The Digital Home Magazine

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Smart Home Brands

Samsung SmartThings

Samsung SmartThings has the vision of networking the entire household with one app and controlling it conveniently with the smart TV or voice assistant. The whole thing should be as simple as possible to implement. While Samsung devices such as Smart TVs, refrigerators and music systems are in the foreground, the Samsung SmartThings Smart Home is also open to third-party providers. The SmartThings Hub control center speaks the radio languages Z-Wave and ZigBee - two common protocols that allow the integration of various smart home devices.

Wink

The Wink Hub 2 is the new version of a real crowd-pleaser. Equipped with all important wireless standards such as Z-Wave and ZigBee, the hub in the smart home communicates with devices from various manufacturers. In this way, everything fits together seamlessly into a big whole: the Z-Wave temperature sensor shares its data with the Bluetooth-supported radiator thermostat and the WLAN lights can be controlled together with the ZigBee lights.

Bosch Smart Home

The control centre of the Bosch Smart Home System is equipped with numerous wireless standards in order to be as accessible as possible to many non-manufacturer Smart Home devices. The well-known device manufacturer is not yet using its connections. In addition to Philips Hue, only Buderus heating systems and Amazon Alexa are currently compatible with the Bosch Smart Home Controller. The manufacturer's own smart home products concentrate primarily on heating control, burglary protection and video surveillance. Flush-mounted actuators for light and blind control are now also available. In comparison, the Bosch Smart Home System is still very young and will soon adapt to the competition in terms of performance.
The Bosch Smart Home appears to be of higher quality than the components than average. Especially the 360 ° indoor camera and Eyes outdoor camera stand out. In the event of an alarm, the Bosch Smart Home System triggers the siren of the smart smoke detector. Accordingly, an alarm unit is saved. Another practical gimmick is the Flex universal switch, which, as a portable switch, can trigger up to four smart home automations without having to pick up the smartphone.

Philips Hue (Lighting)

We have mentioned the smart lighting control more than once in the Smart Home comparison. And there is a good reason for that: A smart home system has little chance of surviving today if it is not compatible with the popular lighting control from Philips. On the one hand, the lighting system conjures up the right lighting mood for every occasion at the push of a button or by voice command (for example as Ambilight for the TV), on the other hand the Philips Hue also serves as a burglar deterrent. When on holiday, the smart LEDs can be used to simulate presence, while at work the light system communicates with the door sensor, for example, and illuminates the house with a bright red light if there is a risk of burglary.

Nest

Google has made it its business to make your everyday life easier. For this purpose, the Google Assistant should help you to complete tasks faster and thus save time. This extends to both organizational tasks and the control of your connected home. With the ever increasing integration of numerous Google services, this voice assistant is becoming more and more accessible and talented. Google Nest offers a wide range of products that make your everyday life easier and make your home smarter and safer. From smart voice assistants to mesh WiFi and video surveillance - everything is networked and easily accessible via the Google Home app. The app also serves as an entertainment hub. The Google Assistant has access to streaming services such as Spotify, Deezer, TuneIn, Youtube or Netflix via the Google Home app. This is made possible by Google's Chromecast technology. So you can start music or videos even on non-smart devices simply by calling.

Ecobee (Heating control)

When it comes to making your thermostat smarter, your choices are limited. You can go for a Nest that is the proponent of smart thermostats, but is also owned by Google. This means that important information about you and your home habits are likely to be monitored. You can opt for a "smart" thermostat from traditional thermostat manufacturers like Honeywell, but get stuck with a device that lacks all of the cool algorithms and nifty features of the Nest. Or you can spend a little extra and get an Ecobee that uses algorithms like a Nest, works with every major smart home hub, including Apple Home, which Nest doesn't, and actually protects your data.
Ecobee has long been "the other" of the smart thermostat options. It claims to be as smart as the nest, but it's a little more difficult to install, uses more power, and lacks the nest's near-iconic design. But again, it works immediately with Apple Home, and the latest version of the Smart Thermostat has an intercom function and Alexa is also integrated. So think of the Ecobee as a Nest, but a little uglier, working with more material and possibly managing privacy better.

Tado° (Heating control)

As far as possible, tado has managed to turn the heating thermostat into a modern lifestyle product. The smart thermostats are strikingly stylish, can be controlled via a modern app and heat depending on presence and weather forecasts. This makes tado the Ferrari among smart heating controls. Tado is particularly interesting for all those who use Apple HomeKit, Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant to control their smart home. Basically, tado is a self-contained stand-alone solution that cannot be directly integrated into any of the smart home systems in our comparison.