Smart Home

With a lower peak HDR brightness and an even lower contrast ratio, this year's Sony Bravia X80K unfortunately is a step down compared to its immediate predecessor. Only the wide viewing angles of the 60 Hz IPS panel may constitute a reason to buy Sony's cheapest Bravia TV of 2022.

The Xiaomi Mijia All-in-One Sweeping and Mopping Robot Vacuum is now available in countries other than China via AliExpress. The gadget can be shipped to countries including the US, Canada, Australia and the UK, with one store offering free shipping and a 39% discount. The vacuum has 4,000 Pa of suction and comes with a self-cleaning docking station.

The Roborock T8 Plus is now available in China. There is an optional auto-emptying docking station which Roborock claims gives you 60 days of hands-free cleaning. The gadget has 5,100 Pa of suction power and can mop at 3,000 rotations per minute.

The Xiaomi Mijia Cross Four-Door Refrigerator 496 L is now available in China. The fridge has a large amount of storage space, including am 18 L drawer that you can control separately from the rest of the device. The gadget has a slim design, measuring 660 mm in depth (~26-in), and can be controlled via the Mijia app or Xiao AI voice commands.

TCL has just released its financial report across all of its operations, its consumer display and audio divisions included, for 2021. It concludes that the OEM's net profits went up by over 100% compared to 2020, ending the year with such takings of US$2.59 billion. TCL also notes that sales of its mid-to-top-end TVs (such as those with mini-LED panels) exhibited "significant" year-on-year (YoY) growth.

Porsche Design has revealed the Soundbar PDB90, which will be available to pre-order from June 1st. The surround sound speaker has Dolby Atmos and DTS:X technologies for an immersive 3D experience. The device has 16 drivers, including a built-in subwoofer, with preset modes to optimize the gadget’s output based on the content you are listening to or watching.

The Roborock S7 MaxV Ultra is now available in the US, France and Germany, and the device is expected to be offered in other countries soon. The Ultra has the same 5,100 Pa suction power as the other vacuums in the S7 MaxV series. The core difference is the automated Empty Wash and Fill Dock that can clean the mop and empty and refill water tanks on the device.

Retailers including Amazon and Best Buy currently offer discounts on the 2022 Samsung Frame TV range in the US and the UK. In the US, customers can get up to US$200 off the retail price, with UK customers offered up to £300 of cashback. The new Frame TVs, unveiled at CES 2022, have 4K panels and Quantum Dot technology.

The Xiaomi 8H Feel Leather Smart Electric Bed X Pro will be available to pre-order in China from May 7th. The bed has two motors allowing you to adjust the angles of your back and legs. The device can measure your sleep quality and automatically raise the head of the bed if it detects snoring to relieve the issue.

The GrowCube is a smart plant watering kit currently crowdfunding on Kickstarter. The device can automatically water your plants, choosing the optimal time and volume of water to deliver based on the species. Soil moisture sensors provide real-time data to the gadget, which you can control via an app.

Leviton has launched five new products in its Decora Smart home range in the US. The latest gadgets include the No-Neutral Switch and Dimmer, designed for older homes, and the accompanying Smart Wi-Fi Bridge. Leviton has also released the Wi-Fi 2nd Gen Motion Sensing Dimmer that can adapt your lighting based on the motion or natural light that it detects.

In June, the recently unveiled Arlo Go 2 outdoor security camera will be available in Europe. The smart camera can use cellular data and Wi-Fi so that you can install it in more remote locations like a holiday home or a construction site. The device is wireless with many features, including a built-in siren and two-way conversation system.

A new development board is available from Lilygo, the T-Zigbee. The motherboard is compatible with a wide range of smart home standards, including Zigbee 3.0, Apple HomeKit and Thread. The T-Zigbee has dual MCUs, a TLSR8258 ultra-low-power chip and an ESP32-C3 chip, alongside programmable buttons and LEDs.

Motorola has announced a second generation of its Revou-series smart TVs for the Indian market. The inaugural variant was 4K/UHD and ran Android 10 out of the box; however, its line has now expanded to include HD and FHD options. They are all based on updated software, and have a 4K/UHD flagship with "4D Sound".

EEVE is now accepting pre-orders for Willow X, an outdoor robot that can carry out chores such as mowing the lawn, weeding and collecting fruit and vegetables. The device is still in development and is expected to ship in 2024. Two arms and a 4K camera on the machine help it carry out a wide variety of tasks.

The retail prices and release dates of the 2022 Sony Bravia XR TVs for North America have been revealed. The XR X95K TVs are already available to purchase, with other models due to be released in the coming months. The devices are powered by the Cognitive Processor XR and are compatible with Google Assistant and Apple AirPlay 2.

