Our standout smart home devices from this year's big tech expo
With CES 2019 slowing down in terms of product launches, we’re taking a look across the gamut of announcements and choosing our top picks from the Vegas show.
It’s been a crazy-busy CES for the smart home, with plenty of innovation on display – and not just from the usual big brands. Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri are being baked into more and more devices, and our household tech is becoming far better connected than ever before – so choosing ten stand out devices from the show was no easy task.
These top picks are based on our initial hands and eyes-on impressions from the show floor. Stay tuned for our full reviews in the coming weeks and months…
Lenovo Smart Clock
Google announced a new line of smart devices at the show – smart alarm clocks – the first of which comes from Lenovo. This gorgeous little bedside clock is a shrunken down Google Smart Display, showing you the time, weather etc, and letting you interact with the Google Assistant. It’s cute – and we want one.
Nanoleaf Hexagon
Nanoleaf added a new shape to its arsenal: hexagons. The six sides allow for more combinations, which will let you come up with all sorts of crazy designs for your wall. They’re also touch-enabled, so you can tap on them to change colors and even play games on them.
Netatmo Smart Video Doorbell
Netatmo’s first foray into the video doorbell game beats the likes of Ring and August, which have both promised HomeKit support but still haven’t delivered. Netatmo’s doorbell can be controlled using the HomeKit app or with Siri. You’ll be able to see a live video feed on your phone if someone comes ringing, while the doorbell will send you an alert if it detects people loitering around your home.
Ring Door View Camera
The Door View Cam is is designed to replace your existing peephole, so you can still peer through the glass and see who’s there. Ring is also promising super-easy installation with no wiring; just take off your existing door viewer, install the View Cam on either side of the door, put in the battery, attach the removable faceplate and you’re good to go. For apartment dwellers, this might be exactly what you’ve been waiting for.
Eve Energy Strip
Eve’s latest smart power device allows for control of up to three things through a single outlet. And while any power socket design is unlikely to cause great excitement, it is pretty slick looking; coming in a black housing with an aluminium frame. It looks very Apple-esque indeed.
Philips Hue Econic family
Designed with porches in mind, these slick looking wall-mounted fixtures in various shapes and sizes, while offering 16 million colors through your existing Hue app. They also play nicely with the newly announced Outdoor motion sensor.
Meural Canvas 3.0
The Canvas is a digital display for showcasing works of art in your home. Unlike your average digital photo frame, the Meural Canvas uses a matte screen that adjusts its brightness to the room, making the pictures look authentic. Canvas 3.0 adds a new smaller size, some new frames, and a few other improvements.
Arlo Security System
Arlo had a bumper CES in terms of announcements but it was the Security System that really caught the eye. It can detect motion, windows/doors opening, carbon monoxide, smoke, temperature changes and leaks; all rolled into a single sensor. It can also work with other Arlo products. So if it detects someone opening a window, it can send an alert to a nearby Arlo camera to start recording.
Yale Assure Lever Lock
The Yale Assure Lever Lock is a key-free smart lock designed for single-hole doors. It’s the first non-deadbolt option in Yale’s Assure line, and it’s also the first non-deadbolt Connected by August smart lock to boot. It uses Connected by August, Z-Wave Plus or the Zigbee Yale Smart Module for smart home integration.
LG Signature OLED TV R
We couldn’t leave this out, could we? Undoubtedly one of the biggest talking points of the whole show, this rollable 65-inch 4K OLED TV isn’t just a gimmicky prototype. It’s a genuine product designed for your home and, if you’ve money to burn, could be in your living room at some point in 2019.
