Thanks, the longer I use Aqara devices with the M2 the more I appreciate what the M3 looks like it can do. A couple of days ago a fire knocked out the internet for almost 24 hours. Everything worked like a charm except the wifi devices I couldn't bond to the Aqara hub.
When every video on this product is negative and yours is the only one that's positive that tells me everything I need to know some of the features you talked about don't even work right now
On sponsored videos, I showcase the features of the product. I try hard not to pass judgement good or bad for these videos. I don't think you can do a sponsored review 100% impartial. I question the creators that are calling their videos reviews when they are sponsored videos. Even their criticisms can be limited because of the sponsorship. I don't do sponsored "reviews". Thanks for watching though. Have a good day.
@@CraigsTechTalk I 100% disagree with that statement @Automate Your Life had the same sponsorship on his video of the Hub and he was very critical of them
There you go. Again, this video is not a review. I would understand your point if it was a review. But, nothing I will say will matter. This channel is not a good fit. Have a great day.
One thing no one is talking about is the WiFi standard this supports its only WiFi 5. The recent camera had WiFi 6 which they made clear on their page. This HUB I could only find reference in the .pdf User Manual which states its a 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac which translates to WiFi 5. I want to use Matter over thread plus Zigbee for my smart home, but my whole network is going to WiFi 7 this summer, this is disappointing that a new HUB is two generations behind in its Protocol support.
Thanks for your video. I have 1 question : if I take M2, and I make automation in apple home app, does Aqara devices use zigbee ? Or WiFi ? Zigbee can be use for automation with other brands for example hue bulbs ?
With the IR blaster on here, can this thing be put in a media closet and have IR repeaters/blaster run to separate rooms from this hub to control different rooms and items with the IR repeater to get those items within HomeKit via Matter/IR????
Can you wake pc (wol) using the network cable as I have a harmony hub and other devices that can not do this simple take of operating network devices based on network through a Ethernet cable.
If you don’t mind a bit of DIY, you can achieve this with a Homebridge integration, which can run on for example a raspberry pi - Homebridge is essentially a HomeKit hub platform, where you can install plugins to integrate your non-smart devices with HomeKit. There is a plugin that will let you send a wol command to your pc (based on its MAC address). The challenge however is if you also wish to shut your pc down.
@@jakobdissingvang7851I have scripts that run on the pc that ping front ends and if any are positive means a front end been on the server stays awake if any of the pings are false the server runs another script that shuts down the pc. I now moved one of my front end devices to a small android box that runs CoreELEC but nothing can wake the server in CoreELEC so wanted another way to do it when I run a routine but that involves when the power button gets pushed the android box coms on but then the same ir sending a code that wakes the pc.
If your split AC has a remote, it should be able to control it. For presence sensing you would need to pair a motion sensor or a presence sensor that doesn’t rely on motion. The hub alone can’t detect presence.
@@CraigsTechTalk sorry, I asked the question wrong, should have asked - there's lots of tuya ZigBee hubs, however the M3/aqara is the only hub that has reliable presence sensors..... I need to automate lighting and ac splits reliably and want to know if tuya ZigBee switches and ir blasters are compatible..... The ir may not be in the same room
Hey Gareth, I hope you are doing well. It is nice that it opens up more devices to HomeKit. The less stuff you have to buy again for compatibility, the better.
Damn - people lost their minds over a sponsored video. If you think of these as a feature review developed by someone we all know, which is said right up front to be a sponsored video, then freaking out over it is nonsensical. If Craig reviews Amazon Smart Speakers, which I no longer use, I don’t watch them. If you’re not a fan of sponsored videos, don’t watch them. Craig is a great presenter and his insights on several aspects of SmartHomes - especially lighting - have helped shape my approach to my SmartHome. I am willing to give it a listen. If you don’t, that’s also fine. But don’t lambast the man for providing a paid review if you’ve liked his other work. Just don’t watch it. This post was not sponsored by Craig, Aqara, nor Siri (who would probably pay me to sponsor Craig’s review of an abacus given her poor language models).
Please, share the popular motion sensors that have sensitivity adjustment for others. The bigger names in the smart home space are not making adjustable sensors.
I stand corrected, thank you for sharing the list. I just looked in the Philips app and did not realize it was there. As for the others I have not used the Eve or Leviton motion sensors. Thanks again for sharing and the correction.
