SwitchBot’s cheap universal remote can control your smart home, too

SwitchBot’s caller screen-equipped cosmopolitan remote tin instrumentality power of much than conscionable your location amusement center. With enactment for Bluetooth and Matter, the distant should besides run astute location devices without users having to scope for their smartphones.

For those who conflict to support tabs connected the myriad remotes present included with everything from ceiling fans to airy bulbs, the SwitchBot Universal Remote presently supports “up to 83,934 distant power models” implicit infrared, with a codification room that gets updated each six months.

The distant is besides compatible with SwitchBot’s different astute location devices, including its robovacs and curtain controllers and Bluetooth-controlled devices, which is what galore standalone astute airy bulbs opt for. The Apple TV and Fire TV volition beryllium supported astatine launch, though Roku and Android TV users volition person to hold for a aboriginal update to marque the distant compatible with their hardware.

SwitchBot’s latest accessory isn’t the lone cosmopolitan distant to boast compatibility with astute location devices. The $258 Haptique RS90, being brought to consumers done a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign, promises akin functionality. But SwitchBot’s offering is much appealing, with a much cheaper $59.99 terms tag and enactment for Matter.

The quality to power Matter-compatible instrumentality from different astute location brands does necessitate the cosmopolitan distant to enactment successful tandem with the company’s SwitchBot Hub 2 oregon Hub Mini, which volition adhd to the terms of the distant for those not already moving 1 of the hubs successful their home.

A 2.4-inch LCD surface connected the SwitchBot Universal Remote should marque navigating a agelong database of controllable devices much user-friendly, but you can’t interaction it. All the controls are handled done carnal buttons and a touch-sensitive scroll instrumentality reminiscent of aboriginal iPod models. If you suffer it, you won’t person to hunt done each the sofa cushions successful your home. The SwitchBot app has a “Find My Remote” diagnostic that volition marque the cosmopolitan distant emit a dependable truthful it tin beryllium located with little hassle.

A 2,000mAh battery promises up to 150 days of artillery life, but that’s based connected an “average surface usage of 10 minutes per day,” which doesn’t look similar a lot. Users whitethorn find themselves charging the SwitchBot Universal Remote much frequently, but that’s inactive much convenient than scrambling to find a caller brace of AAA batteries erstwhile it dies.