Best Smart Devices For Google Home (2023 Update)

The app for setting it up could let you have a little more control; as if you haven't got everything exactly right, it takes several minutes to timeout. There's no option to cancel and retry, so you're left with forcibly terminating the app and trying again. Part of the problems with setup are due to Android security restrictions, otherwise it's straight forward if a little long winded. There's also no option to change the device hostname from the default of HS100 [sic], so if you're trying to use more than 1 with 3rd party home automation, you're going to have to hope your router lets you reserve IP addresses. Other than that it interfaced flawlessly with the power control for my 3D Printer, and the device responds immediately.elstebub

I have quite a few smart devices already but this was first smart plug with energy monitoring. The app is easy enough to work and the plugs both connected with no problems. The plugs use WiFi so no hub needed. The energy monitoring seems very accurate and very informative which is just what I wanted and for the price very reasonable. The down sides are if you want to reset the energy use you have to reset the device which only takes a minute. The daily average usage start when the divice is switched on which has limitations. The WiFi connection to the router is very slightly on the weak side. They connected to Alexa straight away. I believe this product is discontinued in most countries hence the now cheaper price.ScottyDog

Having tested and used a few different brand names of WiFi plugs over the years I find this to be by far the easiest to set up. I use Android so I cannot speak for the Apple iOS app but it is just a few easy steps and you are up and running. The WiFi range for the plugs to connect to my WiFi network is great as the plugs are both outside and the WiFi router is inside a concrete building. And the Android app is awesome there are a lot of different features that can be customised to your liking. The only thing I do not like with the app is the 4×2 widget which only allows 4 preconfigured scenes, but otherwise a very happy user and customer. And the price is well worth the purchase for a quality item and quality Android application to control it. Finally the friendly staff always make it a easy shopping experience at Officeworks.downunder

This is the best mesh point system that I have bought. We have Xfinity internet and our router can’t give the whole house internet as we have a big house. This 3 google nest mesh point system delivers to the whole house without dead spots and switches out device’s to the closest point. I have used netgear and I would always be connected to whatever point connected to my phone when I would get home and it would stay connected to that point until I was out of range. With the Google mesh points, the router points know basically where your device is and switches automatically so you have the best internet connection with fast speeds and no interruptions. Where the netgear I had several problems with being connected and not having good speeds and or even having connection but no internet. I’m very impressed with Google and there technology on this product. Great for gaming, 4k movies/shows, smart home products like google nest mini,Alexa, eufy doorbell, smart door locks, Google nest thermostat and smart light bulbs.AlsomEthanGaming

Recently moved from a small one-bedroom apartment into a house, so the drop in WiFi signal from one end of the house to the other was surprising. Our internet speeds are 200 Mbps down/ 10 Mbps up and we receive that while in the room with the router. Moving to the other end of the home where we sleep and that signal would drop to around 30 mbps down and 8 Mbps up. After purchasing this kit, the router is still on one side of the home, we have one access point in the middle of the home in our library and another in the primary bedroom and we maintain the 200 Mbps down / 10 Mbps pretty much everywhere in and around the home. We're already a decently heavy Google household so the fact that the access points double as voice assistants is pretty handy as well. The largest con to the Nest Wifi router is the fact that it only has one ethernet port. This is fine, because an 8 port Gigabit Ethernet switch is like $25 at most. But I can see how people who aren't necessarily tech-savvy have no idea what a network switch even is. The other con is the lack of choosing what WiFi network to connect to (whether it be 5 Ghz or 2.4 GHz). For the most part, the automation works well, but there are a few times where my partners desktop will only connect to 2.4 Ghz and it leaves her with a slightly slower connection. Overall kinda minor, as it quickly adjusts, but still an inconvenience. With that being said, I still think this Mesh Router from Nest is the go-to option for those who are already a Google household. So far, the issues presented are minor at best, but I would highly recommend picking up a network switch with this router to ensure you have enough Ethernet ports available.Matt

We were looking to extend our gigabit wifi coverage and already owned the previous generation Google Wifi mesh extenders, so I figured upgrading to the Google Nest Wifi made sense as the old version had served us well. These newer ones perform as advertised: stronger coverage over a wider area thanks to the updated hardware in the current units! We upgraded to whole home security cameras, so I wanted to ensure we didn’t see any dropouts or higher battery drain due to poor wireless speed/strength, and so far I’m happy to report they are working out great. A big positive for me was the hardware microphone mute for these units. Honestly I would have preferred being able to buy these without the built-in microphone/voice assistance feature just out of privacy concerns, but being able to disable it manually on the hardware itself and see the LEDs on the bottom of the points change to Orange/Red to show the mic is disabled once you flip the switch is handy. The biggest negative I have for these was that the setup was not flawless, and even required me to reach out to support as it wasn’t anything that could be fixed through standard troubleshooting like power cycling or doing a factory reset and redoing the network setup from scratch. The other issue I had was trying to add my old google wifi units as access points since their documentation notes the old ones could still be used as long as you didn’t try to exceed their recommended “limit” of having no more than 5 access points connected to a single router. After factory resetting the older units and trying to add them to the mesh network, I noticed considerable issues with signal degradation as it seemed like it was actually introducing interference rather than boosting signal coverage in other areas of the house. The new Google Home app that lets you control/monitor your network is pretty good overall as well, aside from returning a lot of “Unnamed Device” names for the hardware found on our network – I don’t recall the old “Google Wifi” app having the same issue. Slight negatives aside, I am still quite pleased with the newer Google Nest Wifi mesh router and access points – the speeds are solid, they transmit fairly well throughout the walls and home in general, and aside from the initial setup hiccups, they’ve been performing flawlessly ever since. Overall, I’d highly recommend the Nest Mesh router/points system and since the rating system doesn’t allow it, I’d note that if possible I’d give this one 4.5 stars out of 5.Matt

Been using these timers for the past 60 days. Pros: only occupy one outlet, quick and easy connection to home router, Kasa app is very easy to use, multiple settings available down to a minute, can use sunrise and sunset times, easy to check to see if timer is on/off and what the future settings are, easy to turn on/off remotely, programming has been reliable since installed. Each timer is connected to a low wattage device. Cons: Did not realize these have an operating range limit of 104 degrees. One was outside and the day it hit 105 the wifi function stopped working. The timer continues to operate the program that was last input but I have no way to change that. If you plan to use one in a potentially hot location, like in a dry outdoors location or an indoor outlet in So. AZ that gets afternoon sun you might experience the same problem. There are other units with higher ratings. I only deducted one star for that as post-wifi demise I researched and found it is clearly stated the unit has an operating range of temps.t.

So let me begin by saying I already had the Kasa app on my phone and a wifi plug set up already. I got this and it took literally seconds to add this to my app. I use this to turn off a camera looking out a window that doesn't work well at night so I have it programmed to shut that camera down at sundown and back on at sunrise. The existing wifi plug controls a lamp that I program to go on and off when I am away. Now that is great in itself, but I added them to Home Essentials Direct Alexa and now I can also control them with my voice. Got to love these things. Oh yea the other one is for my C hristmas tree when the season comes. Never have to worry about turning things on and off kneeling down and unplugging things. These make things much more convenient. My wife like that when we go out The lamp comes on at sundown so if we forget to turn it on the dogs will still have light. Oh and I can even control them on my phone if I need too. Great device.g.

