Today, Aqara launched the Aqara Hub M3, their first hub supporting Thread. Users can connect devices through Zigbee or utilise the Infrared functionality to control their air conditioning or TV. Given that this hub also supports Matter, it seems like the hub we’ve all been waiting for, right? We received our Aqara Hub M3 today and would like to share our first impressions. Let’s dive in!
Aqara Hub M3
The Perfect Hub
This hub boasts an impressive array of features: Zigbee, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Thread, Infrared, and Matter. For smart home enthusiasts, this may sound familiar but it’s quite a lot, especially for one hub. Many dream of a single hub to replace all others, capable of connecting to every smart home device, from sensors and lights to locks, curtains, thermostats, doorbells, and even washing machines. Matter and Thread align with this vision. Matter promises compatibility between devices and various smart home platforms, while Thread aims for stable connections. It’s no surprise that most smart home companies are leaning towards Matter over Thread devices. The Aqara Hub M3 epitomises the current state of smart home technology and automation – we’re making progress, but there’s still work to be done before we reach the holy grail of a perfect hub to control your smart home.
The Good
What stands out most about the Aqara Hub M3 is the vision it embodies. Aqara’s Zigbee based devices has long been favoured by Apple users due to its great support for HomeKit . With the emergence of Matter and Thread, Aqara began announcing their first Matter over Thread devices years ago. Until the launch of the M3, it wasn’t possible to integrate these devices into the Aqara Home app. Thus, the release of this new hub is logical, bringing these and future Matter over Thread products back to the Aqara app alongside their extensive range of Zigbee devices. However, there’s more to it than that. This device takes a significant step forward (as does its price) by introducing some compelling features to the Aqara Home app.
The most notable addition is the ability to integrate third-party devices into the Hub M3 and the Aqara app. I managed to seamlessly add my Philips Hue Bridge to the Aqara Hub M3 within minutes. Suddenly, all my Philips Hue Lights appeared in the Aqara app – something that was previously impossible! You can now incorporate them into automations, control them through the Aqara app, and their status is almost immediately synchronised across the Aqara Home app, Apple Home app, and Philips Hue app. Currently, only Philips Hue lights, Leviton dimmers and switches, and Google Nest thermostats are supported, but Aqara is working on adding support for more brands.
Features in the Future
Despite my enthusiasm for the Aqara Hub M3’s potential, there are still several features I hope to see in future updates. As this is a powerful device, I expect it could serve our Smart Home needs for many years while Aqara can work on new features and improvements. Here are a few things I’m eagerly awaiting:
- Support for more third-party devices.
- Ability to use the button on the Aqara Door and Window Sensor P2 in automations.
- Ability to adjust the reset period and sensitivity for the Aqara Motion and Light Sensor P2.
- Enable Matter support for all Infrared devices (I was unable to expose my TV to Matter).
Thankfully, Aqara has already promised most of these features, so I eagerly await updates from them for this hub. Expanded support for third-party devices is crucial, as it will be the key to Aqara’s competitiveness against other smart home platforms like Google Home and Apple HomeKit. For now, I believe Aqara has taken a significant step forward with the Aqara Hub M3, and future updates will only enhance its capabilities. Whether the Aqara Home app will become my primary app for controlling my Smart Home, I don’t know. For now, HomeKit remains my top choice. Let’s see what the future holds.
