Amazon's big sale " Prime Day " is here again this year. During Prime Day, various products needed to make your home smart are on sale, allowing you to purchase them at better prices than usual. In this article, we've selected products from the smart home products on sale during Prime Day that " you absolutely must buy! " from an IoT enthusiast's perspective!
What is Prime Day
Prime Dayis a big sale for Prime members held by Amazon, a major e-commerce site. Products across a wide range of categories including food, gadgets, and fashion are offered at sale prices, making it a chance to get products that are usually too expensive to purchase without hesitation.
Prime Day 2022 is being held from Tuesday, July 12, 2022 at 0:00 to Wednesday, July 13, 2022 at 23:59!
About Smart Homes
A smart home is a new way of living that utilizes cutting-edge technology. By using smartphones, smart speakers, IoT appliances and sensors, it provides residents with a " convenient • comfortable • secure • safe " lifestyle.
In a smart home, various appliances and equipment in the house are controlled by smartphones and smart speakers. You can change the color of lights with an app, adjust the air conditioner temperature by speaking to a smart speaker, or unlock the front door hands-free. Some smart home apps also have features that automatically control devices according to scenes. By setting up your preferred scenes, such as automatically unlocking the smart lock when you approach the entrance or automatically opening curtains in the morning, you can enjoy a more comfortable life.
To make your home smart, you need to purchase products that support app operation and voice control. However, with a wide variety of products released by domestic and international manufacturers, many people may not know which products to buy.
In this article, we will introduce recommendations focusing only on products on sale during Prime Day.
Smart Home Products You Must Buy During Prime Day
Amazon Echo Series [Smart Speaker]
Echo is a smart speaker sold by Amazon. It is equipped with Alexa, a cloud-based voice service, and just by talking to it, it will tell you today's schedule and weather, or play your favorite music.
The feature of Echo is that you can use extension functions called skills. Skills are similar to apps for smartphones, and by installing them on Echo, you can enjoy more voice-based functions. For example, "Pikachu Talk" When you install this skill, Echo becomes Pikachu and talks with you! With thousands of skills released at this point, you can customize your Echo by installing your favorite skills.
The latest Echo supports various wireless communications (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth Low Energy, ZigBee) and can connect with smart home devices. By detecting • connecting devices from the Amazon Alexa app, you can enable voice control of appliances • lighting • smart locks, etc. Many smart home products from domestic manufacturers only support limited voice assistants, but many products support Alexa. Alexa is also scheduled to support " Matter ", a next-generation smart home communication standard developed by major device manufacturers, and is expected to further expand its functions in the future.
During Prime Day, Amazon Echo, which usually costs several thousand yen, is available from the thousand-yen range. An incredible 64% discount. Recently, the Echo Show series with displays and Echo Studio with woofers specialized for music listening have been released. Why not try living with Alexa during Prime Day? The table below summarizes the characteristics of each Echo series from the author's perspective.
Purchase Amazon Echo seriesherefrom
Amazon - Ring Video Doorbell [IoT Intercom]
This is the latest IoT intercom released by Amazon on Wednesday, April 20, 2022. You can respond to visitors from anywhere by viewing the intercom video on your smartphone without time • location restrictions. It also has a recording function, making it an excellent device that can also be used as a security camera.
Convenient • secure • safe • comfortable living with IoT intercom
Our office has introduced Google's Nest Doorbell, and it's super convenient! Remote response has eliminated redeliveries, and we detect drunk foreigners standing in front of the entrance late at night and repel them by having the intercom speak preset phrases. Ring Video Doorbell has similar functions, so it will definitely improve the convenience • safety of your life.
During Prime Day, you can purchase Ring Doorbell at 31% off the regular price. It's a new product but properly discounted! The Ring series also offers a diverse lineup includingindoor security cameras(Prime Day sale items). If you also introduce these devices, you can centrally manage indoor and outdoor video through the app, leading to further security improvements. For those living in detached houses, why not purchase this opportunity?
Precautions
In condominiums, intercom systems with wired connections between the entrance panel + outdoor unit + indoor unit are often installed, so it may not be possible to replace them with IoT intercoms. Also, in detached houses, depending on the specifications of the existing intercom, electrical work may be required during replacement. Check the specifications in advance! Those not accustomed to DIY or crafts may struggle with installation.
Purchase Amazon Ring Video Doorbellherefrom!
iRobot - Roomba i7+ [Robot Vacuum]
Roomba i7+ is a robot vacuum released by iRobot. As a pioneer of robot vacuums, many people are already using it. Just by pressing the clean button from the smartphone app, it moves around and cleans every corner of the room.
The i7+ on sale this time learns • remembers the room environment during cleaning, so it always cleans efficiently on the optimal route. Our office has introduced the i3+, which automatically creates a map like the one shown. It also runs smoothly on carpeted floors and thoroughly vacuums up dirt. Additionally, the i7+ comes with a Clean Base, which automatically empties the dust container of the Roomba body and collects it in a sealed paper bag inside the Clean Base.