If your setup fits (i.e. seems like it only works with 2.4Ghz signal) and other factors such as wifi connectivity is not a problem, then you will love this ! I have set it up and tested it, works great and it does exactly what it stated on the box and product description. The away mode is very useful when you are away to control lighting for example. There are many uses you can do with this product but different people's situation are different. So basically you just have to understand it and turn ON and OFF with scheduling feature and can remotely power ON / OFF or schedule your Power ON/ OFF with the Kasa app which hasnt' crashed on me yet or other problems such as not responding. Simple App, nothing super Fancy. Not sure why people would complain the setup time or hard to setup…if they know what they're doing and have the proper wifi connection (remember 2.4, read the instruction dont' be lazy) it took me less than 2 mins to setup 1. Plug it in (just plug it in, nothing else – ck and see blue and orange flashing), using your phone with installed Kasa app just follow the prompts and your Plug will be setup in less than 2 mins (literally, from the time you have your app up on your phone). I haven't found any operation error yet (i.e. when I press Power Off there is no response or something like takes two clicks to enable the power etc etc)Robert

The Wyze outdoor plugs my son talked me into getting for our outdoor Christmas decorations work great! So much better then the timer plugs I had last year. Easy to set up. I have so many more options and can control them with my phone when we are out of town. I’m going to get more for my indoor lamps now that I know how easy they are to set up. And I’m not particularly good at these type of tech devices (I’m an artist not a techy). I already have the cameras and love being able to check on what’s happening inside when we are not there. Really pleased with these Wyze products so far!Rozmiarek_art

Solid units. They do what they are supposed to. I have v3 cams plugged into these 500 miles away to use in the event one of my Wyze v3s need to be power cycled. Turn the plug off then on…….works like a dream. Had my landscape timer fail. Rather than spending hundreds on a new timer I turned the lights on and plugged them into the Wyze plug. Works perfectly. I’ve had one outside in the elements for well over a year and still working without a hitch. This plug is a sound investment.SEWjr

I'm using several of these in my vacation house so I can turn things on/off when I am away. Those close to the router work great. Now there's one that further away that gives me troubles. It works fine under normal conditions, but disconnects in a heavy snow storm and does not reconnect until power cycled. So I have to ask a neighbor or a handy man to come by and reset the plug. I also have blink security camera right next to the plug. It may report weak wifi signal during a storm too, but still works and/or reconnects after the weather.alex

I bought these to replace some old programmable not-so-smart switches for my outside lights. To give you an idea, the replaced switches are old enough to not use the current DST/standard time change dates. My use-model is pretty straightforward; on at sunset, off at a programmed time. Pros: They've worked perfectly for my use-model so far (about a month), including through a small power outage during a recent storm. I like that it uses the same programming UI as the outdoor and indoor Wyze outlets. I don't understand why the programming feature is under settings, rather than having its own link on the device's 'home' page in the app, but once you know where it is, it's easy to use and as noted, is consistent with the other devices programming functions. I like that I won't have to worry if DST time changes move again, and that I don't have to occasionally adjust a drifting clock. Cons: As others have mentioned, these are beasts. They are at least as deep as the switches I replaced and the bodies are wider. I put these is a 4 switch box that controls front outdoor lighting. I was able to get the wiring done (it's busy in that box!) and the switches into the box (2 of the 4 are now Wyze switches). Using the Wyze switch plate when the switch is in anything other than a single switch box is a non-starter. When I originally replaced the traditional on/off switches with the old programmable switches, I had to change to a modular switch plate. I got a combination of end or middle sections with either traditional on/off switch holes or the big rectangular hole plates used for dimmers and programmable switches. The hole for the plates to be used with the Wyze switches is the correct size, but the body of the switch is so big that I had to file down the edges of the underside of the plates to get the plate to sit flush on the switch. This resulted in having to sacrifice the plates' modular connectors. This box is in a coat closet near the front door, so the plate not looking the greatest isn't as much of an issue as it would be if the box wasn't hidden in the closet. If that were the case, I'd look to see if there's anything newer that would work and look better. As it is, the switches all have plates, so that's all that matters in the closet.jerryl

I have installed many GE Enbrighten zwave switches in my last house without issue, however after moving I thought I would switch to Wyze switches which are a third the price. I bought 15 Wyze switches and they take up much more space in the electrical box then the GE zwave switches I had installed in the last house. Getting them to fit in anything bigger than a single gang box is a real pain. I even purchased Wago push wire connectors and replaced the normal electrical wing screw nuts to try to save more space. Being able to attach the wires to the side of the switch instead of pushing into the back would also likely save a little space and provide a more secure connection when trying to put back in the gang box. Once installed the switches work great. I do like being able to program the switch to do something different if you push it two or three times or hold it down. My only complaint with this feature is that I can't actually turn on or off the switch I just pushed two or three times. IE if I want to turn on all of my kitchen lights at once, I have to do a quick double push, wait then push again to turn on this switch. Not sure why the programmers would remove this switch as an option when doing the special presses. All in all after the switch is installed I really like it, but I hope Wyze comes out with a second generation that takes up a little less space in the electrical box as I am not sure I will be installing any more then the 15 I already purchased.Adam

I just purchased three Wyze switches to control the outdoor lights around my house. Previously, I was using Kasa (TPLink) switches, but I wanted to convert to Wyze so that I could limit the number of apps used to control smart devices used in my household. I have had very good luck with Wyze cameras, bulbs, and plugs, so I figured the switches would be great as well. The operation of the switches went as expected – all good there. But, I have to tell you, I am disappointed in the design of the Wyze rocker switch. I had to remove the switch box from the face plate of each of the switches in order to add them to multi-gang switch boxes (all single pole). This is where the bad rocker switch design issues show up…. First, all of the connections were are directly into the switch box (e.g. no factory wires from the device that would be joined to the existing house wiring with a wire nut). This made the installation a little difficult if the house wiring was a bit short. But, I understand that this design also saves room in the switch box, so no real issue – just more of an inconvenience. Second, and most frustrating, was the design of the rocker switch itself. Other wifi switches I have used have a raised ridge around the rocker switch. The Wyze switch does not have this raised ridge. As a result, the Wyze rocker switch can easily bind against the switch plate cover if the switch is not perfectly aligned within the electrical box and thus, the switch plate. I was able to get them to work, but it was a time consuming process because you have to tighten the switches in the electrical box so they do not move at all. If the rocker switch had a ridge around it, this would not be an issue. Using these for single switches would be an easy install, but if you are placing them into a multi-gang switch box, then be prepared for some extra work to make sure they are aligned properly and do not bind on the switch plate.jp1450

So far I am enjoying this smart surge protector. I like being able to control the devices individually. It also helps keep my son from turning on and off the Blu-ray player. It was easy to set up and the smart phone app works very well. I will buy another one of these in the near future over a regular surge protector. The only downside was the shipping. The box look like it took a bit of a beating but luckily the device still worked.mikescorz

