After initially uncovering the existence of the Aqara US Switch in testing back in April, and reporting only last week the light switch appearing as an addable device in the Aqara app (US Server) after an update, Aqara has made it official, with the light switch listed on their US website.
As expected, the new switches, that come in single and double button configurations, require the Aqara hub in order to be added to your smart home and to be exposed to HomeKit. As these are designed for the US market, they are also exposed to Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, which was a part of the last app update that first revealed these switches.
As with any HomeKit compatible light switch, you can control the device via the apps, via voice control, and set timers & automations. What may be of interest to some though is that fact that the new Aqara switches do not require a neutral wire, with many homes in the US still lacking a neutral wire for their lighting, so this could be seen as an alternative to the Lutron smart system which appears to be the only other HomeKit compatible light switch manufacturer that offers this option. There will possibly be a ‘neutral wire’ version to follow.
Here are some basic specs;
Single Rocker – WS-USC01 | Double Rocker – WS-USC02Material – PCOperating temperature – 0~40ºC | 32~104ºFMax. load – 600w/way (incandescent) | 200w/way (CFL/LED) | 1/4HP motorInput – 120v AC @ 60HzDimensions – 120 x 73 x 36.5mm | 4.72 x 2.91 x 1.44in)Wireless protocol – ZigBee 3.0Colour – WhiteOperating humidity – 0~95% RH, non-condensing
Currently the switch is not available to buy but is listed as coming soon to amazon.com, so hopefully, this switch will be available before the end of the year. There are no details on price yet, however.
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