Xiaomi's new Smart Curtain 3 goes on sale with hidden brushless motor, six control modes

Xiaomi's Mijia Smart Curtain 3 has gone on sale through JD.com in China on September 21, nearly a week after the listing first surfaced via IT Home. It is priced at 705 yuan (about $105) and includes a first installation visit at home. With China's national trade-in subsidy applied, the price drops to 599.25 yuan in some regions. JD's own listing currently shows 645 yuan.

The motor is the main change over the predecessor. Xiaomi has moved to a DC brushless unit, rated at 30 W and 1.2 N·m of torque, and pairs it with an in-house FOC control algorithm. According to Xiaomi, that makes it quieter, more durable and more efficient than a standard brushed motor. The company rates running noise below 26 dB. There's a current-sensing algorithm, plus a 360° sensor that lets it adjust speed and load according to the fabric. The motor can pull curtains weighing up to 50 kg.

The housing measures 54 x 77 x 103 mm. The company says it's small enough to sit inside a curtain box. Xiaomi also reworked the hooks. They are now extended and adjustable in spacing, so the motor stays hidden and the folds hang more evenly. On the older hidden curtain, the spacing was fixed and the fabric bunched at the end. Also, the track is a splice-together straight rail. It supports runs of up to 8 m, though anything past 3 m needs a separately sold extension pack.

You can control the Smart Curtain 3 unit six ways: Xiao Ai voice, the Mi Home app, schedules, a remote, pulling the curtain by hand (the hand-pull works in a power cut too), and automations with other devices through HyperOS Connect. The app also offers stepless speed control, a gradual wake-up mode, position settings from 0 to 100% and custom end points. Connectivity is 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and the model number is MJZNCL09LM.

Xiaomi's pricier Smart Curtain 3 Pro, launched in April at 799 yuan, uses two brushless motors instead.