For the price, this is a great 'stand-alone' power bar. But throw in the Geeni app control and Alexa compatibility, and you have the most amazing power bar available at this price point. Connecting to the Geeni app was as simple as it gets and incredibly quick. Each of the 6 outlets can be independently switched on or off using the app, or you can turn them all on or off at once. You can even create a schedule in the app to turn outlets on and off at pre-determined times of the day for every day of the week, if you so choose. It is as flexible as you want it to be! I will be using this power bar for my Christmas lighting – tree lights (2 sets), window lights and door lights. The Geeni app itself is very well designed and extremely user-friendly. I now have 6 different Geeni devices and all are working flawlessly! The connection is stable and I have had zero dropouts to date with any of the devices. Alexa connectivity is also very good, but I tend to use the app all the time as I can use it from anywhere, including from work. I see myself adding even more of these awesome devices to my Geeni collection. It's just too bad that there are so few Geeni devices available in Canada, but dozens more are available in the US.GeoMel

The Problem: Smart outlets are neat, keen, and ridiculously useful, but installing in-wall outlets can be a pain, and not recommended as a DIY job unless you're experienced and/or a trained electrician, and the ones you plug *into* an existing outlet are clunky and generally unsightly. And besides, you usually want more than one outlet in a given location. This strip does the job handily. My office/atelier already has three power strips/cubes (and a UPS) for all sorts of gear, but I also have assorted lighting to go with it. I'm frequently in and out of the place, and sometimes I either forget to switch off lights or am in such a hurry I can't be bothered. Now I can pull up the app on my phone or just holler "Hey, Google" and have things handled quickly and easily. No particular quirks/bugs in the month-plus since I bought it. Recommended.amateriat

The Amazon smart thermostat is a very basic smart thermostat. It is fairly easy to install and once installed, operates without any complications. I do recommend having an "Alexa" unit available, but not necessary, it just makes remote operations easier. Also, please note that it will take a few days before the thermostat is able to truly feel the desired temperatures. Until then, expect to make subtle adjustment changes for approximately the first 48 hours or so. The only real disappointment(s) is that I wish there was more programmable capacity and maybe it should show the current room temperature with the preset desired temperature. All in all a great basic, economical, "no frills" smart thermostat.james309

The thermostat looks good. Compact and basic. Comes with a bigger wall plate for replacing an older style, larger thermostat so that you don’t have to paint, etc. Comes with a screwdriver and wall anchors. Seemingly all that you would need to install this. I did find that you can check for compatibility prior to purchase by following a couple quick steps on the Amazon app. The packaging and included parts seem well thought out. Once installed along with the app, setup was cumbersome. Having a heat pump with gas furnace, the setup was painful. I was honestly unable to get it to function properly. It would call for the gas furnace “emergency heat” backup to come on well above the outdoor temp threshold that the heat pump was designed to operate in. This causes the heating costs to go up significantly. Overall, I am disappointed with this product. I do feel like if you have a single heat source setup, such as gas only, this thermostat would work well. Unfortunately that was not the case for us.Gavean

I received the Amazon Smart Thermostat to test. I had my husband install the thermostat because I didn’t want to mess it up. He said that it took him 20 mins to install it and this is without looking at the instructions. If you are looking for the instructions for installation, it is in the Alexa app that you would need to download prior to installation. I setup the smart thermostat on my phone and it took me like maybe 5 mins to do that. It was very easy setup. I setup a schedule for it to follow and the thermostat is working very well. I like that I can control the temperature on the Alexa app. Its really nice to be able to either lower or increase the temperature outside of using the schedule when I know if I will be home or not. I also like that in the settings you can have the app notify you or even order air filter for you when you are running low. There is even a spot for you to add how much extra supply you have and when you last replace your filter, so that Alexa will better know when you need more supplies. Overall, this is a really nice smart thermostat. I like it. My husband only response to the installation is that the smart thermostat doesn’t have a built in level to help my sure that its straight.pthao1985

I've had previous wifi plugs which worked when the wanted to had issues with wifi Getting disconnected etc… But these things are awesome very easy to setup, stable connection. App Kasa is amazing very quick on and off times when using app. Get these won't be disappointedRudy

These were easy to setup with my phone and Alexa. So far it's thumbs up, the true test will be seeing how long they last.fishingseabass

this is what I had been looking for, I connected my tv and speakers to it and I can measure the electricity consumed, power up or off with voice commands thought google assistant. I can even automate it with other appliances.terry_bogard_svc2

Installed this for mu kitchen light that has 2 switches. Voice control is great for those times when your hands are messy cooking or cleaning. This was easier to install than the other Kasa lights purely by the fact that unlike the other lights, which have short wires for all the connections, this one had screws on the switch for the common and line leads, and wires only for the ground and neutral wires. This means fewer wires (and especially wire nuts) to try to stuff back into the box. After that, it was a simple to connect to the Kasa app and the Google Home application as any other Kasa switch. Highly recommended.M.S.

I have installed three of these TP Link Kasa smart switches now and they are very easy to install if you have basic wiring knowledge. They will require full power to the switch, not just the hot and ground wire, and they require the neutral wire to function correctly. Check your current wiring first if you are installing these into existing switch locations. Each switch paired easily with my home Wifi using the Android Kasa application. The three-way switch immediately notified me of an available firmware update when it came online and the firmware upgrade proceeded flawlessly. We use these switches together with an Alexa enable device and also using the one and off timers. Make sure the time zone sets correctly by viewing the device info or the schedule may not be as expected. There is a method to force the time zone update if need be, and I had to do that for one device. The switch still works as a manual switch if Wifi is offline, but the power is still on. No hub other than a Wifi access point within range is needed. These do not use Z-wave or other wireless protocols and integrate directly with the Wifi network. They have proven to be reliable and have functioned without error since installation.C.

This is really easy to setup. I didnt neccesarily follow the steps in the app but I spent 1-2 hours learning how three way switches work and it was easy to figure out. Basically the step they advise to look at how its currently setup with an existing switch makes it a lot easier if you label everything, no guesswork this way. I didn't know if I would like the "button" opposed to switching it up and down, but honestly the button is so much more intuitive and easy to press. It turns the light on fast in the app and pressing it. I only used one of these for a three way and both the new "smart" and old "dumb" switch still work in conjunction with eachother.J.S.

Replaced a Sonos One Gen2 with this echo studio in our home gym. I loved the Airplay2, the decent Alexa performance, and the sound quality is far and away the best. If it would function as a Firetv speaker or even a “dummy” Bluetooth speaker it would be perfect. I really wanted something I could connect to my TV in our home gym to boost the volume. I also wanted something that would connect to our Peloton bike too. Install: Setup was easy and it connected to Wi-Fi quickly. At first it kept saying it was not compatible with my Firetv stick but after a minute or two it suddenly decided they could be friends. I’m guessing it has something to do with it registering or something. Size: It is bigger and heavier than the Sonos. It did fit on the Sonos stand but I opted to add a strap around it to keep it on the base with weight being thrown around and doors opening and closing. Alexa: Responsive even with large fans and a heater running. Performs actions quickly (turning off lights, fans, setting the heater, etc.) Home Theater: Connected to my Firetv Stick 4K (latest model) to improve the sound on a cheap TV. The sound is good and gets loud but it I wouldn’t say it’s equivalent to a sound bar at the same price point. I didn’t find it to be cinema-quality, immersive, or “3D.” That’s fine for me where I just need football games to be louder but buying 2 of these plus a subwoofer would be silly when you could buy an all in one wireless surround system and an Echo for the same price. The volume control is laggy so be careful increasing the volume. As a speaker: I hate that it doesn’t have Airplay2. This was the major “give up” from switching from the Sonos. Im not an apple Stan but Airplay2 should be included and the only reason it isn’t is to force you to use Amazon’s terrible app. I have to Bluetooth connect this or deal with the clunky Apple Music skill inside the Alexa App. I don’t use Prime Music and after 5+ years with Apple Music I have no desire to switch. Sound quality for music: Meh. I listen to loud muddy metal, older alternative, rock, and rap. The Sonos filled a 25×15 empty room beautifully with excellent balance and a full sound including surprising bass. The Echo Studio has clear vocals almost as if it pushes them forward but the mids are lacking and hollow and the base is underwhelming. I have already ordered the subwoofer and I hope the Echo Studio retunes or recalibrates itself over time. Despite being called “Studio” it very much feels like it’s either trying to do too much without enough equalizer or it was designed for voice (Alexa and maybe TV). For me the added functionality was worth losing Airplay2 and the superior sound. If you just want something to play music and perform Alexa commands, the SONOS is far superior.ItsMe

