Aqara Introduces North America’s First Smart Switch With Display
Aqara launched the Touch screen Switch S100 USa two-channel smart wall switch with iintegrated color touch screen again native Matter support. Designed for US electrical installations, the device includes a common wired lighting control and device access to smart home devices and scenes.
The S100 works using The issue with Wi-Fisupports both 2.4GHz again 5 GHz bands once Wi-Fi 6. In addition to Wi-Fi connectivity, the switch includes Bluetooth (usually for initial pairing) and has built-in. Thread Border Routerallowing it to contribute to the stability and coverage of the Thread network for low-power supported devices. Currently, Thread Border Router capabilities are limited to Aqara Home and Samsung SmartThings. Whether that will change to include Apple Home in the future, we’re not sure.
It is also worth noting that while this provides support for Thread devices such as the Thread Border Router, the switch itself not the Matter Controllerso you’ll still need a Matter Controller for your chosen smart home platform, including Aqara Home.
The hardware consists of two physical buttons for direct control of the connected lighting circuits, next to a touch screen interface that can be customized with the device and scene cards. Because of the screen, this device requires a central cord. Up to six cards can be displayed in various layouts, allowing quick access to frequently used controls. The display can also act as a smart home interface, providing local control of Matter compatible devices such as lights, plugs, switches, and outlets, as well as Aqara Zigbee devices when used within the Aqara platform.
The touchscreen further supports up to eight smart home shortcuts, which can be used as scene triggers or automations. The availability of these wireless button functions may vary depending on the Matter platform used. Flexible button configurations allow physical switches to operate normally, maintain a constant power state, or act as smart triggers.
Power monitoring is includedwith energy consumption data accessible through the Aqara Home app. In terms of specifications, the Touchscreen Switch S100 US supports it Wi-Fi 802.11 a, b, g, n, ac, and ax standards, and Bluetooth and Thread. If you have a WiFi router capable of using WiFi 6, this will be supported in the switch. The S100 (US) is rated for 100~240V input at 50 or 60Hz, with a maximum load of 10A for incandescent lighting and up to 400W for LED or CFL loads.
Aqara’s website says there are two models of the S100 (US), with the standard model designated as the Touchscreen Switch S100 US, while the other model appears to include a presence sensor, with a model called the Presence Touchscreen Switch S100 US. Only the former seems to be available right now, at least on Amazon.com, priced at US$99.99.