The VAVA Chroma triple-laser projector became the most-funded product on Indiegogo in 2021. Now, it is available as a retail unit via its brand's own website. Alternatively, it will be available through Best Buy in some markets. The device is rated to throw an image of up to 150 inches for a "cinematic experience".

The Garage Door Controller is a new smart home device from Wyze in the US. Paired with the Wyze Cam v3 and a QR code, the gadget can check if you have left your garage door open. You can close the door remotely and trigger the door to close at a particular time or based on your location. The adapter is compatible with a range of garage doors from brands like Chamberlin.

Realme has rounded its major Indian product event of today (April 28, 2022) with its latest smart TV. This new X Full HD variants boast Dolby Atmos-tuned stereo speakers and support Bluetooth 5 and 5GHz Wi-Fi and come in 2 sizes. They will join the ~US$300 price-bracket on their release to their first market.

Sony has introduced the VPL-XW5000ES and the VPL-XW7000ES, a pair of laser projectors that can output at 4K and 120 Hz. The VPL-XW5000ES and the VPL-XW7000ES also support HDR and high maximum brightness, but neither will come cheap.

Xiaomi has introduced the OLED Vision, an OLED-based Smart TV that has a 55-inch panel. The OLED Vision 55 Smart TV is also one of the few TVs that offers Dolby Vision IQ which should improve HDR playback. Xiaomi's latest TV relies on Android TV 11 too, along with eight speakers and Wi-Fi connectivity.

The Xiaomi Smart TV 5A has been revealed in three sizes, from 32 to 43-in. The devices will go on sale in India on April 30th. The larger TVs in the range have Dolby Audio and DTS:X technologies for immersive surround sound. The gadgets come with Android TV 11, a Full HD display and ports including HDMI 2.0.

The SwitchBot Pan/Tilt Cam is now available in the US. The camera can rotate up to 360° horizontally and up to 115° vertically, guaranteeing that it will capture moving people or pets when motion is detected. The gadget has many features, including a physical Privacy Mask that hides the camera, ensuring it cannot record you against your wish.

iF Design has provided details and pictures of two upcoming flagship Philips TV series before their official introduction. The OLED907 and OLED937 TV series will arrive later this year, although prices are unknown at this stage.

Xiaomi has launched the Smart Door Lock Pro, now available to pre-order in China. The smart device is compatible with Apple HomeKit, enabling you to use this as a method to unlock your door and use Siri voice commands to control the product. There are seven methods to open your door, including via password, fingerprint and NFC.

HiSense has presented the 120L9-Pro, its highest quality laser TV to date. As its name suggests, the 120L9-Pro creates up to 120-inch images that are colour-accurate and up to 4K in resolution. The Hisense Laser TV 120L9-Pro retails for CNY 119,999 (~US$18,291) and can output in 4K.

Xiaomi has launched the 2022 Redmi Smart TV A58, now available to pre-order in China. The device has a 4K display to deliver over 1 billion colors, and an ultra-thin bezel allows a 95.4% screen ratio. The gadget comes with MIUI TV, enabling you to use the TV to control other smart home devices.

Xiaomi has revealed the Mijia Smart Bladeless Purification Fan, now available to pre-order in China. The bladeless tower fan can deliver wind speeds up to 15.5 m/s (~51 ft/s) with a 10 m (~33 ft) range. The fan has built-in sensors to automatically adjust its settings based on air quality, humidity, or temperature changes.

Roborock has released a new feature to celebrate World Earth Day, Off-Peak Charging. The tool lets you set your vacuum to only charge during off-peak hours, however those may be defined by your energy provider. Roborock suggests that this feature can save you money on your energy bills and reduce your CO2 impact.

Roborock has revealed the Q-series, a new range of robot vacuum cleaners. The model Q5+ has already launched, with a US$100 discount until April 28th. Five other robots are due to be available to purchase in May. All of the vacuums have a 5,200 mAh battery for longer cleaning times.

Information about the new Realme Smart TV X Full HD series has been unveiled ahead of the scheduled April 29th launch in India. The almost bezel-less HD TV will come with 43-in and 40-in options. The gadget will have Dolby Audio and Realme Chroma Boost technologies, with Android OS enabling Chromecast and Google Assistant.

An electronic engineer, salmec, has designed an autonomous robotic lawn mower named Mowerino. The DIY gadget uses an Arduino Mega 2560 board alongside 3D printed parts, with all instructions published by salmec on Hackster. The device has many innovative features, including an anti-tipping sensor and ultrasonic obstacle detection.