Bought a couple of Echo Studios as a more affordable compare to my existing set of stereo paired HomePods. Tested in both a smaller 14' x 12' x 8' living room, as well as a larger 22' x 13' x 10' lofted living room. With both spatial sound (upward firing speakers) and standard stereo sound music was bass-heavy, hollow-sounding, and lacking in stereo separation one would expect, particularly for speakers with multiple speakers firing in different directions. Compared to the stereo HomePods these the Studios sounded like walkie-talkies: no comparison. Compared to a single test Sonos:One sound was equally hollow and lacking in depth. Sure, both Sonos and HomePods are premium speakers, but given the positioning of the Echo Studios as being the premium variant of the Echo line I really expected more than the what they delivered. Even my pair of Echo Plus' in stereo pair sounded better than the Studios. While sufficient for someone graduating from a baseline Echo Dot, anyone expecting bigger, room-filling sound from these beasts are best to keep looking elsewhere. Even at $150/each on sale, I ended up returning for a full refund.SpeedRacerX

This is my third Echo, the other two being a first generation and an Echo ll. They all do the same things, at least for how I use them. The difference is the improvement in sound quality, especially in the bass range. These units have effectively replaced my radio. I can tune in stations that are either unavailable over the air or have a marginal signal. And I love that all three units can play the same program simultaneously – music or talk everywhere! The fact that I have all the other utilities available (timers, alarms, quick answers to questions, weather, notifications, etc) is a bonus. My one complaint is about volume control. On the original Echo, volume is adjusted by turning a ring on top. This is not only intuitive, but you can do it in the dark. The two newer units have a + and a – button on top. Unless you are looking down at the unit in a lighted room, choosing the desired button is a matter of chance, unless you memorize which button does what. I know you can adjust it by voice, but I like the the easier option to fine tune it manually. Voice control requires that you interrupt the sound, and tell Alexa to change volume to one of 10 possible settings, not knowing where you’re starting from or if your first request will produce the desired result. The volume setting you request from Alexa may be louder or softer than you intended, thus requiring another request. It’s just easier to just do it by hand. This device won’t replace a serious audio system, but the reality is that most of my listening is an accompaniment to other activities, and for that, the Echo works brilliantly!Buckdancer

The amazon echo is a great addition to your home if you are open to having mics listening in on your activities and conversations. I know some don't like that, but those who allow it will find great convenience in getting information about weather, movies, actors, jokes, and more. Plus, you'll be able to request music, and with a little effort in the app, you can have the same music playing via a group across multiple echos and fire sticks, giving you a great way to have a sonos-like environment. While the intelligence of the questions aren't up to par with Google's similar devices, the echo will suffice for most. Just don't expect it to answer complex questions, or provide extremely precise answers in all cases. And if you're a smart home user who likes to control lights, thermostats, etc., then the echo and its alexa app let you do lots of cool things, and even automate them with routines (e.g., say "goodnight" at the end of the day to turn off all the lights and lower the thermostat). What's especially nice is if you have multiple brands, the alexa app bridges that complexity so it all plays nicely together. Keep a spare echo ready in your music group and you can bring it outside on the deck on a nice day and have your music – and control of your music – at your side. Just wish they'd come out with a waterproof or outdoor version to have it out there all the time.johnny

Received a echo dot with my purchase which was pretty cool. The little speaker is a fun addition to the household when you want to listen to music hands free. Or want to set alarms to wake you up in the morning. Can also use it to navigate your smart TV, amongst other things if you have more than one. Sounds pretty good for the size. Would've been cool if you were able to charge it and take it around the house. Definitely enjoying my little speaker. Might buy another to have in a second area soon. This would be a cool gift for someone older who wants to have a little speaker and isn't tech savy as far as hooking up to a Bluetooth speaker and having to use a music app to find music they like. They could just ask Alexa to create a playlist for them. Even the kids could enjoy this little device.GCas

This is way more fun than I expected. I dont use a lot of smarthome features, but now that I'm getting used to Alexa, things are about to change. Really convenient way to listen to tunes while I'm working on the computer or playing on my phone. I use it a lot for simple questions and information too. Im going to order some smart light bulbs soon so I can make her do even more for me. Haha My major complaint is that I can't use it to call or text someone unless they sign up with the Alexa app too. That's a loss of a whole star there, because Google smart devices do that just fine with my Samsung Galaxy devices. This was free with the purchase of a TV, but I've mulled around the idea of getting one for a few years. Ive got other speakers that are better sounding, but as far as convenience goes, this little Echo is great for me. It sits right beside my recliner on a table where I embarrassingly spend most of my time. There has never been a problem of hearing it or not hearing me. The reminders arw handy too. Hve been dabbling with the shopping lists feature too. I espect to use this more and more but really wish I could call and text my peeps with her.BigC

My other half installed this for me in our entry way. It didn't take him long to install and I didn't see him having to reference the instructions 100 times so I would say the install was a pretty quick process. We installed this to hook up our entry lamps for universal reasons and this switch allowed us to all: 1) to connect the lamp to Alexis so that we could voice automate the on and off switch 2) to have the lamp come on every evening at a particular time especially for occasions when we are not home or when we come home late there's always a light on and 3) we have this lamp hooked up to our security system so that if we had a home invasion this lamp will automatically trigger to come on. Being that this outlet can connect to wifi we were able to have this one lamp function in all of these ways.ssummers

We've always used smart plugs to control our holiday decor, but the way our new house's living room is set up, having that smart plug next to the Christmas tree would be a huge eye sore. I liked that this outlet had it built in so that there wouldn't be a clunky white brick plugged into the outlet for all to see. Also everything in our house is hooked up to Alexa, so I appreciate that that's a feature of this smart outlet!sue3847

I’m loving my new Geeni smart wi-fi wall outlet. It was easy to install. It took my friend less than 20 minutes to install. Once installed, it was super easy to set up the app to use with the outlet so that it could control my devices via wi-fi. I’m using it to control my smart bulbs in my kitchen/dining room. I’m also able to charge things like my iPad, iPhone and other devices that use a usb outlet/port. Overall, I’m very happy with this smart wall outlet and I definitely recommend if you’re looking for one that’s easy to install and use.Nycole007

