Smart homes still not worth the work yet
But ping me if someone actually creates a real-life Jarvis
I’m planning to move to a new apartment next year, but I won’t be converting my new place into a smart home. Don’t get me wrong, there will be some smart home devices, I’m not a Luddite. For starters, a video doorbell is practically a must-have, and a robot vacuum is an indispensable helper.
But I’m not doing the whole shebang. You know, with smart sensors, smart lighting, smart plugs, smart speakers, and all these devices linked into one unified system that you can control and automate using an app. Because despite the industry finally getting its act together in recent years with the Matter standard, the smart home scene is still fractured with a multitude of players.
Matter may eventually bridge these differences, but progress has been slow so far. It feels easier to rely on the tried-and-tested (get off the couch and go hit that switch!), and not go all-in on smart home automation.
I was also reminded recently that manufacturers can easily shut down the servers, turning your smart home devices into paperweights. Belkin announced this week that it was ending support for most of its Wemo smart home devices next year (I actually have one Wemo switch lying around somewhere). Another example is the Google Nest Secure home security system, which was discontinued, and eventually made unusable last year. There are probably other examples of firms going out of business or getting bought out, and their products becoming obsolete.
As consumers, we’re always at the whim of manufacturers, not to mention the potential privacy and security issues with always-connected smart home devices, as well as the subscription fees associated with cloud services. The alternative is to create your own smart home, keeping everything local and private, which requires time and some tinkering.
It’s a trade-off, which is why I’m opting out of the full smart home experience for my next home. I’m probably not the only one. According to IDC, consumers are mostly buying connected cameras, door locks, and doorbells, while robot vacuums have also grown in popularity in recent years. I bet most consumers aren’t buying a whole lot more than those essential gadgets. But ping me again once someone manages to create a real-life Jarvis for the home, which probably isn’t that far off with how fast AI is evolving.
This week, we tested two new Android phones that aim to offer better value for money than flagship models, as well as Razer’s latest gaming mouse, which promises to be its most advanced one yet.
If a flagship phone is over your budget, the Oppo Reno14 Pro 5G (S$999) is a cheaper alternative that’s almost as capable. It has good cameras, a large vibrant screen, and flagship perks like IP69 water and dust resistance, all in a polished, premium package. Battery life, though, could be better.
Possibly the most advanced esports mouse from Razer now, the DeathAdder V4 Pro offers the latest features, including a new Focus Pro 45K DPI optical sensor that should be music to the ears of professional players. The redesigned wireless dongle is another highlight, and comes with customisable LED indicators. Best of all, the battery life is now rated at 150 hours, up from 100 hours.
Nothing continues to lean on design with the latest flagship-tier Nothing Phone 3. While the unique transparent back isn’t unusual for the brand, there’s now a LCD matrix display at the back, which replaces the previous Glyph Interface, and adds new functionality. We were also impressed by the cameras, especially for macro shots.