you're in, you will never look back at other solutions. Was considering GH initially but the dependency on internet is a risk to me especially with WAF (Wife Acceptance Factor) once something went down. Downside for Homekit is that would require a fair bit of cost for the Hub though which is iPad/Homepod/ATV lol.
Thanks for sharing! Just wondering if yoy could help with this qns…. May I asked if I have a dooya motorised curtain track can I make them work with the Samsung smart thing hub? If the dooya motorised system is compatible with 天猫精灵/mijia/apple kit. I want to check if anyone is able to connect with Samsung smart thing hub.
not natively integrated with smartthings, but I saw people in the community managed to get it done but not straight forward. If you want direct integration will be xiaomi, these china smart home tech products especially the small ones will only have integration with xiaomi. No experience with 天猫精灵, most of these products only make more sense in china as many of the features are locked to china.
yeah it's been awhile, partly because I am changing my setup and also less motivated to do as they generally get lesser views, at least with sponsor it pushes me to produce content lol
I am using Homey which is out of the box and less scripting. Only caveat is internet requirement. I can connect to all smart home device that runs on many protocol without their hub. The community has written manage plugin to do just that.
Hi Alex, its a great video. I am still a noob with the smart home stuff... I have a Deco M9 mesh router. While it has its smart hub, intergration is limited. Is there a bridge (correct device?) that you would recommend for lights and switches?
Thank you for the video! I am sticking to smartthings and appreciate if you can list down and/or do a review video of products that work with SmartThings in Singapore! Again, very informative and looking forward to more vids ~
Hi Alex, thanks for sharing all the smart home information and knowledge. Your channel is always a good source for me when I search for smart home related stuff. By the way, can you share with me how you integrate the aqara smart curtain to smartthings? To my knowledge, the aqara smart curtain controller only available in the app when you set the region to Mainland China. How do you integrate them to Smartthings?
Hi Alex thank you for your guide, may I ask if there are any changes to the list for 2022/2023? I'm planning to get my new house smart enabled in mid 2023. Thanks!
if you are an iphone user, I will say go for apple homekit if possible. Home assistant is always the best if you are planning to be an advance user. For google home and smartThings, I will share more in my next video
Hey Alex, i have been following your content for awhile now and have motivated me to start automation for my new home. As a beginner to the home automation, what would be your advise? I am thinking at the start to change my light switches to aqara switches, do you think it is a good starting point? Thanks
So so happy that you've got this video up! Yes! Put up smarthome tutorial n get some passive income. I was quite skeptical on having Google home n this video on centralized hub is very timely. Looks to me I'm likely going for Samsung smart things. Thank you always for sharing these tips and comparison with us!
haha just joking on the passive income. Yeah ultimately you still want to hook up to a voice assistant google/alexa/siri. But all the configuration are already done on SmartThings
Hi Alex, thank you for creating such local centric home videos esp on smart home, enjoyed them a lot and definitely very insightful since I'm also embarking on a new home journey. I'm thinking to get the smartthings hub. Is there a difference between the smartthings hub and aeotec smart home hub?
Hey Alex! I was just wondering. I tried some aqara switches and was thinking of getting aqara smart scene panel. However, i got some light bulbs and leds from Near. Was wondering if Samsung SmartThing can integrate everything together such that the aqara smart switch panel can control the light bulb?
the smart switch panel probably only support aqara devices, as for Near I am not familiar with that products too, better check with their official customer service directly. I know smartthings can support aqara switches with nanoleaf, philips hue, yeelight etc smart lights
@@AlexTeohey alex, mind sharing whic device handler are u using for the aqara switches? I tried the "johndoyle" one but its not working. seems like bspranger is not supporting also.
Hi Alex, Love your smart home videos and was inspired to follow your previous setup of getting the aqara switches and hub. However, now that smart things seem to be the better and more "integrated" platform, would like to seek your advice on how easy / hard it is for an automation noob to get the aqara switches to work on smart things as understand that they are not listed under the list of supported switches in the native smart things environment. Also, in terms of voice assistant would you say google or Alexa works better with smart things and why? Thanks!
in terms of voice assistant both google and alexa are rather similar, depends you can get which one at a very good price discount. If you are veryy noob, then maybe go with aqara hub first as you can tell from the difficulty rating
Hi Alex, thanks for the detailed breakdown. I'm new to the smart home and plan to go for SmartThings. I noticed you mentioned can get the Samsung Connect Home WiFi Mesh which has the hub features thru the SingTel broadband bundle deal, but is it still worth getting this device since Samsung stop making Smartthings branded Home automation Devices? I'm worried it won't have any firmware update and this model won't compatible with the Matter standard.
definitely worth, the only concern is whether it's good as a a wifi mesh as they are not known for networking devices. Samsung is one of the key companies in project Matter, they are definitely still in the smart home space, just that they outsourced the manufacturing to other companies to save cost. And based on the roadmap for smartThings, I think the future is looking good for them
Hey Alex. Sorry to disturb you but i've a question and I can't find the specific answer for it and I'm hoping you will be able enlighten me on it 🙏🏻 Im planning to shop taobao for some smart home item- smart switches and hub. At the current moment, I have google home nest. My plan is to have google home controls: -Light -mi tv p1 -aircon, ceiling fan Maybe: z8 door lock, ecovac vacuum What would be your advice on the devices I should be getting to set this system up? Would it be:- Voice assistance: Google nest hub Smart switch: Aqara d1 switch from taobao Hub: Aqara m1s hub(?) IR blaster: switchbot IR blaster Super appreciated if you can give me your kind advice 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 My phone: OnePlus 9 (andriod) My wife phone: IPhone xs
Hi Alex, i have tried using tuya with 4 smart plug/1smart switch and 1 universal controller for my controllers. It was working awhile but suddenly all went offline and can’t work when i tried to repair it. Do you have any solutions or another platform that’s more stable?
google, amazon, apple definitely have the most reliable infra when you are referring to cloud services. That's why some people use local automation where its not dependent on internet connections
I set up my aqara light switches like yours with the assumption I can turn them off and on using google voice assistant. Looks like I was wrong? If i change my aqara hub to samsung smartthings, i'll be able to control my lights with google voice assistant?
You can do that with aqara hubs or smartthings, both can work with google voice..of course aqara hubs can only work with aqara products while smartthings is an open platform
Great summary. Would love to see update. So many changes now to hubitat (some integration w apple) google adding more routines, smarthings changes. Apple now opening up n how it functions.
