CES 2024: Thread added to the smart home hub mix
When we reviewed the much anticipated 2nd-gen Homey Pro at the end of last year we praised the powerful automations on offer from the multitude of brands and protocols but lamented the fact that Thread was a notable absentee from the party.
All that is set to change though as Athom, the Dutch brand behind the impressive smart home hub, has used CES 2024 to announce a free software update for the latest Homey Pro that enables its built-in Thread radio and enables Matter-over-Thread.
Homey Pro could already operate as a Matter controller but is now also a Thread border router too.
The Thread skills of the Homey Pro are being released in beta to begin with, with the functionality available for Homey Pro devices running software version 10.3 and higher. Thread-pairing can be initiated using the Homey Mobile App for iOS or Android, or by using the Homey Web App.
The Homey Pro (Early 2023), to give it its full moniker, is – as we mentioned up top – the 2nd-generation Pro model but is actually the 5th iteration of the brand’s smart home hub; the first Homey hub went on sale back in 2016.
As well as the new Thread radio, there’s also Wi-Fi (2.4GHz & 5GHz), Bluetooth Low Energy 5.0, Zigbee 3.0, Z-Wave, 433MHz RF and Infrared on board too.
Talking of Infrared and Athom also used CES 2024 to reveal that the Homey Pro and the Homey Bridge have expanded their capabilities to include the control of air conditioning systems through their integrated Infrared blasters.
The new AC control feature is accessible to both new and existing users of Homey Pro and Homey Bridge, and it comes at no extra cost.
Even the company’s older hubs, initially shipped to consumers over eight years ago, benefit from this updated functionality without any additional charges.
At $399, the Homey Pro isn’t exactly cheap but is aimed squarely at those people who want more than a typical smart home hub; 50,000 devices are supported from over 1,000 brands.
Users can really get granular control using Homey Pro’s Web API to create personalized HomeyScripts and there’s also stuff like Local Port Forwarding, Local API Keys, SSH Access and Local USB Backups to keep matters in a user’s control and out of the cloud.
Thread was the only major piece of the puzzle missing and its inclusion, alongside the new AC features, makes the proposition a lot more appealing.
The Homey Pro (Early 2023) is available now, direct from Homey.