Love these mart plugs. In fact, everything I've bought that Genie/Mercury makes has been awesome. Set-up is easy. Just takes seconds. I've tried other brands and they're impossible. They work great, are reliable and connect seamlessly to my Google Hub. They respond instantly to my hub or nest. I'm sold on Genie.Raven

The plugs do what they are supposed to do. My main gripe is that they are bigger than you would expect and make the second outlet of a standard two plug wall plate unusable. Would have been better to go a little wide and maintain the use of the second outlet.Greg

I purchased this outlet to control 2 lamps at my entry. This replaced a Tp-link outlet plug. Easy to install once I figured it out. My old outlet had 2 black wires, 2 white wires, and 1 ground wire. I had to combine the wires, of the same color of course, together. I then connected them with the provided connectors. They have to be straightened out completely in order to work properly. This was my issue. Once I corrected that, it was working flawlessly. Setup was as simple as it gets. This is another great addition to my smart home in the making.Charlotte

This outlet opens up a world of possibilities. The timer for my swimming pool pump finally failed after 30 years. Instead of replacing it I did a little engineering (my pre-retirement profession) and used the outlet to control a solid state relay to run my pump and mineralizer water purification system. My pump is wired for 240 volts and the mineralizer is 120 volts. Because both sockets are independent, I used one for the pump and the other for the mineralizer. My son did the wiring and we finished last night. I had set up the outlet ahead of time and everything was all set. The problem was I left my phone inside and I was too lazy to go get it. Luck for me the KAZA app is also on my wife’s phone. She is at Myrtle Beach and my son called her on his phone and told her to give it a try. The wi-fi signal told the top part of the plug to switch on which turned on the solid state relay and the pump started pumping away. From 150 miles away. I have fallen for KAZA products of all types. On-Off switches for ceiling fans, dimmers for overhead lighting, color changing bulbs just for fun. For my next project I plan to use another outlet at the beach house to turn the electric water heater on and off and with a solenoid open and close the incoming water. Can’t speak for others products but I for one am sold on KAZA. I will post a photo of the finished setup once it cools off enough for me to walk out. SC heat is brutal..!! Thanks..! Ready to add electric water-heater and main water supply to house..B.B.

I have used this outlet the past several days and like the other tplink Kasa devices, I have to say this wall outlet is great! If you have any other Kasa outlets this one works exactly the same except it looks a whole lot nicer when you have several of them around your house. It ties into your Kasa app, which I also want to brag on and say that I rarely have an issue with Kasa responding to a request either through the app or my Home Essentials Direct echos. Pros: -really great pricing -2 individually controlled outlets -very reliable and quick -easy to install and setup -compatible with most Smart Home controllers -replaces outlet instead of plugging into outlet Cons: -a little bit large when compared to most other decorative style outlets as shown in the picture, and I'm not really sure what the reasoning is because it's just the plastic trim -in my setup I had an issue with the application freezing on the reconnecting to outlet screen once I connected it to my network, closing out of the application completely and reopening show that the outlet did add correctly and was there to control. (I am confident this will be fixed soon)M.H.

The Nest Doorbell (battery) is our first smart video doorbell, but not our only product from Nest, as we also have their Learning Thermostat. Since we already have multi-room smart speakers throughout the house and security system hubs with screens, we were hoping to have the doorbell play a chime through them or display its video feed on our existing screens, when the doorbell button was pressed, however, the Nest Doorbell is only able to do this with Google branded speakers, hubs, or screens. Since we don't own other products in the Google IOT ecosphere, we can only get push notifications from the doorbell and view its video on our mobile devices through the Google Home app. Thankfully, a hard-wire kit is included with the doorbell, so we could at least use our wired electric doorbell chime for an audible notification throughout the house, and it would be permanently powered as an added bonus. The doorbell camera itself is quite large as it contains a fairly sizeable battery. The battery is rated to last 1.5 to 6 months depending on the frequency of usage eg. average number of daily events it records and other battery saver settings like video/audio quality and minimum event recording length. When the battery power is low, it will enter into a "low power" mode to conserve more battery until you charge the unit; to charge it, you'll need to take down the unit and plug it in via the included USB-C cable for about 5 hours. The other option is to direct-wire it to a compatible doorbell transformer. As for installation instructions, a link to a video demonstrating the battery operated installation is included in the box, but no written instructions. If you want to perform a wired installation, you'll have to search for those directions on your own, but it's easy to find the video for that process as well. However, one thing that was unclear during my installation was whether or not I needed to install the diode that came with my chime on the wire contacts of the Nest Doorbell; while my chime appeared to be compatible, since I wasn't able to find any information from Google/Nest specifically mentioning installing a diode one way or the other, I did not install it. Other than that, the installation process was pretty straightforward and took about 15 minutes. There’s also an angled wedge included if you need to change the direction the camera faces by 20°. For the most part, the doorbell works pretty much as advertised. When I ring the bell, a notification pops up on my phone through the Google Home app, and I can view the doorbell's live video and audio feed and use the mic to communicate with someone in front of it. The external chime that I wired to the doorbell also starts ringing right away and kind of works, but my problem is that the “length of ring” setting in the app for electronic chimes can only be set in whole second increments, which either cuts off the chime before the melody is done playing (6 secs) or allows the chime to start repeating before getting cut off (7 secs). With my normal mechanical doorbell, I never had a problem with the chime playing the melody all the way through exactly once. The app experience is just okay. During setup, I was a bit disappointed to find that the Nest Doorbell (battery) could not be added to the existing Nest app that is used to control the Nest Learning Thermostat and can only be added to the Google Home app. Doing this took me a few tries too because the Home app wanted to use my existing Nest product to "assist" the setup by passing along my WiFi network name and password, but it kept failing. I ended up needing to remove the Nest thermostat from my account first, enter my WiFi network info manually, and then re-add the thermostat through the Nest app which was then pulled into the Google Home app. After setup, navigating the app is somewhat clunky and it took me a while to figure out how to download a saved event video clip (you have to go into the "event details"). Changing and customizing the settings for the doorbell was pretty easy though. I was also surprised to find that the free 3-hour event recording history is not a cumulative measure of time. Instead, it is a 3-hour lookback period, which means you can view any events that happened in the past 3 hours, but no earlier, even if the amount of recorded footage during this period amounts to only a few minutes. So if I viewed something in the event history yesterday that I wanted to re-watch today, I wouldn’t be able to do so, unless I downloaded the clip during the 3-hour period when it was available to view or had a Nest Aware subscription. The monthly Nest Aware subscription adds benefits like a longer event history period, familiar faces recognition, allowing the unit to announce your frequent visitors' names, sound detection like glass breaking or smoke alarms, and emergency calling to 911. Note that there is no way to enable 24/7 recording (to capture non-event footage), even if you choose to hardwiReviewedByPhil

