Why This Smart Home Hub is So Exciting!

Quick question. As the new hub now supporting the Apple Home Kit, does that mean once the Smart Lock is updated it will support Apple Home Key?

Matter has disappointed me thus far. And the only matter devices I've gotten are this very SwitchBot Hub 2 and four, SwitchBot Blind Tilts.

First off, setting them up was as difficult as any HomeKit compatible device I've used other than Aqara! It took multiple tries and lots of resets before getting the hub and all the devices into Homekit. And I followed the SwitchBot instructions exactly along with a few online demos after encountering problems.

Second, like any other app that claims HomeKit compatibility, that doesn't mean full functionality. In HK, we're limited to opening the blinds to a horizontal position and closing them in a down position. The native SwitchBot app offers much more functionality.

And, in Homekit, the status on the Home or Room Views is often out of wack with were the blinds actually are. With the most frequent error being "no response"....even though the blinds have actually responded and are in motion. 😞

At least that's my experience so far. And, it's little different than most other so called HomeKit compatible devices I've set up in my homes.

heny6 Crsig, mny6 friend used bt5o be able bt5o drop in on me. Ibt5 sany6s hes blocked bubt5 i know he isnbt5 blocked. Whabt5 should I do. Should I call amazon or do ny6ou know how bt5o fix ibt5?

Code SJ5HUB2 still not valid. What’s up with that?

Great stuff~ Does the 15% code still work?

I enjoyed your review but I will only purchase the hub if or when it triggers Alexa routines.

I have the hub 1 should I upgrade to the hub 2 ???

I really want the new hub

Hey Craig, the SwitchBot Hub 2 promo code, SJ5HUB2, does not work.

..I upgraded to Apple Music... and wow, just wow.

Apple Music with Spatial Audio (surround sound music via Dolby Atmos) is a night and day improvement.

Spotify 2-channels is like home theater in the 90s with 2 front speakers or DVDs, whereas Spatial Audio is like today's home theater with 13 speakers and Dolby Atmos/DTS:X and 4k physical disc movies. It's a night and day improvement.

I compared the song 'Senorita by shawn mendez and camila cabello' in Apple Spatial Audio versus 2-channels Spotify and it was a night and day improvement.

In my Corvette with Apple Carplay (and an aftermarket wireless Apple Carplay adapter from Amazon), Spotify now sounds so so so bad (sounds like a cassette as if there's a blanket over my speaker) versus Apple Music's clarity and dynamic range. I didn't know what I was missing!

The song with the most night and day difference is: Y Volvere by Lucero (female vocalist). In Spotify, there's a lot of crackling noises because Spotify can't capture the full wavelength, whereas there's no crackling in Apple Music and the notes are higher.

Can you have multiple SwitchBot hubs connected to the same Apple Home? My house layout is such that with bluetooth connectivity to the hub and with need for IR blasting in separate rooms, having more than one SBHub2 could be useful (or perhaps even necessary..

First fantastic video again the SwitchBot hub 2 is rubbish I have the hub 2 in my child room because off the curtains on HomeKit it always says no response and the hub 2 not that far from the curtains in the UK 🇬🇧 the price is £79.99 it’s cheaper buying in the US 🇺🇸

Great video, thank you, Does the IR blaster works with the HomeKit? If yes, it would be great since I could not find any good IR blaster work with HomeKit like the Broadlink, if not, which IR blaster do you recommend for HomeKit?

The hype with the Matter standard I’d just that. Don’t ever buy anything when they add that little caveat that, in the future, other Switchbot devices will get upgraded to the Matter protocol!

Awesome video! Thank you, Craig!

As always, excellent review Craig. Paul Hibbert and Brian from Automate Your Life did beat you to the punch, yet I always value your opinion. Of course you are going to point out things the other guys pointed out. It would be impossible not to. However, I do appreciate the different perspectives all three of y'all have.

Really good review, and it's exciting to see more Matter devices out in the market. And really excited about that IR blaster. Again, great job Craig, keep up the good work!

Big update but huge price. 😂

I’m not down with the Amazon sidewalk stuff. I threw all of my smart home stuff out.