Level, eero, Resideo, Moen join Lennar’s Connected Home run by Ring
To those who spend their weekends troubleshooting automations and swearing at “smart” assistants, the promise of the smart home remains a distant dream. But Ring – in partnership with Lennar, one of the leading homebuilders in the US – thinks they’ve cracked it.
All the smart home needed was everything in one app. Oh, and someone to install it all for you.
Today, the Amazon-owned company announced an ambitious new program that puts Ring at the center of every new Lennar home.
Lennar Communities Connected By Ring brings a suite of connected home products to all new Lennar homes, pre-installed as standard as part of Lennar’s Everything’s Included home package. And everything will be controlled through Ring’s app.
All of these integrations will be coming to every Ring user.
A Ring Alarm security system with a smoke and CO listener takes care of security, a Ring Video Doorbell Pro paired with a Level smart lock guards the front door, and a Honeywell Home by Resideo smart thermostat (the T6 pro) keeps the climate comfortable.
Then a MyQ smart garage controller will help make sure no-one forgets to shut the garage, and a Flo by Moen smart water shutoff valve will proactively monitor for leaks and shut the water off if one springs.
Finally, an Eero Pro 6 mesh Wi-Fi system is there to make sure all this tech runs smoothly.
Most of the devices will be pre-installed, with the exception of the Ring alarm system and Eero Wi-Fi, which need to be setup by the homeowner – presumably for privacy reasons. However, Lennar consulted with Eero on the floor plans of each home, which should mean no dead spots to deal with.
Notably missing from the lineup is any smart lighting, although Ring offers some smart bulbs that could be added by a homeowner – and the Ring Alarm is a Z-Wave hub, capable of connecting to Leviton and GE smart switches and outlets. Not exactly easy DIY stuff though.
The Level lock is an interesting choice, as Ring already integrates with the Wi-Fi based Schlage Encode lock. But Level does have the Schlage beat in the style stakes.
Level will now be the second smart lock to work directly with the video doorbell company – so you can lock and unlock your door while talking to your visitor in the Ring app.
Of interest to anyone not planning to buy a brand new Lennar home anytime soon – all of these integrations will be coming to every Ring user.
The Ambient spoke to Ring founder Jamie Siminoff at the launch event for the partnership, and he confirmed that the features developed for Lennar won’t be exclusive to the homebuilder.
While anyone can already control their MyQ garage door opener in the Ring app (well, a shortcut launches the MyQ app), soon everyone will be able to get alerts from their Flo leak detector, and control their T6 Pro thermostat using just the Ring app. Managing your Wi-Fi still requires the Eero app, however.
Plus, you’ll need to use the various companies apps to set up the devices – so it’s not a wholesale takeover by Ring. But as anyone who has a folder called “Home” stuffed with 15 apps on their phone will tell you – it’s a step in the right direction.
What’s not a step in the right direction is the lack of home automation in this whole setup. All of these devices operate independently and while you can control them from one app it’s still just simple remote control. There’s not a home automation layer over these devices.
This is not a substitute for a smart home hub such as SmartThings. But it is designed to be simple – which is probably the aim here. We’re also impressed at the focus on smart infrastructure over flashy gadgets – the inclusion of the Flo by Moen smart leak detector is a bold move.
Of course, the solution that could provide that layer of automation for those who want it – Amazon’s Alexa – was conspicuous by its absence at this party.
When The Ambient asked about this – pointing out that Lennar’s last big smart home push in 2017 had been built around the voice assistant. The answer was that the homeowner could choose to use any voice assistant they wanted. And then, presumably, it leaves it up to them whether to introduce a device that’s always listening (for its wake word) into their home.
Er, only they can’t choose “any” voice assistant. Ring only works with Alexa, there’s no Siri or Google integration at all. Now, how are we going to solve that smart home conundrum?
Find out more about Lennar Connected Home right here.