Great video, but I find it surprising you rated Hubitat and SmartThings as equally powerful. Both are technically capable of custom smart apps but in reality Hubitat is in a different league. Not on par with Home Assistant, but not a million miles away. Running automations locally is a big advantage too, one I think you’re under-appreciating. Alongside being lightning fast, it also lowers latency which can cause big (and erratic) issues with more complex automations. One of a few reasons why local processing makes automations extremely reliable.
its because when i look at the overall IT landscape especially from enterprise business systems modem applications pov, everything is running via cloud. Unless you are living in an area where internet connection is an issue, then I won't say local automations is a huge differentiator
@@AlexTeo I can see your point of view, but most applications running on cloud architecture are doing so entirely in the cloud with little dependency outside that environment, especially in the enterprise space. In situations where dependencies exist locally, we’re seeing a move away from a purely cloud approach towards edge computing. Enterprise IoT is a perfect example of this, utilising the benefits of machine learning and AI driven analytics that the cloud provides while leveraging local processing where it makes sense. When automations use algorithms based on the state of multiple devices from different providers, the unpredictable latency of cloud platforms can make things very difficult- particularly if the automation involves stateful and stateless devices/commands. This is something that’s a provider issue rather than the internet we can get at home. It definitely depends on how far down the rabbit hole you want to go. For the majority of people, I agree with you that cloud based automations will be absolutely fine. I don’t think that detracts from the benefits of running automations locally though.
Hey Alex, thanks for all the smart home videos you’ve been putting out, it’s made my first step in smart home system way easier! Wanted to ask, ,could you give a more detail reasons why you’re switching from Google to Smart things? Like what are the functions you are going to use that google home can’t support? I’ve pretty much set my mind on Google when I viewed your previous videos, and kinda lost on whether I should use Google or Smart Things.
ok first of all there is difference in voice assistant and a platform to bring all your smart home devices together. Voice assistant you only have 3 choices google, alexa or siri. So the question is the central platform. Google home can't set automation rules, it only has routines and can only be triggered with voice command. So basically you can only use voice to switch on/off your devices only. Right now I am using smartThings and google as my voice assistant, but all configuration setting is done at the smartThings end. For eg, i create a scene to switch off everything in smartThings, then in google home I just have the goodnight routine to play this scene that's all
@@AlexTeo hey Alex, thanks for the reply. I was wondering if I can use google voice assistant with aqara app in which case I can have aqara hub set up the automation like when the door sensor is triggered, it will turn on the lights etc. The purpose of using SmartThings is for different brands of products speak to each other right? Like if you’re have a smart things sensor and aqara switch, then the smart things sensor can trigger action to the aqara switch which google can’t do it as a platform and aqara hub can’t do it as well because the sensor is not one of their own brands. Am I getting this right?
@@AlexTeo Sorry, didn’t put my first question right. I meant to ask can I link my aqara app to google home for voice commands such as asking google to turn on and off the aqara switch and at the same time keep my aqara app automation running like the sensor triggering the switch? I’ve also heard the aqara M2 doesn’t support MiHome, not sure if you heard of that. It would be a bummer and would really make me consider smart things even though I just want to keep things simple with my smart home set, with just aqara products and xiaomi appliances with a voice assistant. That being said, super looking forward to your videos on the smartthings , probably a walkthrough for newbs like me? Million thanks again for your content and knowledge 🙏🏻🙏🏻
@@ethanchung6415 yes to your first question. Just check out the product page for the m2, they didn't indicate mihome means its not supported or you can always verify it with their customer support if you want. Yeah will be doing a walkthrough of all the smart home stuff I have, stay tuned!
Hi. Im currently planning to use simon’s i7 smart switch for my home. These smart switches currently only support google. Just wandering is there any way to use zigbee hub/gateway to let these switches compatible for homekit?
Hi Alex, thank you for your videos. Can I ask if it's ok to buy the Aqara products from Taobao to use in Singapore? There's quite a large price differential, so I thought I can save a bit..
@@AlexTeo thank you for your fast response. I tried that several ways but no success. I have the EU version of the wall switch, and the region of Xiaomi Home app is Europe/Hingary. What do I do wrong? What is the right way?
@@zoltantuboly7080 you probably have to set your mihome app to china region, same for us staying in SEA. If not you should trying seeking official support from aqara/xiaomi
Hey Alex, again, Thanks for the video. I do have some quick questions: -is there any hub at the moment that has IR/RF blaster build in? Assuming I only want smart switches for lights, IR/RF control for tv and ceiling fan, all with voice assistance. is the following list of device required correct? - Google Nest - Aqara switchess - Aqara or xiaomi hub - Switchbots IR/RF blaster Does Samsung smart thing replace any of this?
too bad there isn't many choices of IR/RF solution now. Switchbot can only do IR not RF, but i like that it has integration with SmartThings. If you are bringing everything to google home then use Broadlink rm pro. SmartThings hub will replace the aqara/xiaomi hub but no point if you just want smart switches and IR/RF
Hey Alex. Sorry to disturb you but i've a question and I can't find the specific answer for it and I'm hoping you will be able enlighten me on it 🙏🏻 Im planning to shop taobao for some smart home item- smart switches and hub. At the current moment, I have google home nest. My plan is to have google home controls: -Light -mi tv p1 -aircon, ceiling fan Maybe: z8 door lock, ecovac vacuum What would be your advice on the devices I should be getting to set this system up? Would it be:- Voice assistance: Google nest hub Smart switch: Aqara d1 switch from taobao Hub: Aqara m1s hub(?) IR blaster: switchbot IR blaster Super appreciated if you can give me your kind advice 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 My phone: OnePlus 9 (andriod) My wife phone: IPhone xs
Hey Alex, really grateful for all the smarthome tips you have posted! Thinking of adding some smart solutions to my home, so I have a few questions that I hope you can help with! With the SmartThings hub, are you still using the Aqara hub for the Aqara curtain motor and Aqara smart switches (D1)? If you're using the SmartThings hub for Aqara devices, is any custom code required? Thanks in advance!
hihi, no the aqara hub is not needed anymore, smartThings hub can communicate to these zigbee devices directly. You will require a device handler which is a custom code to do that because aqara is not natively integrated to smartThings
@@AlexTeo Hi Alex, thanks for the quick reply! I'm currently torn between getting a SmartThings Hub and an Aqara hub. The SmartThings Hub seems like it might be hard to use with appliances that require device handlers, while I've heard of latency issues with the newer Aqara hubs as they can only connect to mainland China. I'll mostly be using Aqara D1 smart switches, Aqara Motorised curtain tracks and switchbot hubs. Which hub would you recommend? Thank you so much for your help!😃
Great video!!! Always been a fan of your channel. Any reason why Tuya Smart or Smart Life is excluded? It’s among the more affordable option, and it’s actually being used by many of the smart home contractors in sg.
basically because they can't integrate other brands of smart home devices to their app, so you are constraint to their module/chip which is also another concern for people choosing their products
Is there any difference between a smartthings hub vs a connect home in terms of the ability to function as a hub as well as the usage of writing our own device handler, code etc? (understand that connect home comes w wifi and hub, while smartthings hub is a standalone hub) asking because both are priced similarly, so is there any catch? why buy a hub when I could buy wifi+hub and turn off the wifi if i dont need it?
the smartThings hub do come with a battery backup which means in the event of power outage, some of your devices will still work fine but this feature is definitely not a deal breaker. I didn't look into the router features of it vs strong networking companies like netgear or tplink, but samsung are definitely not well-known in that space. So I guess that's why the price is similar? How much is it?
