Amazon Echo Hub on test: Finally a true smart home hub

And that's the thing Smart home Often not smart. Such projects usually end up with more Island solutions And many devices are incompatible with each other and each requires its own smartphone app. The service does just that Labor And confusion.

To connect all individual smart home devices into one central locationsending Amazon New Echo Hub in the race. The respective components can be found and controlled there.

Something like this truth This is not new and has often failed in the past. I looked at what the Echo Hub does differently and why this approach is reassuring There is

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Haven't found anything yet

When looking for a smart home center, I already tried many things. The Self-made material with a Old tablet And this Raspberry Pi I gave up relatively quickly with irritation. at Apple I was only able to integrate a small portion of my devices, which made the project obsolete.

Google is with him Pixel tablet Only recently has an attempt been made in this direction. A tablet is a great device, but… Smart-Home-Hub But it is often irrelevant. On the one hand, the individual components are usually limited to a limited extent and Hub-mode Very disappointing.

On the other hand she suffers User experience The Pixel Tablet can't decide whether it wants to be a traditional tablet or a smart home hub, and it covers both.

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The Echo Hub has a single purpose

Amazon's Echo Hub has made this decision: It clearly wants to Only one central switching point Should be for smart home applications and not a tablet for media consumption, streaming or web browsing.

With this expectations You need to meet the Echo Hub. Many customers are not aware of this. They miss out on typical tablet functions, as can be read in the many negative reviews given on Amazon, which in most cases I can't understand.

The Echo Hub is flat Can't compare with a Echo show (Starting at around 60 euros), Ideal for streaming, video calls and similar entertainment applications. There is also a battery-less Echo Hub Not as a mobile device Designed so you can take it into the kitchen and have a recipe read to you.

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Alexa, Alexa an der Wand…

The Echo Hub is best placed in a central location like a picture frame Screwed to the wall. A suitable holder is included in the delivery. There is a corresponding one on the back of the device Rest to holder and charging cable.

All this well thought out, assembly Done in a few minutes There is There is an Echo Hub No battery Integral and can Only through power cable will work. Only cable is included in distribution works.

The Echo Hub is controlled by it Alexa-app and smartphone Managed. There you add compatible devices Alexa-ecosystem And it can be controlled through the Echo Hub's touchscreen and voice command.

In this regard, only All devices are compatible, which are Alexa-compatible. “Amazon is talking here.”Thousands of devices“. Indeed there are many that are compatible, but by no means all smart home devices.

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Moderate key data

The Echo Hub isn't traditional either amazon-fire-tablet to compare. It's basically one Single output-touch screen – A scene with only one purpose, viz Alexa-Smart-Home-Zentrale to serve. As a result, regular applications cannot be installed there.

die Screen quality Can't compare to a tablet or smartphone. The 8 inch display There is significantly less light and with 1.280 x 800 pixels Very low resolution. The Processor performance MediaTek MT 8169 A is durable.

With all these Restrictions And Moderate Components Why I make the Echo Hub more useful, practical and… Recommended device catch

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A smart home center indeed

The Echo Hub actually works on that Smart home switching point I must have missed it by now. One headquartersMost of them Bundles of isolated solutions As a stylish touch screen on the wall – they can be controlled through a single platform.

The Echo Hub is actually a plus Not a regular pill I want to be where you get lost again in some small-scale setting or dizzying work. At the same time, it's a shame that the platform is so overwhelming isolated And No change or allowing experiments.

The User interface Definitely not pretty and not great on an Alexa device. But it does exactly what you'd expect from a smart home center — via Voice command or via Touch input Control individual devices on screen.

An example: It can be done Netatmo-thermostat Spotify streamlines playback Sonos speakers Control, it can control the light Attached light bulb will be controlled WiFi sockets from TP-Link. Additionally, images may … Ring-Security-Camera or either Smarten Ring-Doorbell are shown.

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its own ecosystem

You can with the Echo Hub Alexa Practices can start To-do and shopping lists Create can create selected ones Google Calendar Shown and it will be Weather forecast was shown.

What bothers me is what you go through Alexa context It has to be Leave the ecosystem and to integrate the other into his daily life. I would love to have mine Google Keep shopping list Or mine iPhone-Reminder On the Echo Hub. Unfortunately that is not possible.

It's the Echo Hub Separated from the smartphone On the other hand, it's not bad. So it works more Family device And it fulfills its single-issue mission as a smart home control center in a more targeted manner.

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Digital picture frame

Anyone who permanently abandons voice commands Disable the listening microphone If you prefer, you can do this using a Own button Do it on the device. There are also 2 buttons for the volume of the voice output.

If you don't control something, the screen will disappear Stand-by mode And is Digital picture frame. There you can Personal photo albums displayed the same way (until you open them Amazon Photos filed), like an exam Backgrounds – Nature photographs, paintings or abstract objects.

Practically, there is an Echo Hub Proximity sensor integrated. This way, the device will automatically switch from standby mode to the home screen as soon as you access the screen.

Conclusion

Anyone who has several in their home Smart home island solutions If you want to group them in one place, you should use Amazon Echo Hub Definitely worth considering. A prerequisite for this is the existing ones Devices are Alexa enabled and can be integrated into the Amazon system.

A battery-less Echo Hub on a wall If mounted or set up using a separately available stand, it constitutes a device whose purpose is actually only to display the individual. Control smart home components. The user interface designed for this also contributes to this.

Even if it's an Alexa device Not correct For me, the Echo Hub is what I've been looking for for a long time. Converted tablets, open source hubs, or devices from other manufacturers have always disappointed me as smart home centers. Amazon's Echo Hub is coming A holistic solution Next.

Very cheap However, the device does not. The Echo Hub is currently available on Amazon For about 202 euros. If you are not sure, you can skip to the next one prime day Where is the Echo Hub expected to be located? Significantly cheaper price Available.