Smart Switches are a way to control HomeKit that many users prefer, and Aqara offers us an original and very versatile cubic shape. We tested the Aqara Cube T1 Pro and we’ll tell you what it’s for.
Can you imagine a switch with 18 buttons? It would be big and difficult to place anywhere. Well, Aqara has achieved this with a simple cube, a dice that allows you to control all Aqara devices and all those that are HomeKit compatible by moving it. Turn, turn, shake, touch, push… and you will get a different action with each of these actions.
Features
It’s a cube, obviously six-sided, like a giant dice. Each side is screen printed with a number, like a dice, so it’s easy to identify. Made of plastic and white, it’s easy to place anywhere without raising the suspicion that it’s a switch that can do something. One of the sides can be removed using a small metal lever which is included in the box to replace the battery that will last about two years according to Aqara. It is also necessary to lift this cover to press the button that connects it to an Aqara hub.
It connects to the Hub using the Zigbee protocol, and this Hub will be the one that gives it compatibility with HomeKit. So there is no code to scan on the device, adding it to the Aqara app will automatically add it to our Home app. inside there is a 6-axis sensor that detects both movement and position changes. You can connect up to 32 devices to control them, all must be added to the Aqara app. For HomeKit, there is no need to add anything to it, any device added to the home can be controlled with it, as long as something can be done with it, of course.
Aqara vs. HomeKit
On the one hand we can use the device with Aqara for all compatible devices, on the other hand for HomeKit devices. The use with Aqara accessories is much more important, with many movements to perform different actions: push, twist, double tap, rotate 180º, shake, rotate 90 degrees and leave one minute unused. With HomeKit we will only have six moves, depending on which side of the die we leave up, nothing more. For example, if we have Aqara bulbs, we can control their brightness by turning left or right, in HomeKit this is not possible.
We are already used to the limitations of Casa in many accessories. Apple should give its application a boost because manufacturers have made a lot of changes to their products, and yet the Home application has hardly evolved beyond a few aesthetic changes. I’m more of a HomeKit user than the Aqara app, so I suffer from these limitations, but the Aqara Cube is still a very useful switch.. Like those six buttons, it lets me run HomeKit environments and accessories, and its design and size make it perfect for placing on the table next to the sofa, in the hallway of the house, or on the dining table. bedside.
Editor’s review
It may seem like a toy, but when you start using the Aqara Cube T1 Pro, you realize how much it has to offer. With many other functions within the Aqara ecosystem, also for any HomeKit user, it is a very interesting accessory. Wireless and with great autonomy, we cannot forget its great price: $29.99 on Amazon (link).