@@AlexTeo agree about the networking point. on average for official stores, both are 199 and connect home might even be cheaper. could find it for 140, which may sway me there. my only concern is whether connect home can write its own device handler to accommodate "unofficial" devices such as aqara switches?
I'm interested in getting smartthings for my new home, but can use IR for it? And does smartthings hub have to be in the same room as that IR device for IR to work?
Hi Alex, wanted to check your opinion on Aqara wall switch. How do you decide whether to get the neutral or non neutral aqara version? Secondly, can the aqara wall switch linked to mini e gateway?
I'm trying to change my whole house lights to LED and at the same time exploring making it into "smart" with other devices at home too. Do u have any contractors to recommend? I realised when I go to a lights shop, they only focus on lights, and some shops only focus on selling their own smart devices. Appreciate it if you have a good contractor and be an integrator to recommend.
Great video Alex. Thanks for sharing. I'm new to smart home and looking at Smartthings - Which brand smart switches you suggest to go with Smartthings (in Singapore)?
@@AlexTeo Thanks for the quick response. Realized this is a 3y old video -- Any change in your view of Smartthings? Still go with that or prefer something else?
@zenithhorizon5463 I do have an updated video but it's also been a year and things changed lol, th-cam.com/video/oepFkEo9iDA/w-d-xo.htmlsi=S9zVfgFgIQNM8lw4
The first 1000 people to use the link will get a free trial of Skillshare Premium Membership: skl.sh/alexteo05211
Great comparison of the different products! Only issue is the confusing star ratings used for the "Difficulty to use'".
You should switch it to "Ease of use" as a rating of 5 stars usually symbolizes greater benefit.
haa make sense, never think of that
I felt that! halfway thru the video I was like oh 1 star is... good? haha
Thanks, I was confused with the rating.
like the features, setup was difficult for some of my devices (August Door lock, th-cam.com/users/postUgkxhB5YOMNj04GuoAosExygP4cH-dKeb4aB Bose speaker)... but all switches and outlets (5), thermostat, tankless water heater. Unfortunately all I can do is turn on/off Bose. It doesn't support volume or changing channels, but I believe that is due to the particular speaker I have.... Worth getting if you already have other devices to use it with... I don't sit around and ask Alexa questions much so that doesn't really matter to me....
Thanks for this breakdown Alex, definitely a 1/5 stars difficulty level in terms of the ease to understand. However, it seems like the best solution for the masses is not to have a smart home automation set up now since everything is so fragmented. But will continue to look forward to your videos and updates regarding this.
thanks for the comment! things are ever changing especially in tech, so its kinda hard to determine when is the best time to adopt them
Not that into smart home systems but enjoyed the way the info was presented. Clear and comprehensive 👍🏻
gam xia, i can foc provide you some consultation services if you want 😂
Exactly!!
@@AlexTeo ok I’ve taken a screenshot of your comment. Thanks!🤣
Appreciate the great video Alex! Just collected the keys to my new flat and I’ve been replaying your videos to help make some decisions. Will be diving straight into home assistant since I have interest in tinkering, gonna be fun :)
yup i am sure hahaha
@Keefe Tan - I hope to collect my BTO flat keys early next year & am looking forward to also build a smart home with home assistant. My HA is running on my home server; Would love to find out which products you intend to get.
@Alex Teo Really enjoyed this video as I have been pondering over this too! By the way I have heard some news that Smartthings maybe discontinued. Check out Paul Hibbert TH-cam channels
@@sherajhussein7574 yeah i watched paul hibbert videos before, funny guy but keep reusing the same jokes haha. ST won't be discontinued, samsung aquire ST like 5yrs ago and now they might sell it to another company that's all, might be a good thing actually
Great information shared! There's actually a modded Mihome version which removes the region lock validation. With this, I've successfully migrated all my China region Mihome devices to SG server. Benefit of this is super fast response, and some devices are now able to be synced to Google Home. For example all my yeelight, robot vacuum, smart switches. It also exposes the hidden device token so that you can add it to HA easily also in case if you're worried about security.
hey thanks man! It depends on which is your main central platform you gonna use, if you are just using mihome to interface those devices to google home then it could be done with their respective apps already. If you wanna go the HA route then have everything based there will do
Hi , do you know where I can download the modded Mihome version?
Share with me which smart home solution are you using? What you like or dislike about it?
I'm using smartlife and broad link with google home Alex. Smart life can work with Sonoff which is supposed to work with ewelink. But aqara doesn't work, lucky I only bought 1 sensor.
Home Assistant
- Maximum device support, don't want to be locked into an ecosystem. Also don't want to install multiple apps.
- Can expose devices to Google Home / Alexa, so I can still use the devices via either if I desire
- Local. What I do with my devices is private, not interested in sharing it with some company, american / chinese / otherwise. (Tasmota as much as possible)
- Gimme as many if statements as I want. If statements are what makes an automation actually "smart"
Cons:
- More work and technical know how involved, but tinkering is fun anyway :)
I just started my Home Assistant journey as part of research for my upcoming resale. Was able to install HASS Bridge and control my aqara products through Siri.
HomeKit with some Aqara
Now in 2022, it would be great if you can review the home platforms again, maybe taking into account Aeotec Smart Home Hub, Homey Pro and forthcoming Matter. Thank you for the informative videos. Enjoyed them.
yup, will want to have some actual hands the next time I do an update for this video
@@AlexTeo I will be keen on your view on Homey as well which I am currently using but contemplating switching to a more stable and cost efficient platform
Your English is better than mine and you're in Singapore! And you make great content, thank you!!
@@Denversportsfan1 thank you!
Thank you, Alex. I like your concise, short n sharp narrative style which is easy for my digestion.
