Eve Motion Sensor, a motion sensor for HomeKit

Eve’s new motion sensor arrives with an overhauled design and support for Thread which promises faster response and more stable connection. We test it and tell you what you can use it for.

The meaning of home automation is that everything works automatically, or almost. Using our iPhone to control lights at home (or any other device) is a lot more inconvenient than flipping a switch, but doing it through our smart speaker while sitting on the couch is a joy. But the best thing is not even having to do it, and that’s the ultimate goal of home automation. Automations that interconnect some devices with others to make things work on their own are the most of the most, and for this an indispensable motion sensor. However, the experience with many of them is not very rewarding, due to the delay in performing the action, or because they fail and never perform it. the Thread protocol arrives to correct this problem, and Eve has updated its motion sensor to be compatible with this new system.

Features

This is the second generation of Eve’s motion sensor and it has several major changes from the previous generation. The first and most noticeable is a smaller size and a more modern design. Another detail that cannot be seen, but is noticeable (and appreciated): it is less expensive. The smaller size makes everything smaller, and the batteries used by this new model are AAA (x2), while the previous one used AA (also two). The lower consumption of the Thread connection protocol means that battery life is the same, up to a year in normal use. You can use it outdoors, but not in places where it will rain directly, because it is IPX3 certified, which gives it some water resistance. It is also perfect to be placed in the bathroom. And it also has a light sensor, which is very useful for use in automation as we will see later.

In order to take advantage of the Thread connection, you will need a HomePod mini, an Apple TV 4K 2nd generation or a 4K 3rd generation 128 GB. If you don’t have any of these devices as an accessory center, it will use the Bluetooth LE connection, and you won’t be able to take advantage of the Thread protocol (better and faster connection). Hubs not compatible with Thread are the original HomePod, the new Apple TV 4K 64GB, and the Apple TV 4K 1st generation or earlier.

automate

Although it is one of the most affordable accessories we can buy to dogmatize our home, a motion detector like this new Eve Motion Sensor offers many possibilities. The first and most obvious of these is create an automation that turns on a light when motion is detected. In HomeKit automations this allows you to tweak a lot and in addition to detecting a presence, you can define what times you want it to be active (only at night, for example), you can even limit the automation only when you are at home, so if you have a pet do not activate it if you are outside. The same automation can be created using the light sensor included in Eve Motion so that lights turn on automatically when room lighting drops below an intensity you can preset.

One last feature of this sensor: a motion detector for your security system. If you enable notifications in your device settings, Each time it detects a presence, you will be notified by phone. As before, you can set the time you want notifications to be sent, and also whether you want them to always arrive or only when you’re away from home. A cheap and very simple way to know if someone has entered a room, directly on your iPhone.

Editor’s review

With much more reliable and faster operation than the previous model, thanks to compatibility with Thread, this new model of Eve Motion Sensor is a basic accessory for anyone who wants to automate their home. Smaller, more reliable and cheaper, plus with an included light sensor, the possibilities for automating your devices are enormous. Its price, $39.95 on Amazon (link)

Against

• You need a Thread router to take advantage of its potential

Advantages

• more compact
• Wire compatible
• Integrated light sensor

Against

• You need a Thread router to take advantage of its potential