I personally would wait a bit if you are concerns about the reviews. One of the big complaints was the lack of 3rd party support. But Aqara has released an update to include most Matter devices. We may see higher ratings as this is out for a bit. I think some early adopters were disappointed. Check out the video from Shane Whatley and Automate Your Life. They approached their videos more as reviews. Mine is more about sharing what it can do.
@@CraigsTechTalk TY .. I did saw there reviews and They thank their sponsors for sending them this item. Maybe in the future is it okay they can say honest reviews and not just because they were sponsored ?Thanks
I don't get it. I wanted to show 5 features of this device since it does more than most hubs. My Lutron Hub and Philips Hub do nothing but connect devices. My goal was only to share the additional features and then viewers can watch other videos for reviews. There are no negative comments because it is not a review. My reviews are not sponsored. Thank you for watching and your comment. Have a great day.
@@CraigsTechTalk There are a fringe group in the HomeKit community that for some reason, absolutely refuse to use third party hubs/bridges in HK. They have some unhinged reason to only use direct to HK wifi devices only. I don't get it, these third-party hubs make the HK ecosystem so much more reliable then just wifi. But I guess to each there own. I personally have 2 Aqara hubs running in HK, the M1S and the M2, and I do plan on getting the M3, because it has features that I've wanted that the previous hubs do not.
Craig, how are you? Hope all is well. This product is amazing. It’s the one I’ve been actually waiting for thank you so much for the video. It was very informative.
Thank you very much, William. I am doing well and hope you are too. I think it’s a cool hub and has some interesting features. Let me know if you end up getting one and your thoughts on it. Thanks for watching the video. Have a great day.
Many reasons why not to buy it … overrated… if you use apple HomeKit the Atv or HomePod is already matter and thread enabled so if you already have any of the Aqara hub no need to buy this.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and for watching. Definitely not as much use for Apple users. But Google and Echo users will benefit more. Have a great day.
@@CraigsTechTalk definitely and also if in the future Apple decides to take a step on making an unaffordable future home hub then I will definitely buy one of the m3 and use it at the moment I already have the m2 and e1 hub in my home. Don’t get me wrong Aqara is a great product and reliable one and will remain a strong fan and will recommend anyone to use their products to me Aqara remains the most reliable and dedicated smart home company working towards our needs and the future of smart homes and Aqara have beaten all other companies hands down. I love Aqara that’s the facts
I can appreciate all that. Having the M2, E1and HomePods, you are set. Especially if you don't need the new remote options of the M3. I am in the same boat using both of those hubs already. The problem, and not a bad problem for Aqara to have, is that they updated the M2 and made the whole line up good already by adding Matter. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on Aqara, it gives good context for people.
This was the Smart Home device I was most looking forward to in 2024. However It does seem like an Early access product which is not yet going to deliver what I expected. Every video I have watched has been clear on its short comings but the power of Aqara sponsorship means the truth is being glossed over. It has currently a short list of third party Matter and thread devices it supports and the majority of what you listed like, water sensors ,motion sensors are supported by the Aqara M2 for half the price. This reminds me of the recent Alexa HUB which was released overpriced and failed to deliver on expectations.
I show what features a product has. I don't do sponsored reviews. So saying the truth is glossed over is not true and I have not oversold capabilities. I listed the limited 3rd party devices that work. But thank you for questioning my integrity. You should be questioning the paid "reviews". You think you are getting the truth there. You will not find a sponsored review here. Just a product feature breakdown.
@@CraigsTechTalk Craig, you do mention in the video it is sponsored by Aqara, granted this is not a full blown review, as the majority of the content is flashing up Stock Images from Aqara promoting their other products. I think this still has the potential to be a great HUB but it feels like it was released to early without offering enough benefits to warrant the price being twice that of the M2. The majority of my Smart home is Amazon and Aqara as it keeps it simple for me. However both have let themselves down with the HUBs they just released. I do hope Aqara reads the comments on reviews/Videos to see where they need to improve, as they have had good products at good prices.
