Without a hub, you have to use each device’s companion application to control devices individually, but the devices can’t seamlessly interact with one another for more advanced home automation. However, smart home products have come a long way in the past few years, and so have smart home assistants like Google Assistant, Alexa, and Apple HomeKit. Alexa and Google Assistant apps have the ability to create routines and essentially serve as centralized hubs. Therefore, opting for a smart speaker is an alternative way to control your smart home devices from one centralized location. The aesthetic design is brand new too, along with a number of performance upgrades. The most striking is that the Echo has ditched the cylindrical look of previous generations and now is a very sleek looking (and kind of adorable) sphere. This is a visual upgrade, but also improves sound quality. Choose between three different neutral colors: charcoal, glacier white, and twilight blue. It looks a bit more premium, blends in with all kinds of decor, and features that signature gradient light ring, which is now on the bottom of the unit to softly illuminate a surface in dim lighting. A single Samsung SmartThings Wi-Fi + Hub will cover up to 1,500 square feet in your apartment or home, but if you want 4,500 square feet of coverage, you can buy three and connect them together. The SmartThings Wi-Fi + Hub has been praised for covering a large home with wireless signal and for delivering fast speeds to many devices. Treat it as a hub for your home, commanding it to turn smart lights on or off, adjust thermostats, or display feeds from smart home cameras. While it doesn’t have the strongest speakers, the 10-watt driver delivers a crisp, clean sound that pairs well with its 1920x1200 screen resolution for entertainment. Plus, Google Cast allows it to act like a TV, and you can run compatible apps like YouTube, Spotify, or Netflix. With a white body and bamboo back, the Lenovo Smart Display easily blends into any décor for a sophisticated addition to any room in the house. The 1.8GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 624 processor is more than sufficient for daily use, but it should be treated as a device to make your life easier, rather than store apps. Beyond voice control, the Logitech Harmony Hub truly stands out with closed cabinet control, which allows it to send commands to connected devices through Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or infrared commands that don’t require a direct line-of-sight. The set-up process is as simple as plugging in the modem and following the app’s instructions. From there, the Tenda’s system can be controlled from anywhere, and on any device. You can adjust temperature settings, listen to music from your home entertainment center, or even set timed-restrictions on Wi-Fi use for your children and teens. David Beren is a tech writer with more than 10 years of experience in the industry. He has written and managed content for tech companies like T-Mobile, Sprint, and TracFone Wireless.
What to Look for in a Smart Hub
Compatibility - There are different standards for communicating with smart home devices including ZigBee and Z-Wave. Before purchasing a smart home hub, ensure that it supports the standards used by your existing smart home devices. Automation - Some hubs will include automation software for your smartphone or computer. If you’re looking to have the lights in your home automatically turn on at a specific time or have the thermostat adjust itself depending on the weather, you’ll want to make sure your hub includes the needed software. Coverage - Depending on the size of your home, you may need to check that the hub you’re purchasing will provide sufficient coverage. If it isn’t powerful enough to transmit a signal throughout your entire space, you might find that some of your smart devices won’t respond.
