Smart home hubs Homey Pro and Homey Bridge now offer air conditioning control via their built-in infrared LEDs and a free software update — and are the only smart home hubs to offer AC control over infrared in combination with Zigbee and Z-Wave
LAS VEGAS and ENSCHEDE, Netherlands, Jan. 8, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Athom, a leader in privacy-centric smart home solutions, today announced an impactful enhancement to its universal smart home hubs, Homey Pro and Homey Bridge, at CES 2024. Homey Pro and Homey Bridge can now control air conditioning systems through their built-in infrared blaster, adding infrared-controlled air conditioning to Homey's vast portfolio of supported devices and technologies. The new AC control feature is available to new and existing users of Homey Pro and Homey Bridge at no additional charge via a simple software update and makes Homey Pro and Homey Bridge the only smart home hubs to offer AC control over infrared in combination with Zigbee and Z-Wave. Even the company's older hubs, the first of which were shipped to consumers over eight years ago, receive the updated functionality free of charge.
"Previously, users needed a dedicated IR AC controller, which could cost up to $200, for smart home AC control," said Stefan Witkamp, Commercial Director of Athom, "Now, users can integrate their air conditioning using the same hub they rely on for Zigbee, Z-Wave, TV, BLE, Wi-Fi, Matter and Thread – all without incurring any additional costs. Homey Bridge is available at just $69, so it's already a cost-effective solution for AC control on its own, even though it offers so much more."
To activate AC control over Infrared in Homey, users require a Homey Pro or Homey Bridge smart home hub, utilizing their built-in infrared LEDs to relay commands to AC units. The open platform model of Homey ensures support for an ever-expanding roster of supported brands and devices, which can be browsed in the Homey App Store, both before and after the purchase of a hub, to check compatibility. AC control over Infrared is available to users currently as a public beta, including support for units from several popular brands like Daikin, Mitsubishi and LG through their respective Homey Apps. In the coming months, the capability will be extended to support more brands through newly released Homey Apps.
After integration, users can control air conditioning systems via the lauded Homey mobile app for iOS and Android, and the Homey Web App. They also become available for home automation in Homey Flow and Advanced Flow, and the results of their work can be monitored by temperature and air quality sensors in Homey Insights. Advanced features like HomeyScript, the Homey API and Family Sharing all include access to ACs connected to Homey Pro or Homey Bridge.
"Homey Bridge and Homey Pro already use their built-in infrared functionality to control TVs, stereos and other multimedia devices in the home," added Emile Nijssen, Creative Director of the company. "It has been on our wishlist for quite some time to extend that to more complex commands, like AC control. With today's update, Homey Bridge and Homey Pro seamlessly connect with an even broader spectrum of devices, delivering extra value to our users."
Existing and new users can immediately enjoy Homey's new AC control functionality, with no additional hardware required. Homey Pro and Homey Bridge are available for purchase globally, including the U.S., Canada, Europe, Asia and Australia, through leading retailers, including Best Buy, The Home Depot, Amazon, MediaMarkt, CoolBlue, Power, Elkjøp, and Kjell&Company, as well as through https://homey.app.
HOMEY PRO PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS:
- Eight Smart Home Technologies: Wi-Fi (2.4GHz & 5GHz), Bluetooth Low Energy 5.0 (BLE), Zigbee 3.0, Z-Wave (Plus, S2), 433MHz RF, Infrared, Matter and Thread (Q1 2024) to connect with smart home devices. Homey Pro automatically switches its Z-Wave frequency with a unique multi-antenna design based on its location. 433MHz RF is currently activated in Europe, Asia and Oceania.
- Supported Devices: 50,000+ smart devices from more than 1,000 brands, including control of AC units via Infrared.
- Control Options
- Smartphone or Tablet: iOS (v11 or higher) and Android (5.0 or higher)
- PC, Mac, Linux: Universal web app including Homey Flow, Homey Insights and Advanced Flow
- Other: Apple Watch, iOS and Android widgets, voice assistants (Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa and Siri Shortcuts), inputs from physical smart devices through Homey Flow automations
- Local control: Homey Pro processes everything locally, independent of an internet connection. No subscription is required. It can be connected to a local LAN instead of Wi-Fi through the optional Homey Pro Ethernet Adapter ($29 / €29 / £29).
- Price: $399 (US) / €399 (EU) / £399 (UK)
HOMEY BRIDGE PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS:
- Six Smart Home Technologies: Wi-Fi, BLE, Zigbee, Z-Wave (Plus, S2), 433MHz RF and Infrared to connect with smart home devices. Homey Bridge automatically switches its Z-Wave frequency with a unique multi-antenna design based on its location. 433MHz RF is currently activated in Europe, Asia and Oceania.
- Supported Devices: 50,000+ smart devices from more than 1,000 brands, including control of AC units via Infrared.
- Works with the Homey service: The cloud-based, free-to-start Homey service is what powers the Homey app and Homey Bridge. Homey Bridge connects to the Homey service and extends it with support for the local technologies mentioned above. The service, and therewith the functionality of Homey Bridge, is available in two versions:
- Free: Users can connect, control and automate up to 5 devices. Devices can be either cloud-connected or be connected via Homey Bridge.
- Premium: this $2.99 / €2.99 monthly subscription per household allows an unlimited number of connected devices and provides access to Homey Insights, Homey Logic and Advanced Flow. Devices can be connected via Homey Bridge or the cloud.
- Control Options
- Smartphone or Tablet: iOS (v11 or higher) and Android (5.0 or higher)
- PC, Mac, Linux: Universal web app including Homey Flow, Homey Insights and Advanced Flow
- Other: Apple Watch, iOS and Android widgets, voice assistants (Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa and Siri Shortcuts), inputs from physical smart devices through Homey Flow automations
- Price: $69 (US) / €69 (EU) / £69 (UK)
Interested press, please contact [email protected] to schedule an interview ahead of or during CES. Access the Homey press kit here.
About Homey
Founded in 2014, Homey was developed by Athom B.V., a privately held Dutch technology company with a mission to make the smart home easy and fun for everyone. Homey creates the ultimate smart home experience by unifying all home devices in a single app, regardless of brand or technology. For that, it offers a free-to-start cloud-based solution, as well as two universal smart home hubs: Homey Pro and Homey Bridge. Homey is compatible with 50K+ devices from over 1,000 brands and allows users to customize their entire home experience based on their personal habits. Homey's technology has won several awards and placed first in the EIT Digital Idea Challenge. For more information, please visit Homey.app.
Media Contact
Mindy M. Hull, Athom B.V., 1 415 889 9977, [email protected], https://homey.app/en-us/
Allie Gavan, Athom B.V., 1 415 987 7147, [email protected], https://homey.app/en-us/
SOURCE Athom B.V.
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