Smallest Hub Yet? The Aqara Hub E1 - Homekit Smart Home
Summary
TLDRDebra Lloyd introduces Acara's new E1 USB-powered smart home hub, compatible with Apple HomeKit, Google Home, Alexa, and IFTTT. The hub is compact, affordable, and supports up to 128 Zigbee devices. Despite its small size, it offers reliable performance, although it lacks the speaker and light found in other Acara hubs. It can also act as a 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi repeater. Debra highlights Acara's affordability and reliability, encouraging viewers to explore the ecosystem. A promo code for a discount on the E1 hub is available in the video description.
Takeaways
- 😀 The new Acara E1 hub is a small, USB-powered smart home hub that was released on October 26th.
- 🔌 It is the smallest hub from Acara, about the size of a USB drive, and weighs only 58 grams.
- 🏡 The hub is compatible with HomeKit, Google Home, Alexa, and IFTTT, but the focus is on HomeKit in this video.
- 💡 The E1 hub can connect to up to 128 devices and uses Zigbee 3.0 for fast and reliable communication.
- 📉 This hub is more affordable than other Acara hubs, costing only $39.99 CAD, making it a budget-friendly option for those starting with smart home devices.
- 🚫 The E1 hub lacks a speaker and light for alarm features, which are available on other Acara hubs like the M1S.
- 📶 A unique feature of the E1 hub is that it can act as a 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi repeater, capable of connecting up to two devices.
- 🧩 Acara's ecosystem includes a variety of affordable sensors and devices that integrate easily once you have the hub.
- ⚙️ Setup is simple through the Acara app, with quick installation and firmware updates to ensure smooth performance.
- 🎁 The E1 hub is a good entry point for building a reliable and affordable smart home, especially with Acara’s ongoing innovation and product development.
Q & A
What is the main topic of the video?
-The video introduces Aqara's newest smart home hub, the E1 hub, and discusses its features, benefits, and affordability for building a smart home ecosystem.
What is unique about the size and design of the Aqara E1 hub?
-The Aqara E1 hub is extremely small, about the size of a USB drive, and weighs only 58 grams. Its compact design allows it to connect to any USB port, making it unobtrusive and versatile for installation.
What are the compatible smart home platforms for the Aqara E1 hub?
-The Aqara E1 hub is compatible with multiple smart home platforms, including Apple HomeKit, Google Home, Alexa, and IFTTT.
Why did the creator initially not consider Aqara products for their smart home?
-The creator initially overlooked Aqara products because they were not available in Canada. Later, they avoided Aqara because they required a hub, opting for other more expensive products to avoid purchasing a hub.
How does the cost of Aqara products compare to other smart home platforms?
-Aqara products are more affordable compared to other smart home platforms, especially when considering their sensors. Although a hub is required, the overall cost is lower once the hub is purchased.
What communication protocol does the Aqara E1 hub use and how many devices can it support?
-The Aqara E1 hub uses the Zigbee 3.0 communication protocol and is capable of connecting up to 128 devices, providing fast and reliable communication.
What key features are missing from the E1 hub compared to other Aqara hubs?
-The E1 hub lacks a speaker and light, which are present in other Aqara hubs such as the M1S. However, it still supports all four alarm modes via phone notifications.
What is a unique feature of the Aqara E1 hub not found in other hubs?
-The Aqara E1 hub can function as a 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi repeater, allowing it to create a Wi-Fi hotspot and connect up to two devices that might benefit from boosted Wi-Fi coverage.
How does the affordability of the Aqara E1 hub benefit smart home beginners?
-The affordable price of the Aqara E1 hub, at only $39.99 CAD, makes it an attractive option for beginners looking to enter the Aqara ecosystem and build a reliable, affordable smart home.
What additional features and accessories can users explore once they are in the Aqara ecosystem?
-Once users have the Aqara hub, they can explore a variety of accessories including door/window sensors, motion sensors, leak sensors, buttons, switches, and other innovative smart home devices that Aqara continues to develop.
Outlines
📱 Introduction to Acara's New E1 Hub
Debra Lloyd introduces her channel, focusing on smart home solutions using Apple HomeKit. She discusses Acara's latest product, the USB-powered E1 Hub, which launched on October 26th. It's the smallest hub from Acara, weighing just 58 grams and being easy to use. Debra provides a product link and discount code, and sets the stage for a deeper look into its features, drawbacks, and whether it's worth buying. She notes Acara's reputation for making affordable, reliable smart home accessories that work across various platforms.
🏡 Why Debra Chose Acara After Hesitation
Debra shares her initial hesitation with Acara, primarily because the products weren't available in Canada and required a hub. She would initially opt for other brands' accessories to avoid buying a hub, but realized she spent more over time. Acara's hub provides better long-term value as its sensors are affordable, reliable, and easy to use. Debra emphasizes that while affordability is important, reliability remains her top priority. She notes that her experience with Acara’s products has been positive, especially because of their Zigbee-based communication system.