Cool stuffs! Thanks for sharing, Alex. Next video: "Why I am happy that I left the Apple ecosystem"
🤭🤭🤭 a lot of apple fans out there
@@AlexTeo Myself included lol. But truly curious why you made the switch
@@moonsterla i tried going back to apple with their iphone 12. After like 2 weeks I cannot take it changed back to android and gave my mum the phone haha
@@AlexTeo LOL
Definitely gonna try setting up on home assistant since we're planning to run some servers. Just gonna climb the learning curve...
oh then that's the best case for home assistant since you will have servers running 24/7, just sideload a VM that's all. I see constant improvements from home assistant making it more user friendly already
Great Video. Now I understand the 3 different singapore brand that provide smart device with support Tuya
Wah bro really u make video to answer
haha its a good video idea
I assumed that Google Home would be the best solution but it seems they aren't. Really cool stuff Alex. I first stumbled upon your videos while looking for home reno tips and my gf and I were both shocked at how informative and practical they were and also how similar our concerns are (example: cleaning and maintenance must be easy, everything that can be automated, should be automated etc). Keep up the great work bro!
thanks to you and your gf support! Yeah I am a very practical guy, yet not compromising on aesthetics haha.. and i love techhh
@@AlexTeo You're most welcome. I was watching your home gym setup and saw the dumbbells and sent to my gf and she's like - Alex your best friend now huh? 🤣
I was about to buy the global version Aqara M2 Hub, D1 switches for my new place and have them connected to Google nest Hub. Now I am having second thoughts.Back to the drawing block.... lol
yeah think twice man lol
@@AlexTeo What will you recommend now for smart switches and respective hub that is compatible?
Following this thread.
Likewise literally add to cart and almost checked out.
@@darylcheong8342 of course i will recommend smartThings now haha and I still like aqara switches design the most, not natively integrated but can be done, that's basically what I am using now
@@AlexTeo But if using aqara hub with the D1 switches and google home, what features which you use daily are missing?
The best Hub competition video ever, thank you.
Thanks for this video!! I have been researching about smart home and wa... so confusing and so hard to decide which to go to. Was ready to just engage some home automation company to settle my upcoming bto lol. I have a clearer picture now! Guess i shall save those bucks and buy more smart devices to play around with home assistant!
diy smart home is the way to go haha
As IT savy, definitely i choose HA for my upcoming home, started to learn and play around after bought a Raspberry PI 4 and waiting my Conbee II (Zigbee USB stick) to arrive! Must get rid of all the zigbee gateway!!!
sounds gd! i will most likely get an intel NUC and try out for fun too
The sweet spot for me seems to be those products which support Mi Home & HomeKit at the same time. You really get the benefits from both worlds. Aqara + Yeelight + some Mi Home products which support HomeKit or at least Siri shortcuts work well for me.
then it depends whether you are using mihome or homekit to manage them, imo homekit is definitely much better user experience than mihome
Hey Alex! Your newest subscriber here! Didn’t expect to do so but you’re so simple in your explanations that I couldn’t help it, another great video 👌
PS: could you pls refer to the comments section in your guide to Taobao video, I had some questions there.
Cheers and keep up the great content!
Haha ok thanks for the sub! Answered the qns
As a long-time Apple user tied to the ecosystem, HomeKit is what I’m looking at when BTO is ready. I have seen videos talking about the integration of Thread and how the HomePod Mini is actually a step towards making the system more accessible. What are your thoughts on the technology on relevant devices reaching SG?
Separately, agreed on the look of Aqara switches, but the lack of more permanent 3-way switch option is a bit of a turn off. I know Lutron is known for its reliability but the multiple buttons are not my favourite.
yeah if you are going with homekit then going with the homepod mini is more future proof since it supports thread. Right now, only big companies are going to have their devices supporting thread like nanoleaf, phillips hue which are definitely available in sg. Lutron caseta is very expensive man, I am not sure whether it will be compatible in sg since the cutout size is already different. What you mean by Aqara lacking a permanent 3-way switch? Don't quite get it
@@AlexTeo i think he meant 3-pin switch
@@AlexTeo Thanks for your thoughts! Agree that Lutron is waaayyyyy too expensive and that it is more compatible to the US switch plates. I understand the cost of pulling neutral wires will be quite high, so if Aqara switches don't work well in long-run, it will be a bit annoying to switch out after.
3-way switch meaning 2 switches controlling the same light (e.g. turning on/off the lights from both the wall and next to the bed; first-world problem I know!) Some people use the wireless Aqara switch and stick to the wall, but I was hoping for a more permanent solution.
@@pyl4472 personally using non neutral aqara switches, close to a year soon still no issue. You can always wire the switch to a dummy point and have it act as a wireless switch though, infact that's more flexible because you can set it to on/off any number of lights. I believe you can still do it the traditional way just that I am not sure exactly how haa
@@AlexTeo So is neutral absolutely necessary? Am considering to DIY now after watching your first video. Ha.
I'm planning for a new home reno now. Concern is really whether I can progressively improve the home or must I be having neutral wires done up just to future proof.
There will be so many lights to worry about.
Should watch this earlier, great video! Currently I am using smart life app and I am satisfied with it. I found that it is identical to Tuya smart system, so I bought devices that are compatible with Tuya on Taobao, like switches and IR remotes. After I watched your video I believe they are programmable to compatible to smart things and Home assistant too. Will check them out when I found scenarios that can't be supported by smart life app.
thanks! just need to be careful when you are buying those tuya devices because it seems like any random company can just buy Tuya's smart home module and installed on their product
Thanks Alex for the great sharing and videos! I have benefitted from the learning. Basically I am using Alexa echo system and it is really easy to use, plus I am also using Ring too.
Hey Alex, cool channel for local content. Saw one of your earlier videos on smart home but this is definitely more on the right track for smart solutions! It's a pity that there has not been much traction for it here in sg. I've found that Home Assistant is the best and the possibilities are really endless. I hook it up to a bunch of xiaomi sensors, ikea sensors, broadlink devices, smart plugs etc. If you are into Alexa, you can enable state reporting of Alexa in HA so that they can complement each other. If you opt for the monthly subscription, you could also get Alexa integration. With HA running on a Pi, you could also add a zigbee gateway 😀
I will go with VM with intel nuc if im switching to HA in the future haa.. Yeah market and audience size is very small in sg. You probably seen my very first video which I didnt intend to record for youtube lol
Hi Alex, thank you for the informative sharing for smart home videos, really enjoy it. Would you also be able to share with us your total cost breakdown of your smart home journey as well? I am inspire to build my own smart home for my new BTO but at the same time contemplating between engaging a smart home solution vendor versus procuring and building my own smart home solution myself.
the cost is tie to the quality of product you are getting so you can't compare with a smart home solution vendor because most of them are just using the tuya module and placed inside the product itself. For eg, a philips hue E27 smart bulb can cost about $80, an unknown brand using tuya E27 smart bulb on shopee cost about $15
I like your ‘life is good’ sign. Can you please provide details of that .
Hi, is there anyway that I could turn off Ewelink app notifications automatically when I reached home and turn on again when I'm leaving home. It would be very helpful since I used the Sonoff motion sensors as part of my home security in conjunction with Google assistant and android phone. Thanks .
Thanks for the video! I need a solution for a smartphone that I want its charging percentage to be stopped at say 85%. I want to make this happen by a smart plug while there is no internet connection available but a Bluetooth connection.
So what do you suggest me for this setup?
Wah! Love this. I look forward to your next video! Hopefully you can keep us updated on your new smart home solution too haha
yeah i will! but not the next video haha
Hello Alex, do you have experience getting yeelight ceiling lights from taobao? Are they compatible with singapore light points?