I can appreciate what you are saying. Hopefully Aqara does take all the feedback. I think if you already have the M2 it is hard to justify. Especially if you already are using a device that is a Matter controller and has Thread. For those that don’t the M2 can take care of the Matter side. Which for most people covers what they would need. At this point you are right with the limits. I appreciate you sharing your thoughts on it. The cameras are a bit pricey too. Everything else seems to be some of the best priced devices.
Do you understand if the wifi goes down you still have a working security device. All the other stuff is just the creation of laziness lol. I’ll just go hit a switch but this is big for security!!
Sorry to hear that Robert. I can appreciate what you are saying about the last 3 videos. But just to be fair, I went and double checked and it is 3 out of the last 10 videos. I really prefer not to do sponsored videos, but it is necessary at times. With delays the sponsored videos stacked up back to back. Next weeks video is not sponsored and a look at 15 everyday uses for the Vision Pro. I do appreciate you watching. Have a great day.
I don’t get it. No one stops watching their favorite TV shows because they’re sponsored. Most RUclipsrs need to make $$ to properly run their channels. And we should all be smart enough by now to sort out the bs from the facts, and thus far, I’ve never seen Craig spew bs.
Thanks, the longer I use Aqara devices with the M2 the more I appreciate what the M3 looks like it can do. A couple of days ago a fire knocked out the internet for almost 24 hours. Everything worked like a charm except the wifi devices I couldn't bond to the Aqara hub.
When every video on this product is negative and yours is the only one that's positive that tells me everything I need to know some of the features you talked about don't even work right now
On sponsored videos, I showcase the features of the product. I try hard not to pass judgement good or bad for these videos. I don't think you can do a sponsored review 100% impartial.
I question the creators that are calling their videos reviews when they are sponsored videos. Even their criticisms can be limited because of the sponsorship. I don't do sponsored "reviews". Thanks for watching though. Have a good day.
@@CraigsTechTalk I 100% disagree with that statement @Automate Your Life had the same sponsorship on his video of the Hub and he was very critical of them
There you go. Again, this video is not a review. I would understand your point if it was a review. But, nothing I will say will matter. This channel is not a good fit. Have a great day.
Come on they just fixed the biggest problem of the hub, check their social media
I don’t understand people that want Aqara products your tapping into a Chinese company, so when they take control of your house and data don’t cry
One thing no one is talking about is the WiFi standard this supports its only WiFi 5. The recent camera had WiFi 6 which they made clear on their page. This HUB I could only find reference in the .pdf User Manual which states its a 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac which translates to WiFi 5. I want to use Matter over thread plus Zigbee for my smart home, but my whole network is going to WiFi 7 this summer, this is disappointing that a new HUB is two generations behind in its Protocol support.
Hook it up to router cable.
Thanks for your video. I have 1 question : if I take M2, and I make automation in apple home app, does Aqara devices use zigbee ? Or WiFi ? Zigbee can be use for automation with other brands for example hue bulbs ?
With the IR blaster on here, can this thing be put in a media closet and have IR repeaters/blaster run to separate rooms from this hub to control different rooms and items with the IR repeater to get those items within HomeKit via Matter/IR????
Unfortunately not, it will only send IR out of the hub. It would be nice to have that option.
@ they make IR repeaters?
All this features already have M2 hub, so what’s the difference?
POE
I've been reading, Aqara automation does not work when internet is down. Is it true?
Can you wake pc (wol) using the network cable as I have a harmony hub and other devices that can not do this simple take of operating network devices based on network through a Ethernet cable.
No you cannot. I do not know of any device that will wake a PC over ethernet.
If you don’t mind a bit of DIY, you can achieve this with a Homebridge integration, which can run on for example a raspberry pi - Homebridge is essentially a HomeKit hub platform, where you can install plugins to integrate your non-smart devices with HomeKit. There is a plugin that will let you send a wol command to your pc (based on its MAC address). The challenge however is if you also wish to shut your pc down.
@@jakobdissingvang7851I have scripts that run on the pc that ping front ends and if any are positive means a front end been on the server stays awake if any of the pings are false the server runs another script that shuts down the pc. I now moved one of my front end devices to a small android box that runs CoreELEC but nothing can wake the server in CoreELEC so wanted another way to do it when I run a routine but that involves when the power button gets pushed the android box coms on but then the same ir sending a code that wakes the pc.
