AppleInsider Staff
Smarthome accessory maker iDevices expanded to its range of HomeKit-connected hardware on Friday with Instant Switch, an easy to mount wall switch that connects to and controls most iDevices products.
Originally promised to launch last year, Instant Switch is iDevices' take on installation free smart accessory switches that have gained in popularity over the past year.
Similar in function to Logitech POP and Philips Hue Dimmer Switch, Instant Switch is a hassle-free solution for controlling iDevices power and lighting products. With HomeKit integration, users can control Instant Switch via Siri and include the device in house-wide scenes. Amazon Alexa support is also included.
Using Bluetooth, the battery-powered Instant Switch pairs with iDevices products like the Switch WiFi Smart Plug or Socket light bulb adapter to provide remote control from almost anywhere in a user's home. Along with basic on/off control for plugs and adapters, Instant Switch can connect to the iDevices Wall Switch or Dimmer Switch, both hardwired solutions, to automatically create a 3- or 4-way control configuration.
Unfortunately, Instant Switch does not support the iDevices Thermostat, though that model can be directly controlled from the Home app and included in HomeKit scenes.
Boasting a sleek flat panel design, Instant Switch can be mounted to a wall with the included 3M Command Strip, offering the aesthetic of a traditional residential electrical switch box cover. Users can customize their installation by swapping out the faceplate with any standard two-screw panel that accommodates standard rocker switches. A built-in level helps with installation.
As a semi-permanent device, Instant Switch comes with a pre-installed battery said to last for two years under normal use conditions.
Instant Switch is available now from iDevices' website and Amazon.com for $34.95.
Marko Zivkovic
Malcolm Owen
Andrew Orr
Christine McKee
Andrew O'Hara
31 Comments
There was an article written recently that all this home control stuff may be all well and good for Apple walled garden folks like us but a potential nightmare for Google Android driven stuff. Given the total lack of security and lack of any users updating it is only a matter of time before an Android based home systems get shut down and ransomed for bitcoin payments to turn back on. Imagine no heating in the dead of winter.
Lutron's "Caseta" HomeKit/Alexa switches include a remote that can, with a $3 bracket be installed as a second switch, for $60 on amazon. So $35, while cheap, doesn't seem like that great a value proposition.
The Caseta wired switches are pretty easy to install. The only downside I discovered is that if you have LED lights, you better make sure they're 'compatible'. It turns out the recessed LEDs my builder put in aren't. They work, but give off an annoying buzzing sound :-( Since they were put in just about everywhere, the only places I can use the 2 Caseta switches I bought (their startup bundle) is in a couple places. Anyone wanna buy some LEDs from me? :-) I'm too cheap to buy a bunch of new LEDs (not cheap!) when the old ones otherwise work just fine.
Have to say after I saw many HomePod unboxings & saw reviewers used it with HomeKit stuffs to great effect, I’m very impressed & will dip my toe in soon. But Apple need to be careful here. Looks at Alexa support. I bet if it doesn’t have one it wouldn’t be sold on Amazon. Shows the power of Amazon in this space really.
Interesting.
And I want to be excited.
There is one problem with these smart switches/remotes: None of them seem designed to fit a standard Decora sized wall plate opening, including this one based on the photos shown.
The Philips Hue Dimmer this same problem. And the Tap is a weird circular shape.
The Lutron Pico remotes fit neatly into an existing row of Decora-style switches under a standard switch cover plate (or an extended row if you add an additional remote to existing switch locations). But the Lutron Pico doesn't appear in the Home App so it cannot be programmed (directly) to trigger HomeKit scenes. There are people who have hacked together a system where the Pico controls a plugin dimmer (without any devices plugged in) which then triggers HomeKit scenes, but that is a ridiculous hack that I'm not interested in on principle.
In the case of the Philips Hue Dimmer, the intent is that the remote is easily removable from the wall to become a nightstand remote, which is a very cool convenience. And I wonder if the intent to remove it from the wall-mounted location (which is likely installed over an open electrical box in retrofit installations) raises electrical code/safety concerns in case the installation is done badly and wires are exposed when the remote is removed? It seems like they could design a holder bracket that would safely hide any in-wall wiring behind the switch. The Lutron Pico remote has a bracket that holds the remote in position behind a wall plate, but it isn't designed for convenient quick release. The wall plate must be removed before the Pico Remote can be taken out of the bracket.
Does anyone know of a HomeKit Remote Smart Switch (not a wired unit that switches a particular picture) that will fit into a standard Decora sized wall plate?