Reportedly, Signify could be about to increase the prices of over 250 Philips Hue smart home products. The rumored recommended retail price rise is around 17% and will be seen across several countries. This news follows price increases in North America and Europe across mostly outdoor Philips Hue products in December and January.

Razer has released the Leviathan V2, a 50 cm-wide soundbar that comes with a subwoofer. The Leviathan V2 supports THX Spatial Audio, among other features, and retails for US$249.99.

Cardio Health has revealed the Metabike, a home exercise bike that allows you to play games as you workout. Smart pedals on the fitness device monitor your output and use this to power an avatar in a game, plus there are controllers built-in to the bike's handlebars. As you play and workout, you can earn Cardio Points that can be converted into Cardiocoin crypto assets.

Rumors that Ecobee could release a successor to the SmartThermostat have begun after the discovery of hidden images and descriptions in a recent app update. The reported new gadget could have similar features to the current smart thermostat, with the additional ability to trigger air purifiers or fans when poor air quality is detected.

Xiaomi has unveiled the Smart Home Screen 10, which you can now pre-order in China. The smart home hub is similar to the Amazon Echo Show, with a touchscreen display that you can use to control your smart home devices or to stream content such as TikTok videos. The gadget has a built-in microphone and camera, so you can also use it to make video calls.

Denon has unveiled the DHT-S217, a 2.1 Ch soundbar that features six drivers and supports Dolby Atmos. Available from next month, the Denon DHT-S217 also has plenty of I/O and comes with a bundled remote.

The GT Neo3 is Realme's first-ever smartphone rated to charge at up to 150W. Now, the OEM has announced it is bringing that top-end spec with it when it lands in India later in April 2022. It will launch alongside the Mini version of Realme's first-gen Android tablet, as well as a new TV and more.

Oppo has launched the K9x Smart TV in China with 4K resolution. The K9x is a cheaper alternative to the recently released K9 Smart TV. The new gadget has many features, including eye-protecting blue-light reducing technology, an image optimization algorithm and Dolby Atmos.

The Aqara Smart Curtain Companion E1 is available to pre-order in China. The device is compatible with Apple HomeKit, plus it supports Zigbee 3.0. You can use the smart adapter to open or close your curtains remotely, at a specific time or based on the intensity of light that the E1 detects.

Almost all sizes, including the popular 55-inch and 65-inch variants of the new Sony X80K 4K HDR TV, are now on sale at Amazon and are seeing fairly reasonable discounts ranging from 6 to 10% just a few weeks after the official launch.

Several of the new European TV models from TCL will be compatible with Apple AirPlay 2 and HomeKit. This will make them the first Google TVs in the region with these features. As with other devices, AirPlay will enable you to cast content from your iOS or Mac device to your TCL TV. The HomeKit tools will allow you to control your TV using voice commands, such as switching the gadget on or off.

The Huawei Smart Door Lock and Smart Door Lock Pro are now available to pre-order in China. The prices for the devices have also been announced, starting at 2,199 yuan (~US$345) during the pre-sale period. The two devices are similar, with the Pro version having additional 3D facial recognition technology that can unlock your door in under two seconds.

While Harman Kardon has not officially released it, the Citation MultiBeam 1100 Soundbar is now available to pre-order in Europe. The device is designed for streaming and is the first in the Citation range to have Dolby Atmos and DTS:X technologies for immersive 3D surround sound.

Ikea has seemingly confirmed that a recently rumored second-generation smart home gateway is coming. The new product, named DIRIGERA, will have similar functionality to the TRADFRI smart home gateway. It is unclear exactly when Ikea could release this device and whether or not Ikea will continue to sell TRADFRI if the new product is launched.

Ikea could be developing new smart home products. A recent update to several smart LED light listings suggests that new or updated devices could be on the way for this range. Plus, FCC and WPC entries indicate that a new smart charging shelf could also be in the works. Ikea has not officially announced any of these gadgets.

Xiaomi has launched a crowdfunding campaign in China for a smart front door. The Xiaobai Blade Star has 3D facial recognition technology, plus six alternative ways to unlock the door, including a fingerprint scanner and an NFC reader. Like some smart locks, the door comes with a camera to show you who is calling.

Amazon is currently offering discounts in the US, UK, Netherlands and France for the Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance 75W Smart LED Bulb. The offers vary in each country, with up to 22% off the retail price in the US. The smart bulb has up to 1,100 lm of brightness and is compatible with several smart home systems, including Amazon Alexa and Apple HomeKit.

A potential ‘Look and Talk’ feature has been found by 9to5Google in the latest Google app beta APK files. The reported tool would enable the Nest Hub Max to use its camera to determine if you were looking at the screen and trigger the Google Assistant from up to 5 ft (~1.5 m) away.