Good to see u back Alex! Its been a while😅
Wow! Didnt know there were more smart home hubs. Looks like Google home have some fierce competitors. But glad to see that the smart home world is expending 👍🏽
the smart home world is v big globally, just not at this part of the world we are at
Will you do a 2023 version for this? Thanks
Most likely early 2024 ver haa
Hey Alex! Wanted to check back on your Google assistant to see if you still face issues adjusting settings on your app? Are there any new updates to your smart home set up
there are improvements but still lacking a lot, i am still on smartThings with google assistant but most likely won't stay long
Hi Alex, thanks for the great video once again.
will you be doing a detailed video explanation on how you transform your current home setup from connecting your Aqara D1 switch to Samsung smart things v3 hub?
Also would appreciate it if you are willing to share your existing codes for smart things setup with us. :)
ok let me think about it whether I can make the video not so technical haa, thanks for the suggestion
Wow HA seems like the way to go! if u changing to HA next time, can consider recording the step by step how u manage to change your setup? It will be super helpful!
haha need a lot of time commitment to go home assistant
Information given in a very appealing way, keep up the great work👍
This is some really good quality content. Thanks Alex !
haha thanks joshua, long time sub to the channel!
Hi Alex, I've been watching your videos for this smart home ideas that you've shared. It is really super informative especially for those with zero knowledge about smart home like me. I am planning to transfer my new home to smart home as well. Wanna to check out with you regarding what's the compatible hub can be use for Aqara switches? Is the global version hub compatible for china version switch? Thanks in advance for advise.
technically they can work but doesn't mean it's supported. So if you run into any issues and try to reach out to aqara, they may or may not have a solution for you. They might enforce region usage which can easily achieved with firmware updates
@@AlexTeo TQ so much for the advice.
I am revisiting your videos since my renovation is going to start soon. As its a major one so I am changing all my HDB switches to smart switches. I combed all the latest videos from you and tried to update myself. So a few questions cos I watched a few of the older videos and compared it with the latest videos and I wanna be sure that I am updated with the smart home implementation.
#1- I am changing all my old HDB light switches about 10 of them to AQARA 1/2/3 gang smart switches including getting their motorised curtains.
#2 - I saw that google home now can + aqara home from their list of partners.
So my understanding is that once AQARA is added to Google Home, whatever devices that I have added via the AQARA app will appear in Google Home and I can use Hey Google to configure them to turn on and off lights and set different scenes automation in and around the house.
My question is - Do I need an AQARA HUB in order to make all these work ? When does the AQARA HUB come into play?
Yes you need the aqara hub unless you are going with a hub based smart home platform as mentioned in this video. In my latest google home buyer guide video, i dont really recommend getting aqara devices due to the limitations in google home. As long as you are well aware of them and dont think that they will affect your smart home setup then thats fine
@@AlexTeo I saw that you recommend tuya in your new video. I can add tuya enabled devices to smart things then add to Google. I still can use smart things HUB tondo all the scenes and automation if I am right ?
Thanks for sharing. LifeSmart also not bad I think because it is available work with google assistant, apple homekit and alexa
lifesmart app can add other brands of devices beside their own?
Hi Alex, I am doing my home reno soon and this video really helps in considering which Central Smart Home Solution fits me.
By switching from Google home to SmartThings, is there any other smart product that you are using that has an issue connecting to the SmartThings?
Thank you!!
yes there is, everything migrated successfully except for broadlink and my aqara cube. For broadlink not so bad because you still can take it to the voice assistant side google/alexa and set your routines there. For Aqara cube i'm still troubleshooting, no idea what's wrong haa
How do you use aqara devices (e.g. switches) with smartthings + google home? Connect direct to smartthings hub? Or connect them to aqara hub then connect that hub to smartthings? I'm not sure how things work when you have multiple hubs...
nope, you connect aqara devices directly to the smartthings hub, no need for aqara hubs. Multiple hubs happen when the integration is cloud to cloud
@@AlexTeo Thanks for the reply. I saw before in your videos that you have multiple hubs around the house (e.g one in each room with IR blaster to control aircon). So for all those hubs, you connect the devices in that room to the hub in that room? Then you integrate all devices from all the hubs into smartthings platform via the app? Is that right?
@@spvn no its a different case for IR receiver because they need line of sight to the devices that's why you need them for every rooms
@@AlexTeo To summarise, does that mean ALL devices (e.g. Aqara switches, google nest doorbell, Aqara Hub used for IR blasting etc.) connect to one smartthings hub, and then you set automations there and then cam use google voice to trigger automations? Do I need google home at all?
Solid sharing as always Alex. Keep it up.
thanks mike
Subscribed and shared! Thanks for the infomative video!
I'm currently using a google nest, and an iPhone with google home, smart life, broadlink, etc. app. If I'll like to get motion sensors to work with toilet lights and storeroom lights, which smart hub, smart light switches, and smart motion sensors do you recommend that I get?
thanks for the sub and sharing! I will definitely recommend the smartthings ecosystem of products haha, check out the link in the video description
Hi Sensei, I would like to check if I am interested to use apple home kit.
Will it be easy to use it with tuya smart switch?
Will motion sensor work??
Do I need Samsung smart thing to link everything with home kit??
I am so lost.
i will recommend to go with aqara smart switches for homekit..
you won't need to use other systems outside of apple
Great video buddy. 10/10
Please catch the latest ver here, th-cam.com/video/oepFkEo9iDA/w-d-xo.htmlsi=8KH2eEY89-5HOOLg
what is your opinion of #tuya
th-cam.com/video/vlysvPWRxh4/w-d-xo.html
Thank you for sharing your knowledge!
what's your review or comment about the Ring digital doorbell? Do you need to store your images in cloud?
You have to get their ring subscription plan to have them saved on their cloud storage, i didn't get any so basically im limited to Live view only
Just to check if aqara smart switches will work with Smartthings? Thanks!
yes it does
Hi Alex, with the smartthings hub - will you still recommend the aqara wall switch? Am doing some renovation works currently - am thinking of replacing the switches to aqara D1.
Also - does those aqara switches in smartthings gets ported to google home ? Have a few google nest lying around too
Yes 100% recommend aqara switches, they will be ported to google home via smartthings
@@AlexTeo thanks for the super prompt response. Oh ya - does the smarthings hub works with aqara switches with 2 or more gangs. I read that its not really stable. Was planning to go for the m2 aqara hub - but aft ur video- am considering the smarthings hub
@@dadazero9735 i only have 2 gangs and they work perfectly fine. Definitely consider smartThings man haha
Personally using HA with apple homekit together. So far using with Sonoff / TPlink KASA / Hue / Aqara which can all be hosted locally to homekit/HA.
At least if internet were to go down... least to say, my stuffs still work well.