Google battery operated doorbell is a wonderful upgrade from its leading competitive brand and to its successor model of Nest hello. New slim design is very attractive with more color options and multiple installation options (hardwire, battery) for many use case scenarios. It does have 3 hours of cloud storage for free without the need to subscribe to Nest aware. There are few cons compared to its previous wired Nest hello model. What is the box: Google doorbell, USB C cable, hardware kit (2 wedge screws, 2 wall screws, 2 wall anchors, wire connectors, eject release tool), doorbell bracket and angle wedge. Setup and Installation: Very simple setup like previous gen but this one only works with Google home app and doesn’t support Nest native app. I have couple of nest cameras, 9 nest protect (smoke detector), Yale lock and have not migrated yet to google home since it doesn’t support the nest protect and now, I need 2 applications to monitor. Just download the google home app, charge the doorbell by connecting to power source using the included cable and just follow the instructions on the app to complete the setup. Since I had nest connect it automatically connected to my network without the need of entering any passwords. Once the setup is complete, you have the option to choose your installation method. This doorbell supports hardwire (using your existing doorbell wiring and transformer), rechargeable battery powered or connecting to indoor power adapter. If you don’t plan to hardwire using your existing doorbell wiring, you would need Nest smart display or Nest Speaker for Chime sound when someone rings the doorbell. Video and Audio Quality: This doorbell records in 960 X 1280 resolution that captures up to 30 frames per second with 3:4 aspect ratio compared to Nest Hello that records at 1080P and more digital zoom. Field of view is only 145 degrees compared to 160 degrees on Nest hello. Audio is very clear and have no trouble even when installed with battery. Speaker and microphone are great on two-way audio and is very clear and crisp with no major delays. It works great with the new smart displays (Nest hub max & 2nd gen Nest hub). When someone rings the doorbell, it automatically shows the live view of the door, and the communication starts without any lag on battery and announces or chimes right away. Very impressive for battery powered compared to battery powered on competitive devices. It does have the same activity zones setup where you can setup for motion monitoring and recording. You need to select and highlight areas of your choice where you need the motion to be picked, notified, and recorded. This way you can save battery from unnecessary motion recordings. Like previous Nest hello this does support the AI (artificial intelligence) based object recognition to detect if the motion is due to people, dogs, cat, packages, vehicles and so on. One of the major advantages compared to previous gen is, without any subscriptions you get free three-hour cloud storage of video feeds. It does come with a free 30-day trial for Nest aware to try for free if it’s worth subscribing to and make informed decision. Also, this doorbell records and stores up to 1 hour of video feeds locally in the event of internet outage or power failure and upload once the power or internet is restored. Pros: Versatile design, AI-based recognition, multiple installation options, responsive live feeds (on battery powered), Free 3-hour cloud storage, Easy installation, Local storage when WIFI lost, Familiar face alerts, multiple colors to choose from (Snow, Ivy, Ash, Linen) Cons: No 24/7 recording even if hardwired, big form factor (6.3-inch x 1.8 inch), Works only with google home app and not Nest app, No support to other smart home ecosystems (echo devices or apple devices). Bottom-line: If you are looking for affordable battery powered(recharge) doorbell with multiple installation option for future use and AI smart notifications that integrates well with your smart displays then this is the device without any second thought.TechGuru

I was really excited to be getting this Nest Doorbell, but a little curious as to how hard it would be to set up. Turns out, it was a piece of cake to set up! The quick start guide walks you easily through the set up process, and it all went just as it should. It probably took 10 minutes at most. That doesn’t include mounting, just setting the camera up for use, and connecting to my existing Google Home network. During set up, the camera activates so you can see the picture and choose the best location for mounting. (After I did that, I came back in and captured a screenshot of my living room so you can see the wide range and quality of the camera.) The camera has a vertical view, a 3:4 ratio, so you can see people at your door from head to toe, as well as packages on your porch. I figured that pretty much anywhere I mount it near my front door is going to work. It’s also got HDR and night vision. I haven’t mounted it yet, because it arrived when we were having a huge snowstorm, and I just haven’t gotten out to do it. But that looks super easy, too. There’s a mounting bracket that screws on to your wall, and the camera easily attaches to that. There are no wires, which is awesome. It does come with a small wire connector, which looks like you can use to connect it, if you are replacing an existing doorbell. Otherwise, it runs on battery power and connects through wifi. Reading more about it on the website, it looks like your battery can operate up to 7 months without recharging, if you have all of your settings set to conserve power, and little activity. It comes with a usb-c cable for charging. The port is on the back, so you’d simply remove it from the mount and take indoors to plug in and charge it. It’s got lots of features, which you can read about on the website. I was able to easily add it to my existing Google Home network. No problems at all. And, the thing is beautiful and classy looking! It’s got a big doorbell button, but is sleek and minimalistic in style. And when you hold it in your hand, it feels heavy, and feels like your holding a great quality item. I love it and would definitely recommend it to others!daUPhere

Nest (now owned by Google) has been releasing cameras since their acquisition of Dropcam circa 2014. Since then, they’ve launched a Home App, Smart Assistants in the forms of speakers with integrated monitors, and further developed their cameras to include more security features, with the ability to monitor them at the tap of an app or by asking your Google Home Hub. The unboxing experience feels more premium, compared to nest cams in the past, and nicely packaged for easy removal. In the box you’ll find the camera, a power adapter, mounting hardware (screws and anchors), an attached long USB cable with plastic cable clips (no ties here), and a user manual. It’s important to note there is a QR code located on the sticker which protects the lens and is required for setup (don’t lose it). Plugging the camera in, and you’ll hear an audible tone and a slow pulsing blue light indicating it’s ready for setup. You can’t use the older Nest App for installation and will need to use the Google Home app with your Google login to start the setup. I was pleasantly surprised to find the setup effortless, only requiring the use of the QR code on the camera to identify and connect to the camera, followed by confirmation of connection to your WiFi network, and a quick update to the camera. Once you’ve added the camera to the Home App, you’ll be asked if it’s going to be wall mounted, in which case you’ll simply twist the attached mount plate with a simple push and twist. The mount plate has two screw holes, and once mounted, the camera can be reinstalled to the plate with minimal effort. Total installation time was less than 10 minutes, and the camera was ready to view immediately. You will be asked if you want to sign up for a 30-day trial of their recording service, “Nest Aware,” otherwise you’ll be able to view the most recent 3 hours of recordings. If you already signed up for their service, you’ll simply add this to your account, and it should be ready after setup. With Nest Aware, you also get advanced familiar face detection, 10 days of 24/7 recording, and 60 days of event recordings in smaller clips. The camera itself is a nice soft white in color, with a metal hinge that allows for 180 degrees turn, and a slight tilt for positioning. This allowed for various positioning when installing the camera, and the base did a great job of holding the camera in the desired position with no identifiable shifting after installation. The camera light stays on and can be dimmed slightly if you’re placing this along a window to avoid a bright reflection. It blinks green when someone is watching, making this camera ideal for those worried about privacy while it’s on and a way to identify someone viewing. You have the option of using your smartphone’s location to automate home/away modes, in a same way it works with Nest thermostats, enabling recording only when you’re not home, plus you can also turn off the microphone to stop any audio recordings. You can also program activity zones, which will help mitigate false events; such as, near a busy roadway or walk space. The speaker was loud enough to speak to any pets or people viewed in range of the camera, with no noticeable delay during real-time use. The video quality was probably the biggest upgrade from my previous generation Nest cams, with a wide-angle view to capture more the cameras surroundings. Pointing the camera out my front home office window, and I could easily see my entire front yard, and the approach up my driveway. The night vision is on by default to automatically turn on during lower light environments but can be toggled off to remove any glare if you’re placing this looking out a window. Compared to some other cameras, the color clarity in the dark isn’t as vivid, and with the night vision it does provide clear images. It’s important to note that the Nest cam is only compatible with Google’s assistant hubs if you want to view the live feed outside of your smartphone app. Using a Google Nest Hub, you can simply ask to pull up your live feed or use the hub to view previous event recordings. If you already use Googles Nest doorbell or other cameras, you’ll use this in a similar way, by just asking for the camera by name. Overall, I’m really impressed with the ease of setup, and the wide-angle view shows even more detail around the camera.Samrio