🔧 Unboxing and Setup of the E1 Hub
Debra showcases the E1 Hub, praising its compact size and USB connectivity, making it easy to install. The hub can connect to various USB sources like a wall charger, computer, or router. She explains that setup is simple via the Acara app, which involves selecting the hub, scanning a HomeKit code, and updating the firmware. Once set up, the hub allows pairing with numerous child devices such as temperature sensors and motion sensors. Despite its small size and low cost, Debra notes the E1 Hub is just as capable as Acara's larger hubs, connecting up to 128 devices using Zigbee 3.0.
🚨 Comparing E1 with Other Hubs: What’s Missing?
Debra compares the E1 Hub with Acara's other hubs, highlighting that while it lacks a speaker or light for alarms, it still supports all alarm modes via notifications on your phone. She addresses the concern of having too many hubs but argues that performance is a worthwhile trade-off, similar to other premium smart home systems like Lutron Caseta and Philips Hue. Debra touches on the limited availability of Thread-compatible accessories and praises Acara for adding extra value to their hubs by including features like alarm systems, night lights, and even a built-in camera in their other products.
📶 Unique Feature: Wi-Fi Repeater on the E1 Hub
Debra highlights a unique feature of the E1 Hub—its ability to act as a 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi repeater. Through the app, users can set up a Wi-Fi hotspot and connect up to two devices, which is helpful for gadgets that are farther from the router. This feature adds more flexibility, making the hub not just a smart home controller but also a practical network booster. Debra emphasizes how the affordability and functionality of Acara’s products make it easy for users to enter the smart home ecosystem and start expanding their setup with a range of sensors and devices.
🎁 Affordable Smart Home Solutions and Promo Code
Debra wraps up by discussing the price points of Acara's hubs, comparing them to other available models on Amazon. The E1 Hub is the most affordable at $39.99 CAD, making it a great entry point into the Acara ecosystem. She encourages viewers to take advantage of the 10% promo code, valid until October 28th, and shares excitement about Acara's future innovations. With the holidays approaching, Debra suggests that these smart home devices make perfect gifts and invites viewers to check out her other Acara-related videos.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Aqara E1 Hub
💡HomeKit
💡Zigbee 3.0
💡Wi-Fi Repeater
💡Sensors
💡Affordability
💡USB-powered
💡Firmware Update
💡Smart Home Ecosystem
💡2.4 GHz
Highlights
Introducing Acara's newest hub, the USB-powered E1 hub, officially released on October 26th.
The E1 hub is Acara's smallest hub, only slightly larger than a typical USB drive and weighing just 58 grams.
Despite its small size, the E1 hub works with major smart home platforms like HomeKit, Google Home, Alexa, and IFTTT.
Acara products, including the E1 hub, use Zigbee 3.0, offering fast and reliable performance.
The E1 hub can connect up to 128 devices, making it ideal for building out a smart home system.
Although the E1 hub is inexpensive, it lacks features like a speaker and a light, which are present in other Acara hubs.
The E1 hub can function as a 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi repeater, capable of connecting up to two additional devices.
The hub's small size and USB connection make it easy to install without being intrusive.
Setup is simple, requiring users to select the hub in the Acara app, scan the HomeKit code, and update the firmware.
The E1 hub is priced at $39.99 CAD, making it an affordable entry point into Acara's smart home ecosystem.
The hub supports various Acara sensors, such as temperature sensors, motion sensors, and wireless mini switches.
The review highlights Acara's reputation for reliable and affordable smart home products, with sensors priced lower than competitors.
Acara's focus on simplicity and affordability makes it easier to build a dependable smart home system.
The reviewer mentions Acara's consistent performance, making it a reliable option compared to other more expensive brands.
Acara is always innovating and developing new products, with potential upcoming accessories that could benefit from the E1 hub's Wi-Fi repeater function.