Comparing to GH / Amazon
yup running locally definitely has its benefit though the chance of internet going down is pretty low, using sonoff switches? is it good?
@@AlexTeo So far didnt had any issues. However i'm running those POW R2. Not those Wall switches yet.
Might test a few more Sonoff & Aqara devices.
Running HA with Node-Red definitely made it easier to string all those devices together. But requires fair bit of tinkering.
@@soulofsm happy to see so many responses of people using HA in sg, gives me more confidence that i can get it all sorted out in the future if i switch
@@AlexTeo I would say give it a go with trying to integrate certain local polling devices such as Sonoff or Philips Hue.
Once you're in, you will never look back at other solutions.
Was considering GH initially but the dependency on internet is a risk to me especially with WAF (Wife Acceptance Factor) once something went down.
Downside for Homekit is that would require a fair bit of cost for the Hub though which is iPad/Homepod/ATV lol.
Wondering if this video needs a 2023 update :) great series btw!
yeah probably!
Thanks for sharing! Just wondering if yoy could help with this qns…. May I asked if I have a dooya motorised curtain track can I make them work with the Samsung smart thing hub? If the dooya motorised system is compatible with 天猫精灵/mijia/apple kit. I want to check if anyone is able to connect with Samsung smart thing hub.
not natively integrated with smartthings, but I saw people in the community managed to get it done but not straight forward. If you want direct integration will be xiaomi, these china smart home tech products especially the small ones will only have integration with xiaomi. No experience with 天猫精灵, most of these products only make more sense in china as many of the features are locked to china.
Finally some smart home video, keep it coming Alex, congrats on being sponsored
yeah it's been awhile, partly because I am changing my setup and also less motivated to do as they generally get lesser views, at least with sponsor it pushes me to produce content lol
thanks for this video, alex! very informative, and well presented
I am using Homey which is out of the box and less scripting. Only caveat is internet requirement. I can connect to all smart home device that runs on many protocol without their hub. The community has written manage plugin to do just that.
i thought of whether to cover Homey but I realized there isn't much coverage of the product in the recent years, plus its super expensive haa
Maybe you can sign up for a trial of it for 2 weeks to experience why it worth that price...
Great comparison
Hi Alex, its a great video. I am still a noob with the smart home stuff... I have a Deco M9 mesh router. While it has its smart hub, intergration is limited. Is there a bridge (correct device?) that you would recommend for lights and switches?
for smart switches i like aqara, for light bulbs there are quite a number of choices like philips hue, yeelight and even ikea
Thank you for the video! I am sticking to smartthings and appreciate if you can list down and/or do a review video of products that work with SmartThings in Singapore! Again, very informative and looking forward to more vids ~
i can only share my own setup and review of it, the list is too huge to try out everything haha
Hi Alex have you heard about Homey Hub Pro? How does this Homey perform vs the Smartthings? Thanks..
ya i have friends using homey, i personally didn't try before, can only find a few videos on homey
Thank you Alex!
Hi Alex, thanks for sharing all the smart home information and knowledge. Your channel is always a good source for me when I search for smart home related stuff. By the way, can you share with me how you integrate the aqara smart curtain to smartthings? To my knowledge, the aqara smart curtain controller only available in the app when you set the region to Mainland China. How do you integrate them to Smartthings?
you add the device directly from smartThings, not via aqara app
Hi Alex thank you for your guide, may I ask if there are any changes to the list for 2022/2023? I'm planning to get my new house smart enabled in mid 2023. Thanks!
if you are an iphone user, I will say go for apple homekit if possible. Home assistant is always the best if you are planning to be an advance user. For google home and smartThings, I will share more in my next video
Hey Alex, i have been following your content for awhile now and have motivated me to start automation for my new home. As a beginner to the home automation, what would be your advise? I am thinking at the start to change my light switches to aqara switches, do you think it is a good starting point? Thanks
yup lights and sockets are a good start
So so happy that you've got this video up! Yes! Put up smarthome tutorial n get some passive income. I was quite skeptical on having Google home n this video on centralized hub is very timely. Looks to me I'm likely going for Samsung smart things. Thank you always for sharing these tips and comparison with us!
haha just joking on the passive income. Yeah ultimately you still want to hook up to a voice assistant google/alexa/siri. But all the configuration are already done on SmartThings
Very good content for beginner like me.👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
Hi Alex, thank you for creating such local centric home videos esp on smart home, enjoyed them a lot and definitely very insightful since I'm also embarking on a new home journey. I'm thinking to get the smartthings hub. Is there a difference between the smartthings hub and aeotec smart home hub?
don't think so, anyway if you are buying locally from sg it won't be aeotec but another korea company. Aeotec should be manufactured for US/UK
Hey Alex! I was just wondering. I tried some aqara switches and was thinking of getting aqara smart scene panel. However, i got some light bulbs and leds from Near. Was wondering if Samsung SmartThing can integrate everything together such that the aqara smart switch panel can control the light bulb?
the smart switch panel probably only support aqara devices, as for Near I am not familiar with that products too, better check with their official customer service directly. I know smartthings can support aqara switches with nanoleaf, philips hue, yeelight etc smart lights
@@AlexTeohey alex, mind sharing whic device handler are u using for the aqara switches? I tried the "johndoyle" one but its not working. seems like bspranger is not supporting also.
@@hockkhangchua2782 using aonghus-mor
Hi Alex,
Love your smart home videos and was inspired to follow your previous setup of getting the aqara switches and hub. However, now that smart things seem to be the better and more "integrated" platform, would like to seek your advice on how easy / hard it is for an automation noob to get the aqara switches to work on smart things as understand that they are not listed under the list of supported switches in the native smart things environment.
Also, in terms of voice assistant would you say google or Alexa works better with smart things and why?
Thanks!
in terms of voice assistant both google and alexa are rather similar, depends you can get which one at a very good price discount. If you are veryy noob, then maybe go with aqara hub first as you can tell from the difficulty rating
Hi is there any device I can use to convert my dumb ceiling with light to be xiaomi smart device compatible?
Thank you for this very nice series on home automation. What do you think of the Homey hub as compared to the Home assistant
not a whole lot of information and community for homey, the hub is so expensive too. I am more likely to try out home assistant vs homey
Hi Alex, thanks for the detailed breakdown. I'm new to the smart home and plan to go for SmartThings. I noticed you mentioned can get the Samsung Connect Home WiFi Mesh which has the hub features thru the SingTel broadband bundle deal, but is it still worth getting this device since Samsung stop making Smartthings branded Home automation Devices? I'm worried it won't have any firmware update and this model won't compatible with the Matter standard.
definitely worth, the only concern is whether it's good as a a wifi mesh as they are not known for networking devices. Samsung is one of the key companies in project Matter, they are definitely still in the smart home space, just that they outsourced the manufacturing to other companies to save cost. And based on the roadmap for smartThings, I think the future is looking good for them
Hey Alex. Sorry to disturb you but i've a question and I can't find the specific answer for it and I'm hoping you will be able enlighten me on it 🙏🏻
Im planning to shop taobao for some smart home item- smart switches and hub.
