Introduction to Smart Devices and Easy Smart Home Upgrades
Imagine waking up to the aroma of freshly brewed coffee as your machine turns on automatically, your hallway lights illuminating as you step inside, or your phone notifying you of unexpected activity detected by your home camera.
Scenes like these, once reserved for futuristic movies, are now a reality thanks to the growing availability of smart home technology. With an increasing number of smart devices on the market, transforming your home into a smart home is easier than ever.
Whether you’re investing in new smart gadgets or upgrading your existing appliances, these innovations can simplify daily routines and enhance convenience. Before diving into how to make your old devices smart, let’s first explore what smart devices are and how they work.
What is a Smart Device?
Types of Smart Devices
Many of the gadgets we use daily, such as smartphones and smart TVs, already fall under the category of smart devices. However, when it comes to smart home technology, these devices can generally be grouped into five main categories: security, comfort, productivity, entertainment, and sustainability.
Common household appliances like lights, doorbells, and security cameras now come in smart versions, offering enhanced convenience and control.
Some smart devices allow you to automate and control traditional appliances. A great example is the smart plug, one of the most widely used and popular smart home gadgets. As the name suggests, a smart plug is inserted into a standard wall socket, and you can plug a fan, lamp, or other device into it instead of directly into the wall. This effectively transforms your regular appliance into a smart device, enabling remote control and automation.
Smart Plug
Smart plugs allow you to turn your devices on or off remotely by cutting or passing the electricity current through plugs which can be controlled via your phone. They come in many shapes and sizes and connect through Wi-Fi, Z-Wave, ZigBee, or even Bluetooth. Different smart plugs might have different functions.
SwitchBot Plug Mini is one of the most compact smart plugs you can use to turn on and off your device through an app that can be installed across all Apple devices including your iPhone and Apple Watch as it supports both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connections. And it features energy control functionality too.
Additionally, SwitchBot smart plugs work with 100-125V AC 50/60Hz sockets. So you can connect your TVs, humidifiers, lamps or even phone chargers to plugs and control them via your smartphone or use voice control through Alexa, Siri, or Google Assistant. For instance, when coming home from work on cold days, you can turn on the radiator in advance to heat your room.
Smart Button Pushers
Getting a smart plug is the easiest and cheapest way to make many appliances smart. But it won’t work for devices that do not come with a plug fitting into a wall socket. Some devices, such as old light systems and garage door openers, can only be turned on and off by pushing a physical button. That’s where smart button pushers come in.
Unlike smart plugs, a smart button pusher has a mechanized robotic arm that connects to your phone via Bluetooth. This robotic arm can execute “push” or “lift” actions based on settings on an app to turn your device on and off.
Smart button pushers usually come in a compact design to work with almost any rocker switch or button of any appliance. Some can also be controlled remotely by pairing with a hub and connecting to Wi-Fi.
A Little Summary
There are many other types of smart home devices designed to enhance appliance functionality, boost home security, and improve energy efficiency—ultimately making daily life more convenient.
However, setting up a smart home requires both time and investment. A great way to begin is by upgrading your existing appliances with smart solutions before investing in entirely new devices. This approach allows you to experience the benefits of smart technology while keeping costs manageable.