Transcripts
hi i'm debra lloyd and welcome to my
channel all about making your home
smarter with apple homekit
hot off the press introducing a car's
newest hub their usb powered e1 hub
which was officially released in these
markets effective today october 26th not
only is this a car's newest hub it's
also their smallest hub not much larger
than an average usb drive and only
weighs 58 grams
making the move to a car has never been
easier i have a product link and
discount code in the description but
first what features does it have is
there anything missing and should you
buy it all of this information coming up
if you're not familiar with acara they
make reliable and easy to use smart home
products that are compatible with a
variety of smart home platforms in fact
the e1 hub works with homekit google
home alexa and ifttt though i will of
course be focusing on home kit as always
i initially didn't give a car much
consideration mainly because it wasn't
available in canada and then later
because i needed to buy a hub when they
did come to canada i'd hop onto amazon
and think hey there's an affordable
accessory like a door window sensor and
it works with home kit from this company
called acara ah but i need a hub so end
up paying considerably more for a sensor
from another company thinking that it'd
save money because i don't need a hub
then a month or two goes by and i pop
back on for maybe a motion sensor this
time and i go through the same thing
i later realized that because of the
cost of the other accessories i actually
paid considerably more than if i had
just gone with a car and purchased the
hub
stick around and i'll tell you more
about how a car adds value to their hubs
homekit products have always been more
expensive than other smart home
platforms and that's a large part of a
car's appeal
yes you need a hub but once you have it
it's so easy and fast to build out your
smart home because their sensors are so
affordable
though i would not recommend a product
just because it's affordable reliability
is number one it has to consistently
work and work well
the more i've used zakara the more
impressed i am i've been very happy with
the performance and reliability of all
of my acara products and in part that's
because of the hub that makes their
products so dependable these products
communicate using zigbee which is both
fast and reliable i feel like this is a
good time to thank akara for sending me
their e1 hub to test out and review
though i also want to mention this will
not influence my opinion of this product
if i have critical feedback i will
absolutely let you know so let's take a
look at akara's newest hub
well here it is as you can see it's
extremely small and as the name suggests
it connects via usb
this makes it easy to connect without
being obtrusive this simply connects to
any usb port such as a wall outlet with
usb
or a wall charger you can even connect
this to the usb on your router
or computer
or if you have one of those five watt
charging bricks laying around from an
old iphone then that works as well in
fact this is how i have mine installed
as you can see it can easily pivot to
keep it out of the way
i love how small it is it's barely
noticeable
and setup was a breeze
[Music]
from the akara app select the e1 hub
from the list of available hubs
[Music]
then scan the home kit code and wait for
it to connect
[Music]
once installed i'm prompted to update
the firmware to ensure i have the best
performance
once that's done you're good to go and
you can start pairing whatever child
devices you have such as a temperature
sensor wireless mini switch or a motion
sensor just to name a few this hub is
super small and inexpensive but does
that mean it's less capable
the answer to that is no as a hub the e1
is equally capable with the cars other
flagship hubs like their m1s m2 and g2h
camera hub this hub communicates using
zigbee 3.0 it is capable of connecting
up to 128 devices though this device is
compatible with all four alarm modes via
notifications on your phone if say there
was unexpected motion or door window
sensor was triggered however there's no
speaker like there are on the car's
other hubs and no light like there is on
the m1s
so something to keep in mind if the
alarm feature is important to you trust
me i get the concern with having too
many hubs but the trade-off is
performance which is worth it in my
opinion i say the same when it comes to
lutron caseta and phillips hue threat is
here and if you watch my videos then you
know i'm totally on the thread bandwagon
but compatible accessories are still
limited and typically cost more at least
for now what i appreciate about a car is
how they take something basic like a hub
and they add value by including an alarm
system or night light an infrared
blaster or even a 1080p indoor camera i
mean maybe we have it wrong maybe you're
buying an accessory that just happens to
be a hub
i see that you want hub being for
someone that doesn't need all the bells
and whistles of some of the other
available hubs or perhaps someone who's
just getting started with the yakara
ecosystem and wants to take advantage of
all their devices and sensors
the one feature that i do have to
mention that's unique to this hub is
that it's capable of being a 2.4
gigahertz wi-fi repeater within more
settings you can actually create a wi-fi
hotspot where you can then connect up to
two devices this could be any wi-fi
devices that are maybe further away from
your router so could benefit from the
boosted wi-fi you can customize the ssid
and password to make it the same as your
main network or make it something
different if you choose so really while
i hope this video has shown you the
features and benefits of the e1 hub i
also want to share how the affordability
of these products make it even easier to
enter into the acara ecosystem to build
a reliable and affordable smart home as
of recording the g2h sells on amazon.ca
for 89.99
the m2 is
74.99 and the least expensive a car hub
is the m1s at
64.99
the e1hub is available today for only
39.99 canadian that's pretty affordable
in my opinion overall i've been
impressed with the product and its
reliability so to celebrate the launch
of a car's newest hub a car has provided
a promo code that will give you an
additional 10 off the link of promo code
is in the description and it's valid now
through october 28th once you have the
hub you're in the ecosystem and this
opens up so many possibilities to
explore including door window sensors
motion sensors leak sensors buttons and
switches so so many possibilities and a
car is always innovating and coming up
with new products like the hub we
discussed today so you just know there's
some new cool devices in the works maybe
even some that could potentially benefit
from the wifi repeater on the e1 hub
with the holidays just around the corner
not only would these make great gifts
but it's the perfect time to smart home
your place up and wow your family when
they come to visit i'll link in the car
playlist in the description which
includes videos i've done reviewing
their various hubs and sensors so make
sure to check those out i'm also working
on another car video that i'm really
excited about that will show up just how
well all of these car accessories work
together so keep an eye out for that to
drop later this fall
thanks everyone for sticking around till
the end of this video i appreciate you
supporting the channel once again if
you're interested in picking this hub up
the promo code is good until october
28th thanks as always for watching and
i'll talk to you soon
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