At the current moment, I have google home nest. My plan is to have google home controls:
-Light
-mi tv p1
-aircon, ceiling fan
Maybe: z8 door lock, ecovac vacuum
What would be your advice on the devices I should be getting to set this system up? Would it be:-
Voice assistance: Google nest hub
Smart switch: Aqara d1 switch from taobao
Hub: Aqara m1s hub(?)
IR blaster: switchbot IR blaster
Super appreciated if you can give me your kind advice 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
My phone: OnePlus 9 (andriod)
My wife phone: IPhone xs
Hi Alex, i have tried using tuya with 4 smart plug/1smart switch and 1 universal controller for my controllers. It was working awhile but suddenly all went offline and can’t work when i tried to repair it. Do you have any solutions or another platform that’s more stable?
google, amazon, apple definitely have the most reliable infra when you are referring to cloud services. That's why some people use local automation where its not dependent on internet connections
Hi Alex, if you don't mind to compare with Koble too. The local smart home solution.
Its a tuya smart life oem solution, i will take about this in my next video
I set up my aqara light switches like yours with the assumption I can turn them off and on using google voice assistant. Looks like I was wrong? If i change my aqara hub to samsung smartthings, i'll be able to control my lights with google voice assistant?
You can do that with aqara hubs or smartthings, both can work with google voice..of course aqara hubs can only work with aqara products while smartthings is an open platform
@@AlexTeo aqara hub can work with Google voice assistant? Can briefly teach how ?
@@alvinng6361 watch my video on smart lights with step by step guide
Great summary. Would love to see update. So many changes now to hubitat (some integration w apple) google adding more routines, smarthings changes. Apple now opening up n how it functions.
yeah this year is going to have lots of updates, i think best to give a review update once things get settled down
Great video, but I find it surprising you rated Hubitat and SmartThings as equally powerful. Both are technically capable of custom smart apps but in reality Hubitat is in a different league. Not on par with Home Assistant, but not a million miles away. Running automations locally is a big advantage too, one I think you’re under-appreciating. Alongside being lightning fast, it also lowers latency which can cause big (and erratic) issues with more complex automations. One of a few reasons why local processing makes automations extremely reliable.
its because when i look at the overall IT landscape especially from enterprise business systems modem applications pov, everything is running via cloud. Unless you are living in an area where internet connection is an issue, then I won't say local automations is a huge differentiator
@@AlexTeo I can see your point of view, but most applications running on cloud architecture are doing so entirely in the cloud with little dependency outside that environment, especially in the enterprise space.
In situations where dependencies exist locally, we’re seeing a move away from a purely cloud approach towards edge computing. Enterprise IoT is a perfect example of this, utilising the benefits of machine learning and AI driven analytics that the cloud provides while leveraging local processing where it makes sense. When automations use algorithms based on the state of multiple devices from different providers, the unpredictable latency of cloud platforms can make things very difficult- particularly if the automation involves stateful and stateless devices/commands. This is something that’s a provider issue rather than the internet we can get at home.
It definitely depends on how far down the rabbit hole you want to go. For the majority of people, I agree with you that cloud based automations will be absolutely fine. I don’t think that detracts from the benefits of running automations locally though.
Hey Alex, thanks for all the smart home videos you’ve been putting out, it’s made my first step in smart home system way easier! Wanted to ask, ,could you give a more detail reasons why you’re switching from Google to Smart things? Like what are the functions you are going to use that google home can’t support? I’ve pretty much set my mind on Google when I viewed your previous videos, and kinda lost on whether I should use Google or Smart Things.
ok first of all there is difference in voice assistant and a platform to bring all your smart home devices together. Voice assistant you only have 3 choices google, alexa or siri. So the question is the central platform. Google home can't set automation rules, it only has routines and can only be triggered with voice command. So basically you can only use voice to switch on/off your devices only. Right now I am using smartThings and google as my voice assistant, but all configuration setting is done at the smartThings end. For eg, i create a scene to switch off everything in smartThings, then in google home I just have the goodnight routine to play this scene that's all
@@AlexTeo hey Alex, thanks for the reply. I was wondering if I can use google voice assistant with aqara app in which case I can have aqara hub set up the automation like when the door sensor is triggered, it will turn on the lights etc. The purpose of using SmartThings is for different brands of products speak to each other right? Like if you’re have a smart things sensor and aqara switch, then the smart things sensor can trigger action to the aqara switch which google can’t do it as a platform and aqara hub can’t do it as well because the sensor is not one of their own brands. Am I getting this right?
@@ethanchung6415 yr first question has nothing to with google voice, basically setting it up all within aqara. 2nd question 100% right
@@AlexTeo Sorry, didn’t put my first question right. I meant to ask can I link my aqara app to google home for voice commands such as asking google to turn on and off the aqara switch and at the same time keep my aqara app automation running like the sensor triggering the switch?
I’ve also heard the aqara M2 doesn’t support MiHome, not sure if you heard of that. It would be a bummer and would really make me consider smart things even though I just want to keep things simple with my smart home set, with just aqara products and xiaomi appliances with a voice assistant. That being said, super looking forward to your videos on the smartthings , probably a walkthrough for newbs like me? Million thanks again for your content and knowledge 🙏🏻🙏🏻
@@ethanchung6415 yes to your first question. Just check out the product page for the m2, they didn't indicate mihome means its not supported or you can always verify it with their customer support if you want. Yeah will be doing a walkthrough of all the smart home stuff I have, stay tuned!
Great informative video as usual, just a minor nitpick. "How hard to use" is kinda unintuitive. More stars means better(easy) or harder?
1 star being the easiest and 5 stars hardest, i think either way I put some will be confused haa
@@AlexTeo yeah
I agreed with the other comment to use "How easy" instead
@@zavrick yeah i should, too late can't amend already
Hi. Im currently planning to use simon’s i7 smart switch for my home. These smart switches currently only support google. Just wandering is there any way to use zigbee hub/gateway to let these switches compatible for homekit?
why not just go with homekit supported switches like aqara?
Hi Alex, thank you for your videos. Can I ask if it's ok to buy the Aqara products from Taobao to use in Singapore? There's quite a large price differential, so I thought I can save a bit..
By right not supposed but aqara didnt enforce atm
@@AlexTeo thanks Alex!
Useful , best sharing
Hi, can I use an Aqara wall switch (no neutral) with a Xiaomi smart gateway v3? In Xiaomi Home app?
yes you can
@@AlexTeo thank you for your fast response. I tried that several ways but no success. I have the EU version of the wall switch, and the region of Xiaomi Home app is Europe/Hingary.