I bought Nest cameras (indoor and outdoor) starting in 2016 and have been a big fan over that time. I currently own 5 cameras. When asked, I tell people they work great and are much less buggy than I expected. I like them and expected that to continue. Plot twist. I recently purchased another camera (Nest indoor camera, wired). I bought it without doing any incremental research. After all, I know and love the cameras and ecosystem so what's there to learn? Funny story, I've spent over 5 hours of frustration on this project (simply setting up one more camera) and am swearing off Nest (now Google) altogether. I'll spare you all the sad details but after a 69 minute call with an earnest but clueless tech support agent and another 48 minute call with a more competent, more embarrassed, tech support agent, I learn that I can't stream video from the new camera onto a computer! That functionality doesn't exist. I had to have the agent repeat it several times because it's such a bewildering absurdity in the year 2022 from a not-small company called Google. Turns out I can only stream video to an app that only works on a phone. Furthermore, I cannot create video clips to download and save. For some reason, it only allows me to save "events" that are predefined by an algorithm based on movement/noise. But this will NEVER produce the correct start and stop points for the videos I want. The sliders in the legacy Nest ecosystem work just fine in creating video clips. And on my legacy Nest cameras, I can actually see the video streams in a browser on a computer, which I must state again is not possible on the new camera!! We're going backwards here, fast. Also, there's no way to quickly scroll back in time like in the Nest app, where you can easily navigate to past days and hours without eternally scrolling back in time on a minute bar. Also, the metadata is incorrect as it has date of the download rather than the date the video was recorded. It seems like the software team on this product has never actually used the product in the real world. The crazy thing is that my 5 cameras purchased in the past that still can use the legacy Nest app are working great and that software still works great. I'm shocked Google would put out such a poor product that resulted in so much wasted time/effort on my part (as well as your customer service people). Did the hardware launch somehow surprise the software team? Or did managers just conclude that reducing functionality was worth it so as to lower coding costs? In short, I was trying to add a 6th camera to a functional ecosystem of cameras but now I'm planning to return my new Nest camera and tell this story to anyone who asks. And I'll be looking at alternative offerings that offer basic functionality. I'll give it 2 stars as opposed to one as the hardware seems just fine, it's the software that has taken a bewildering step backwards.DenverDavid

As a longtime Google Home/Nest/Assistant user I am always keen to ensure compatibility between my smart home devices and my Google Home setup, which includes speakers, displays and now two smart camera devices. After a very pleasant experience with Google's new Nest Doorbell (battery) I jumped at the chance to try the new Nest Cam (indoor, wired, 2nd gen). While I have two indoor cameras from another brand already, and both are compatible with Google/Nest, I have been a little disappointed in the performance of the app associated with those cameras — so it was time to try Google's offering. The new wired indoor Nest Cam is a dead ringer for the wireless indoor/outdoor Nest Cam (battery), just with a long USB power cable attached. In what seems to be typical fashion for newer Google/Nest devices, the cam arrived in slickly-packaged box with minimal packaging materials and minimal single-use plastic, which I always appreciate. The cam feels hefty, with a weighted base, stiff metal arm and thick power cord, all of which impart a sense of quality. The cam can either sit on its base (the bottom of which is covered in nonskid rubber) or be mounted on a wall by detaching the aforementioned rubber bottom and anchoring it to a wall or ceiling with the included hardware. Cleverly, the power cord can route through a cutout in the base so it can run straight down the wall, rather than around the base. This allows for a neat installation which I always appreciate. The long power cord terminates in a standard USB-A head which plugs into the included small, circular wall adapter. The Nest Cam requires the Google Home app, which walks you though the simple setup process step-by-step. After a quick software update the cam was up and running, with video viewable from the Google Home app on my phone and tablet and by asking the Google Assistant to "show me the living room" on my Google Nest Hub. My main attraction to this camera in particular was the first-party integration with the Google Home ecosystem, especially Google's intelligent on-device image processing and the Home app's Home/Away routine. By adding this Nest Cam to my Home and Away routines during setup the camera is only on and active when the app detects I am away from home, so I'm not bombarded with notifications every time I walk through the living room. Even better, the camera turns off when I arrive Home, so I don't worry as much about privacy. Like my Nest Doorbell (battery), the Nest Cam can recognize people and animals and notify me when either are spotted — my primary motivation for having wifi cameras at all is to keep an eye on my kitten when I'm gone. Two-way audio works as expected and allows me to talk to the cat or question an intruder should one pop up. Notifications have worked well so far, with the Google Home app quickly and reliably notifying me when my cat walked through the frame. Audio and video quality are perfectly fine, if not outstanding. The feed from this Nest Cam is only 1080p HD, like my battery-powered Nest Doorbell; my non-Google wifi cams offer 2K resolution, which is noticeably crisper. Sure, I'd appreciate higher resolution, especially in a non-budget-priced camera, but for my use a 1080p stream is perfectly acceptable. The lower data impact means the stream can load faster and stream more clearly when I'm out and about, which is really the only time I access video footage. Like other new Google Nest products this cam includes intelligent alerts and 3 hours of event history for free; familiar face detection and 30 or 60 days of event video history require a Nest Aware subscription. Now that I have multiple devices (doorbell, camera, Nest hub) on my Google account a basic Nest Aware subscription really becomes a bargain, adding these features as well as smoke alarm/CO alarm/glass breaking monitoring via my connected devices. This is a pretty hefty value for the monthly subscription price considering one Nest Aware subscription covers all connected devices — unlike some competitors that charge a separate fee per enrolled device. Overall, I'm very pleased with this latest Nest Cam. While on the pricier side, the ability to control the camera with my existing Home/Away routines is a huge boon for me, as well as being able to see all video streams natively in the Google Home app. Add in familiar face detection and month's worth of event video history and I'm sold on the price point of this camera. As with my Nest Doorbell (battery), my only real complaint is the sometimes-unreliable Google Home app. If you've used it, you know it's a bit of a mess of menus, options and buttons, and it does occasionally miss when I leave or return home (therefore the associated routine doesn't run automatically). Hopefully Google will continue to refine and improve the Home app, especially as they continue to add new Nest products to their lineup.z4teen

What can I say, it is what it is. The Wemo smart outlet met two of my three requirements for smart home devices. First, it is compatible with the various assistants (Siri, Google, Alexa). Second, it has a physical button that can be used if the internet goes out and said assistants are not available. It is missing the third thing that I want out of a smart home device. It does not work with Zigbee/Z-wave, meaning that without internet your only option is the side button. For most people this is not an issue. Truthfully it isn't a huge issue for me right now because we will be moving soon, and I don't want to invest in a Zigbee compatible setup only to move.RSmith