If you're using POE it will be powered as long as the switch is on
I Just use home assistant now to wake the pc as it wakes my front end
Is this capable of controlling split ac, that's to turn on and off based on presence?
If your split AC has a remote, it should be able to control it. For presence sensing you would need to pair a motion sensor or a presence sensor that doesn’t rely on motion. The hub alone can’t detect presence.
@@CraigsTechTalk sorry, I asked the question wrong, should have asked - there's lots of tuya ZigBee hubs, however the M3/aqara is the only hub that has reliable presence sensors..... I need to automate lighting and ac splits reliably and want to know if tuya ZigBee switches and ir blasters are compatible..... The ir may not be in the same room
I’d not realised you can add the Nest thermostat, that’s a big plus in my book
Hey Gareth, I hope you are doing well. It is nice that it opens up more devices to HomeKit. The less stuff you have to buy again for compatibility, the better.
How do u add the thermostat
What is needed to login from OUTSIDE the house?
You would need either the M2 or M3 hub.
@@CraigsTechTalk Thanks
Damn - people lost their minds over a sponsored video. If you think of these as a feature review developed by someone we all know, which is said right up front to be a sponsored video, then freaking out over it is nonsensical. If Craig reviews Amazon Smart Speakers, which I no longer use, I don’t watch them. If you’re not a fan of sponsored videos, don’t watch them.
Craig is a great presenter and his insights on several aspects of SmartHomes - especially lighting - have helped shape my approach to my SmartHome. I am willing to give it a listen. If you don’t, that’s also fine. But don’t lambast the man for providing a paid review if you’ve liked his other work. Just don’t watch it.
This post was not sponsored by Craig, Aqara, nor Siri (who would probably pay me to sponsor Craig’s review of an abacus given her poor language models).
How about 10 reasons NOT to buy this redundant, proprietary, matter bridge?
Thank you Larry for always helping with video ideas. 😀 hope you are doing well.
You’ve never heard of a motion detector where you can dial back the sensitivity? Really?
Please, share the popular motion sensors that have sensitivity adjustment for others. The bigger names in the smart home space are not making adjustable sensors.
@@CraigsTechTalk Phillips hue, Leviton, Eufy, Eve to name a few
I stand corrected, thank you for sharing the list. I just looked in the Philips app and did not realize it was there. As for the others I have not used the Eve or Leviton motion sensors. Thanks again for sharing and the correction.
Good morning Craig and I don't have a smartwatch
Hello Lisa. Sorry you haven't got one yet.
@@CraigsTechTalk hey Craig can you get me one
Should we trust Amazon reviews on this ? What's your opinion ? I had never in my life I ever seen 2.8 Star with 24 reviewers
I personally would wait a bit if you are concerns about the reviews. One of the big complaints was the lack of 3rd party support. But Aqara has released an update to include most Matter devices. We may see higher ratings as this is out for a bit. I think some early adopters were disappointed. Check out the video from Shane Whatley and Automate Your Life. They approached their videos more as reviews. Mine is more about sharing what it can do.
@@CraigsTechTalk TY .. I did saw there reviews and They thank their sponsors for sending them this item. Maybe in the future is it okay they can say honest reviews and not just because they were sponsored ?Thanks
Five reasons to buy this hub but everyone commenting they want negative comments.
I don't get it. I wanted to show 5 features of this device since it does more than most hubs. My Lutron Hub and Philips Hub do nothing but connect devices. My goal was only to share the additional features and then viewers can watch other videos for reviews. There are no negative comments because it is not a review. My reviews are not sponsored. Thank you for watching and your comment. Have a great day.
@@CraigsTechTalk There are a fringe group in the HomeKit community that for some reason, absolutely refuse to use third party hubs/bridges in HK. They have some unhinged reason to only use direct to HK wifi devices only. I don't get it, these third-party hubs make the HK ecosystem so much more reliable then just wifi. But I guess to each there own. I personally have 2 Aqara hubs running in HK, the M1S and the M2, and I do plan on getting the M3, because it has features that I've wanted that the previous hubs do not.
Thanks Craig.
Thank you Ron for watching the video. Have a great day.
Craig, how are you? Hope all is well. This product is amazing. It’s the one I’ve been actually waiting for thank you so much for the video. It was very informative.
