On this week's episode of the HomeKit Insider podcast, we review three recently-launched smart home products from Aqara, Govee, and Ikea.

Following CES 2026, news is a bit scarce. We did have one new product launch, though.

The Dewenils outdoor smart plug is arriving for less than $25 in single or dual outlet configurations. Unlike most outdoor smart plugs, this one is capable of dimming your exterior lights.

It seems perfectly suited for the popular filament bulbs many have draped over their patios. With an affordable price point, it's a lot more approachable for users rather than buying smart filament bulbs in the first place.

Another unique feature is the inclusion of a handheld remote. It can be used to turn the lights on and off and dim them, alongside Matter support.

The bulk of the episode was devoted to a trio of reviews. We go in-depth with the new Aqara U400 smart lock, Govee Nugget Ice Maker Pro, and Ikea's Matter-over-Thread lineup.

Govee's new ice maker lacks Matter support like the original, but it fixes many of the common issues with other ice makers. It has a large capacity, visible water levels, near-silent operation, and chewy extruded nugget ice with full control via the Govee app.

The Aqara U400 is the first smart lock to include UWB support for automated unlocking upon approach. It is native in Apple Home via Home Key with Aliro support coming down the line.

We've been testing the lock out for a few weeks, and it has proved very reliable and easy to use. It also offers a keypad, fingerprint, NFC, and a physical key as alternative entry options.

Finally, we got our hand on some of Ikea's brand new Matter-over-Thread lineup. There are more than 20 new devices and we got several different smart bulbs, the dual button, and the motion sensor.

Each device was very easy to set up and proved very reliable in issuing and receiving commands. The accessories lagged a little bit behind the command in the first 30 minutes of use, but this was probably the Thread network sorting itself out. That delay hasn't happened since.

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