These plugs were very difficult to connect to my Apple Home app. The directions said I had to download the Wemo app to be able to connect them to the wifi. Once I downloaded the app and plugged in the unit the app didn’t recognize the plug until I scanned the code on the side of it with my phone. I kept getting an error message saying that the plug was unable to be added to the app because the device wasn’t found. It wasn’t until I went into my iPhone wifi settings and found the plug listed below the “Available Networks” list that I was able to get my Home app to recognize the device and add it. After all of that, unless you’re using the plug to control something with a simple On/Off switch the plug is barely useful. I can’t use it to turn on my Keurig and my lights and tv are already wifi enabled and controlled through my Home app or my Home pod. If these plugs are your first step into the “Smart Home” world then you should enjoy them but there’s better value elsewhere.DaPs

Wemo has some issues. Fortunately my experience with their Support has been good although I would have preferred not to have been forced to use them as much. At one stage you couldn't use anything after Android 8 to program it and this is quite some time after Android 8 was superseded (we are on 10 now – Android 9 was released in 2018). I don't know if this has been corrected. Fortunately I still have an old phone I can use. Firmware updates seem to be hit and miss. Mine said it was updating for over 24 hours so I turned the phone off and on, and it still said it was updating, but finished a few minutes later. I know that updating firmware can be tricky and it doesn't take kindly to being interrupted so it was scary to finally give up waiting and turn it off. Scheduling around sunset and sunrise, a great feature, doesn't work very well. It displays the correct sunset time in the app (5:08 pm for example) but doesn't turn on until 6:08. The work around is to set the time on to be 1 hour before you actually want it and then it works well. I get the feeling that they are selling a Beta version and expecting the customers to do their R&D for them. Incidentally the scheduling issue is the same on one I bought a year ago and the 2 I bought recently. Yes, I'm a repeat user which is why I give it 3 stars. I now know the shortcomings and the workarounds so it is acceptable for me as I would prefer to stay with one brand.MickyB

I am 67 years old and had a heart transplant. It's difficult for me to bend over to turn my sub woofer on and off for my home theater As the switch is on the front right next to the floor. My new amp does not have an auxiliary Power input to turn the sub woofer on when I turn the amp on and the switch is on the front right next to the floor in the corner of the room and is difficult to get to. My Wemo allows me to automatically turn the sub woofer on when I normally watch TV and if I decide not to watch TV or I'm away from home I can turn it off. If I decide to watch TV earlier I just turned it on using the app on my phone or iPad. Since I have a Wemo ion most of my other appliances that I need to turn on and off automatically I am gifting the other two. I also have one that I purchased at a nationaly known warehouse outlet that I use in the curio cabinet but I keep forgetting to turn on and off every day. I turn it on early and turn it off late and with the low lumen LED light WeMo gives me a night light in my kitchen and family room for midnight snack runs!DesertWinds

I have four of these around my home with lamps plugged into them. I have two hooked up to night lights, one in a dark hall and the other in my daughter's room. The master bedroom we have a strong of "mood lights" colored lights around the top of the room that I can turn on or off, change color and dim or brighten them. You never have to come home to a dark house, or one with every light in the house on when you get home from vacation. Speaking of vacation, they are WONDERFUL for making your home appear occupied when you're out of town. The ability to turn off light through out my home without having to make the "rounds" has more than covered the cost of these. Not to mention, you can hook them up to your router and turn it off if the kids are still surfing at 3am, or if they have plenty of time to film a YouTube video but not enough to do the dishes. The program was simple to install and is really easy to use. We recently went ahead and got Google home and these was absolutely NO problem connecting these to the house account. There are SO many uses for these… The only drawback is the limited type of connection. It has to use the 2.6ghz and the phone has to be on the same low frequency to connect it.MamaWolf

This is the best AC powered smart speaker bargain there is. Better sound than Alexa or Google Home. Good mid range speaker for "adult" ears and office listening. This was a $200 speaker that you can NOWget for less than $35. The speaker arrived NEW in the retail box and original seals intact. The people who complain about the motion controls just haven't read the instructions on how to use it or they haven't downloaded the latest software for it. At lower volumes the sound may be better than my beloved JBL Link 20. This is the best sounding "COMPACT AC POWERED SMART SPEAKER" that there is for the money. Two thumbs up. Buy with confidence. Great for OFFICE, BEDROOM, KITCHEN, etc.nighthawk0911-0

Google Home isn't available on all phones, and to get full use of this product, you need to be able to use Google Home. So a device that can add Google Home is a must if you want full use of this product. Voice match is a little touchy.. sometimes it takes a couple tries for it to recognize my voice. It's still a work in progress.. understanding what you say.. too many times does it try to refer you to a song or channel on YouTube (which gets on my nerves because I don't use YouTube music channels). I didn't care much for the forced Black History Month facts that came up the entire month of Feb. the 1st time I'd use it every day. It doesn't read your hand motion as good as advertised to turn the volume up and down. It will read your movement about once every 5 tries. The potential of this product is great though. You can control almost any smart device in your home. TV, lights, etc. Setting an alarm has never been easier. You can play trivia games, have it tell you stories, jokes, search google, play music from YouTube (it works much better if you have YouTube Premium too, so you can access personal playlists). It has a good solid, sturdy design. The speaker is okay.. could have been a little better though considering it is sold as a "speaker" more than a assistant device. The assistant is what makes this product. If it was only the speaker, I would be disappointed, but it's clear and doesn't pick up any static or background noise. It could have been louder and had more bass for the size.danvanderlee24

I already have the Amazon Echo but now wanted to try the "Google" system to run along side but the Google Home speaker I didn't like it looks one bit, so I was really pleased to see Sony had brought a rival speaker out, otherwise I would have not tried the Google system at all. First impressions were excellent, it does look really good they are available in black or white, I went for the black option) and have great proportions (shorter and fatter than the standard Echo but it feels a lot more stable on a table) and also the digital clock that shows through the speaker grill is a welcome addition, which is also dimmable and can even be switched off with a button on the base of the speaker. It has a 'sensor plate' on the top so you can adjust the volume up or down and pause, go forward and go back on any music track you are listening to, it does this by gesture rather than touching the actual plate but it does take some practice to use it correctly, which is the only slight letdown of the speaker, but once you master it this isn't a problem. Finally and most probably the most important feature is the sound, and it certainly doesn't disappoint there. I am a bass fan where music is concerned and it is that aspect that usually lets most speakers down unless they are very expensive, and I use two 'bass heavy' songs to test any speakers I buy. Sony have excelled here and although it is personal opinion (I am a lifelong musician fan and musician) I was really impressed it was better than my Echo for bass and equal to it for treble, vocals sound crisp and clear too. CONCLUSION : At £200 they were a touch expensive but at £150, although more slightly more expensive than the Echo, but they are well worth the money, so much so I purchased another two. I won't go into the pros and cons of Amazon vs Google system as they both have their advantages, to be honest I like both systems absolutely equally, and it would be personal taste as to which eco system you lock into. Needless to say though, that if you want to lock into the Google system you won't find a more pleasing speaker, both in looks and performance than this great Sony speaker, in my opinion it is the best of the bunch by a mile.SoundExpert