Aqara has been gradually improving its implementation of Zigbee technology by updating its products with Zigbee 3.0 chips. As part of the upcoming Prime Day sale on Amazon, Aqara is offering discounts on a range of its smart home products. Of particular note are three products that are worth highlighting: the Aqara Motion Sensor P1, the Aqara Smart Curtain Motor E1, and the Aqara Security Camera Hub Indoor G2H Pro.
Deals for three Zigbee 3.0 products from Aqara
The Aqara Motion Sensor P1 is supported by both Zigbee2MQTT and Home Assistant's native ZHA, making it easy to integrate into your smart home setup. Similarly, support for the Aqara Smart Curtain Motor E1 has already been added to Zigbee2MQTT and is currently being worked on for ZHA. Finally, while the Aqara Security Camera Hub Indoor G2H Pro may not be as relevant for the Home Assistant community, it is a compelling device for those in Apple's HomeKit ecosystem.
For those on the hunt for reliable, yet wallet-friendly Zigbee-enabled smart home devices, Aqara is the brand to have on your radar. With their steadfast commitment towards bettering their Zigbee technology implementation, you can rest assured that your investment is in products that will harmoniously work with other Zigbee devices in your home. And with the Prime Day price cuts, there's no better time to bag a bargain on some of Aqara's top-selling products.
Aqara Motion Sensor P1: The upgrade we've been waiting for
The first generation of Aqara's motion sensor was a hit in the smart home community. It was small, cheap, and functional. That is, until you moved it or accidentally turned off the Zigbee router it was connected to. As it turns out, Aqara was using a slightly altered Zigbee protocol, which didn't always play nicely with other vendor's products. Additionally, it had issues with self-healing and frequently required re-pairing.
The Aqara Motion Sensor P1 fixes most of the issues, found in its predecessor. It finally uses a Zigbee 3.0 chip, that will mesh nicely with all your other Zigbee devices, no matter the vendor. In addition, it also has a greatly extended battery life, lasting up to five years, and it has an adjustable detection timeout. It also features various user adjustable settings, such as the timeout, sensitivity, and viewing angle.
Aqara Smart Curtain Motor E1: For a more natural waking up
The Aqara Smart Curtain Motor E1 is comparable to the SwitchBot Curtain in functionality, but uses the Zigbee 3.0 protocol to communicate with a hub. Put simply, both these devices allow you to automate the opening and closing of curtains.
You can mount the Aqara Smart Curtain Motor E1 on U rails, I-rails, or rods, though there are some notes on widths and diameters you must compare to what you have before making the purchase. It can push up to a 12 kg load and the rechargeable, integrated battery can last up to a year. Thankfully, recharging is done using USB-C and not some proprietary connector, meaning you can use your phone or laptop charger when the time comes.
Aqara Security Camera Hub Indoor G2H Pro: Zigbee hub included
The Aqara Security Camera Hub Indoor G2H Pro stands out because it is not just a security camera, but also a Zigbee 3.0 hub. If you want to stay in the Aqara ecosystem, you can use this device for both the purpose of securing your smart home, and adding further sensors and lights. As Zigbee 3.0 doesn't have nearly enough bandwidth for video transmission, a Wi-Fi connection to your network is also required.
It can be connected to Apple's HomeKit Secure Video and supports face and package recognition and notifications that are processed locally on your HomeKit hub. As with most Wi-Fi security, Aqara's offering supports two-way audio, allowing you to speak with the person on the other end. If instead you want to alert or scare someone, it also has a built-in siren.
If you are not a member of Apple's HomeKit ecosystem, you won't benefit from the Secure Video and face recognition, but you will be able to store recordings on an SD card or a SMD accessible network storage device.