Thank you very much, William. I am doing well and hope you are too. I think it’s a cool hub and has some interesting features. Let me know if you end up getting one and your thoughts on it. Thanks for watching the video. Have a great day.
Hey Craig, from my family to yours. Wishing your wife a Happy Mother’s Day!!!
Hey, good morning Craig, hope everything is well. Was just wondering are you having a live stream today?
5 reasons to buy with 20 reasons not to buy that I won’t tell you about
They've just fixed it's biggest problem, come on
Many reasons why not to buy it … overrated… if you use apple HomeKit the Atv or HomePod is already matter and thread enabled so if you already have any of the Aqara hub no need to buy this.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and for watching. Definitely not as much use for Apple users. But Google and Echo users will benefit more. Have a great day.
@@CraigsTechTalk definitely and also if in the future Apple decides to take a step on making an unaffordable future home hub then I will definitely buy one of the m3 and use it at the moment I already have the m2 and e1 hub in my home. Don’t get me wrong Aqara is a great product and reliable one and will remain a strong fan and will recommend anyone to use their products to me Aqara remains the most reliable and dedicated smart home company working towards our needs and the future of smart homes and Aqara have beaten all other companies hands down. I love Aqara that’s the facts
I can appreciate all that. Having the M2, E1and HomePods, you are set. Especially if you don't need the new remote options of the M3. I am in the same boat using both of those hubs already. The problem, and not a bad problem for Aqara to have, is that they updated the M2 and made the whole line up good already by adding Matter. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on Aqara, it gives good context for people.
This was the Smart Home device I was most looking forward to in 2024. However It does seem like an Early access product which is not yet going to deliver what I expected. Every video I have watched has been clear on its short comings but the power of Aqara sponsorship means the truth is being glossed over. It has currently a short list of third party Matter and thread devices it supports and the majority of what you listed like, water sensors ,motion sensors are supported by the Aqara M2 for half the price. This reminds me of the recent Alexa HUB which was released overpriced and failed to deliver on expectations.
I show what features a product has. I don't do sponsored reviews. So saying the truth is glossed over is not true and I have not oversold capabilities. I listed the limited 3rd party devices that work. But thank you for questioning my integrity. You should be questioning the paid "reviews". You think you are getting the truth there. You will not find a sponsored review here. Just a product feature breakdown.
@@CraigsTechTalk Craig, you do mention in the video it is sponsored by Aqara, granted this is not a full blown review, as the majority of the content is flashing up Stock Images from Aqara promoting their other products. I think this still has the potential to be a great HUB but it feels like it was released to early without offering enough benefits to warrant the price being twice that of the M2. The majority of my Smart home is Amazon and Aqara as it keeps it simple for me. However both have let themselves down with the HUBs they just released. I do hope Aqara reads the comments on reviews/Videos to see where they need to improve, as they have had good products at good prices.
I can appreciate what you are saying. Hopefully Aqara does take all the feedback. I think if you already have the M2 it is hard to justify. Especially if you already are using a device that is a Matter controller and has Thread. For those that don’t the M2 can take care of the Matter side. Which for most people covers what they would need. At this point you are right with the limits. I appreciate you sharing your thoughts on it. The cameras are a bit pricey too. Everything else seems to be some of the best priced devices.
Do you understand if the wifi goes down you still have a working security device. All the other stuff is just the creation of laziness lol. I’ll just go hit a switch but this is big for security!!
great review!!!!!
he keeps saying that it's NOT a review.
Thank you Curtis for checking out the video.
Sponsor every video means its time to leave, wish your channel well though.
Sorry to hear that Robert. I can appreciate what you are saying about the last 3 videos. But just to be fair, I went and double checked and it is 3 out of the last 10 videos.
I really prefer not to do sponsored videos, but it is necessary at times. With delays the sponsored videos stacked up back to back.
Next weeks video is not sponsored and a look at 15 everyday uses for the Vision Pro. I do appreciate you watching. Have a great day.
Thanks for sharing but this is not an airport we don’t need departure times
I don’t get it. No one stops watching their favorite TV shows because they’re sponsored. Most RUclipsrs need to make $$ to properly run their channels. And we should all be smart enough by now to sort out the bs from the facts, and thus far, I’ve never seen Craig spew bs.
Question i hear it controls air con does it