If there's a difficulty, it would be its weakness with cables. Our i3+ often gets tangled in cables during cleaning and sends distress notifications (crying). Also, naturally, Roomba cannot clean gaps it cannot enter. So to maximize Roomba's power, you need to create an environment that is easy for Roomba to clean in advance. This has resulted in developing a habit of regularly organizing the room and has been a good opportunity to organize indoor wiring!
Purchase Roomba i7+herefrom!
SwitchBot - Hub Mini [Smart Remote]
Hub Mini is a smart infrared remote released by SwitchBot.
Most TVs and air conditioners that have been used for a long time do not have Wi-Fi functionality. For smart conversion, you need to pay construction costs to replace equipment or purchase • install expensive aftermarket Wi-Fi adapters, making the introduction barrier very high. The smart infrared remote Hub Mini smartly solves this difficulty.
Hub Mini is a compact device that combines multiple infrared remotes into one. By reading infrared codes emitted from remotes for TVs and air conditioners in advance, Hub Mini substitutes for the remote, emits infrared signals, and controls appliances. You can consolidate multiple appliance remotes into one app.
Hub Mini is equipped with Wi-Fi and BLE communication functions, so it can wirelessly connect and centrally manage SwitchBot sensors, cameras, and smart locks.
It can also link devices with Amazon Echo, allowing voice control of air conditioners and TVs through Hub Mini.
It's already an affordable product, but during this Prime Day, it's available even cheaper. Why not introduce Hub Mini and live a life without using remotes?
Purchase Hub Miniherefrom!
SwitchBot - Lock + Keypad [Smart Lock]
SwitchBot Lock is a smart lock released by SwitchBot. A smart lock is an electronic lock that locks and unlocks doors through smartphones or smart speakers. Installation is very easy - just attach it to the entrance door using the included double-sided tape. You can see who opened and closed the lock and when, which can be used to improve security (an acquaintance of the author lamented that they can no longer go out at night).
SwitchBot Lock has a more stable motor drive compared to smart locks in the same price range. The rotation sound during unlocking is also relatively quiet. Also, regarding the critical issue for smart lock users of " the double-sided tape peeling off and the lock falling to the floor ", this product has a solid thumbturn part that makes axis misalignment less likely, so the load on the adhesion part with the door should be minimal. Because it can link with the Hub Mini mentioned above, remote locking/unlocking and lock status acquisition are possible.
The bundled SwitchBot Keypad is the latest product released on July 4, 2022. By linking with SwitchBot Lock, locking/unlocking using fingerprint authentication • PIN code • NFC card becomes possible. While there are other smart locks with PIN codes or NFC, many are expensive products costing tens of thousands of yen. Also, among easily purchasable smart locks, few incorporate fingerprint authentication. With the Lock + Keypad set on sale during Prime Day, you can use all these functions for about ¥12,000. Why not work on smartening your entrance area with this opportunity?
Purchase SwitchBot Lock + Keypadherefrom!
townew - T1 [Smart Trash Can]
T1 is a smart trash can released by townew. Many people may wonder " what is a smart trash can!? " but it's a trash can that automatically opens and closes the lid with a motion sensor. In humid and hot summers, you may have experienced food waste in the trash can rotting and filling the room with foul odors. The author also has experience sealing garbage bags while pinching their nose after letting food waste rot. With T1, the lid automatically opens when you throw away trash and closes when you're done, so you can say goodbye to odor worries. It also automatically seals the garbage bag, which is troublesome.
Purchase townew T1herefrom!
Withings - Sleep [Smart Bed Sensor]
Withings Sleep is a smart bed sensor released by French company Withings.
Sleep is an important part accounting for 1/3 of a person's life and has a significant impact on life after waking up. Withings Sleep is an excellent device that measures various sleep-related data and visualizes it in an app just by placing it under the bed mattress.
Specifically, it measures total sleep time, sleep efficiency, time to fall asleep, number of times awakened, number of times out of bed, percentage of rapid eye movement time, percentage of deep sleep time, and provides personalized sleep reports through the app.
While wearable devices like smartwatches can also measure sleep data, many people charge them during nighttime hours. With Withings Sleep, once you set it up, you just sleep and it automatically measures data, making it easy.
Purchase Withings Sleepherefrom!
Summary
How did you find this introduction to smart home products available during Prime Day?
Originally, we had no plans to publish such an article, but the author was so shocked by the discount rates that " I had to compile this! " and created this article at super express speed. That's how much easier it is to get smart home products during this Prime Day.
For those who tried to make their home smart but gave up due to high device costs, or those who want to add more devices for an even more comfortable life, now is your chance! Why not create your ideal smart home during Prime Day?