Athom, makers of privacy-first smart home solutions, today announced the official retail launch of two new smart home products at CES 2022: Homey Bridge, the easy-to-use, affordable smart home hub that connects more than 50,000 smart home devices from more than 1,000 brands, and Homey App (iOS, Android and web browser), which allows users to customize and automate their entire smart home experience based on their personal habits and preferences. Embedded with six wireless technologies, Homey Bridge makes it easy for users to connect all of their smart home devices due to its compatibility with Zigbee, Z-Wave Plus, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 433MHz and Infrared. Shipping now, Homey Bridge retails for $69 and is available for purchase on the Homey website, Amazon, BestBuy and other big box retailers. The Homey app can be used to control smart home devices — either via Homey Bridge or as an app-only solution without the need for Homey hardware. The free version of the Homey app controls up to five devices. The premium version enables an entire household to connect an unlimited number of smart devices and is available for $2.99 per month. Athom will showcase Homey Bridge and the Homey app at CES 2022, January 5-8 at booth 51715 upstairs in the Venetian Expo, and at Showstoppers the evening of January 5 at the Wynn Hotel. Watch a teaser video of Homey here.
Unlike the Big Tech giants, Homey is built privacy-first. It doesn’t listen in or sell any customer data, nor does it use personal information to create user profiles or targeted advertisements. Homey comes packed with features — including Flow, Insights and Energy — which were developed over the past seven years for the Homey Pro smart home hub in the European market. Homey Flow enables users to create a series of automated rules that tie their devices together — independent of brand and technology — and help to run their smart homes most efficiently and conveniently. For example: “Always dim lights in the bedroom when the drapes close” or “Automatically turn the thermostat down, turn off the lights and enable the alarm when I lock the front door.” Flows can also be started using voice assistants, such as Google, Alexa and Siri Shortcuts, and via widgets for mobile and Apple Watch. Homey Insights gives users the ability to analyze their smart home usage via visual, easy-to-read graphs and charts. For example, users can track trends such as the temperature levels of their homes and thermostat over time, or how much energy their refrigerator uses in summer compared to winter. Homey Energy allows users to see their home’s energy usage in real-time, so they can make changes to increase their home’s sustainability. For example, a user can see how much energy their washing machine uses on ‘hot’ versus ‘warm’ wash cycles, and which rooms and devices use the most electricity.
Built as an open platform, the Homey App Store allows developers and manufacturers to jump in and extend support to more devices and services. Apps in the Homey App Store are used automatically in the background when users add a device, and ensure the Homey ecosystem is ever-evolving as new devices and services are added daily. The Homey App Store features more than 750 apps, including staff picks and popular apps that can be browsed by category for inspiration.
“Every home is unique; it’s not one-size-fits-all. Most of today’s smart home systems are centered around a single brand, technology or use case. For example, Philips Hue is great for lighting, but that’s all it does. As a result, your smart home can become complicated and cluttered quickly with all sorts of different apps. Our goal with Homey is to change the status quo and create an open, affordable, user-friendly system that unifies all smart devices and ensures consumer privacy at the same time,” said Emile Nijssen, co-founder and creative director of Athom, makers of Homey.
HOMEY BRIDGE SPECIFICATIONS:
- Wireless Communication Technology Compatibility: Homey Bridge contains six wireless technologies: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth Low Energy 4.0 (BLE), Zigbee, Z-Wave (Plus, S2), 433MHz RF and Infrared, to connect local devices to the Homey app. Homey Bridge automatically switches its Z-Wave frequency with a unique multi-antenna design, based on Homey Bridge’s geographical or country location. Additionally, transmitting 433 MHz is automatically enabled in eligible regions, such as Europe and Asia.
- What’s in the Box: Homey Bridge, USB power adapter, USB power cable and a Quick Start Guide
- Device Dimensions: 5.04” inches in diameter x 1.4” inches in height
- Weight: 1.2 lbs (including packaging)
- Supported Devices: 50,000+ smart devices from more than 1,000 brands
- Control Options: controlled via the Homey App. See below.
- Price: $69
- Where to Buy: Amazon, BestBuy, WalMart, The Home Depot, Lowe’s and the Homey website
- Manufacturer Warranty: Two years
- Certifications: FCC and CE
- Launch Markets: US, Canada, Europe, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand
HOMEY APP SPECIFICATIONS:
- Homey App Availability: iOS (v11 or higher), Android (5.0 or higher) or a web-based browser
- Device Agnostic: Homey App connects devices across a wide range of brands and technologies. The app is available in two versions:
- Free: Users can connect, control and automate up to five smart devices. Devices can be either cloud-connected or be connected via Homey Bridge
- Premium: For $2.99 per month per household, the subscription includes an unlimited number of devices. It also provides access to Homey Insights and more advanced automation features like Homey Logic.
- Voice Assistant Compatibility: Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa and Siri Shortcuts
- Control Options:
- Smartphone or Tablet: iOS and Android
- PC, Mac, Linux: Universal web app
- Other: Apple Watch, iOS and Android widgets, voice assistants (Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa and Siri Shortcuts)