What do I do wrong? What is the right way?
@@zoltantuboly7080 you probably have to set your mihome app to china region, same for us staying in SEA. If not you should trying seeking official support from aqara/xiaomi
@@AlexTeo Thank you
Hey Alex, again, Thanks for the video. I do have some quick questions:
-is there any hub at the moment that has IR/RF blaster build in?
Assuming I only want smart switches for lights, IR/RF control for tv and ceiling fan, all with voice assistance. is the following list of device required correct?
- Google Nest
- Aqara switchess
- Aqara or xiaomi hub
- Switchbots IR/RF blaster
Does Samsung smart thing replace any of this?
too bad there isn't many choices of IR/RF solution now. Switchbot can only do IR not RF, but i like that it has integration with SmartThings. If you are bringing everything to google home then use Broadlink rm pro. SmartThings hub will replace the aqara/xiaomi hub but no point if you just want smart switches and IR/RF
@@AlexTeo thanks for replying! I will find out more about it
Hey Alex. Sorry to disturb you but i've a question and I can't find the specific answer for it and I'm hoping you will be able enlighten me on it 🙏🏻
Im planning to shop taobao for some smart home item- smart switches and hub.
At the current moment, I have google home nest. My plan is to have google home controls:
-Light
-mi tv p1
-aircon, ceiling fan
Maybe: z8 door lock, ecovac vacuum
What would be your advice on the devices I should be getting to set this system up? Would it be:-
Voice assistance: Google nest hub
Smart switch: Aqara d1 switch from taobao
Hub: Aqara m1s hub(?)
IR blaster: switchbot IR blaster
Super appreciated if you can give me your kind advice 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
My phone: OnePlus 9 (andriod)
My wife phone: IPhone xs
Hey Alex, really grateful for all the smarthome tips you have posted! Thinking of adding some smart solutions to my home, so I have a few questions that I hope you can help with! With the SmartThings hub, are you still using the Aqara hub for the Aqara curtain motor and Aqara smart switches (D1)? If you're using the SmartThings hub for Aqara devices, is any custom code required? Thanks in advance!
hihi, no the aqara hub is not needed anymore, smartThings hub can communicate to these zigbee devices directly. You will require a device handler which is a custom code to do that because aqara is not natively integrated to smartThings
@@AlexTeo Hi Alex, thanks for the quick reply! I'm currently torn between getting a SmartThings Hub and an Aqara hub. The SmartThings Hub seems like it might be hard to use with appliances that require device handlers, while I've heard of latency issues with the newer Aqara hubs as they can only connect to mainland China. I'll mostly be using Aqara D1 smart switches, Aqara Motorised curtain tracks and switchbot hubs. Which hub would you recommend? Thank you so much for your help!😃
@@MrZhaoye you need switchbot hubs for? If your smart home setup is just going to be aqara products then get the aqara hub will do
@@AlexTeo I'll be using them to control a TV and Air-con in my room. I have some switchbot bots around my house as well. Thanks for getting back!
@@MrZhaoye the aqara hub can do IR as well. But personally I will go with SmartThings solution and switchbot hub for IR
You really know your stuff very well. please try out new product and review them. Impressive video as always! 👍🏻
haha thanks, balancing out content for smart home, renovations and product review type of videos
Great video!!! Always been a fan of your channel. Any reason why Tuya Smart or Smart Life is excluded? It’s among the more affordable option, and it’s actually being used by many of the smart home contractors in sg.
basically because they can't integrate other brands of smart home devices to their app, so you are constraint to their module/chip which is also another concern for people choosing their products
Is there any difference between a smartthings hub vs a connect home in terms of the ability to function as a hub as well as the usage of writing our own device handler, code etc? (understand that connect home comes w wifi and hub, while smartthings hub is a standalone hub)
asking because both are priced similarly, so is there any catch? why buy a hub when I could buy wifi+hub and turn off the wifi if i dont need it?
the smartThings hub do come with a battery backup which means in the event of power outage, some of your devices will still work fine but this feature is definitely not a deal breaker. I didn't look into the router features of it vs strong networking companies like netgear or tplink, but samsung are definitely not well-known in that space. So I guess that's why the price is similar? How much is it?
@@AlexTeo agree about the networking point. on average for official stores, both are 199 and connect home might even be cheaper. could find it for 140, which may sway me there.
my only concern is whether connect home can write its own device handler to accommodate "unofficial" devices such as aqara switches?
@@lowbudgetproduction755 yes it does, if you look at 8:55 at the groovy webpage, you can see samsung connect home wifi system is there
@@AlexTeo I see!
Also, thanks for doing this. really appreciate the comprehensive guide!
I'm interested in getting smartthings for my new home, but can use IR for it? And does smartthings hub have to be in the same room as that IR device for IR to work?
nope no build in IR capability, have to look elsewhere for IR
Will using smartthings work with aqara switches? Or do I need an aqarahub still?
no need aqara hub unless you are using the aqara m2 hub for IR but that's not able to integrate with smartThings
Maybe i will buy one this smart thinga for my new home coming soon
Hi Alex, wanted to check your opinion on Aqara wall switch. How do you decide whether to get the neutral or non neutral aqara version? Secondly, can the aqara wall switch linked to mini e gateway?
if there is a choice then having neutral is better than non-neutral. What is mini e gateway? I never heard of that
hey alex, mind sharing your home assistant setup details in your next video? thanks
+1 love to see ur full setup
this video is planned for august, my pipeline of video plan is pretty long lol
Hi Alex, thanks for the informative videos! Are all the other smart home solutions compatible with Google voice assistant?
i won't dare to say all haa, can be more specific what you referring to?
Hahaha. For instance, if I’m using the Google nest as my voice assistant platform, can I pair that up with the smart things or the apple home kit?
What about a hybrid solution? eg. Google Home for straightforward stuff and Home Assistant for more complex automation? Does it make sense?
don't make sense, you will want a central consolidated platform and not devices here and there
I'm trying to change my whole house lights to LED and at the same time exploring making it into "smart" with other devices at home too. Do u have any contractors to recommend? I realised when I go to a lights shop, they only focus on lights, and some shops only focus on selling their own smart devices. Appreciate it if you have a good contractor and be an integrator to recommend.
no man sorry, i always recommend diy smart home.
Great video Alex. Thanks for sharing. I'm new to smart home and looking at Smartthings - Which brand smart switches you suggest to go with Smartthings (in Singapore)?
for now, i would go with aqara H2 for smartthings
@@AlexTeo Thanks for the quick response. Realized this is a 3y old video -- Any change in your view of Smartthings? Still go with that or prefer something else?
@zenithhorizon5463 I do have an updated video but it's also been a year and things changed lol, th-cam.com/video/oepFkEo9iDA/w-d-xo.htmlsi=S9zVfgFgIQNM8lw4