A warm welcome to the first Fing Insights entry of the year! In this installment, we explore a diverse and multi-layered category that continues to push the boundaries of innovation in the world of tech – Home Automation.
We’ll cover a wide range of devices that offer different types of automation to the modern home. These include security systems, smart plugs, and thermostats. So, what is making this corner of Tech so successful? Let’s dive in together to find out!
The Fing Team constantly works to expand our knowledge of devices, brands, and operating systems to provide you with the best network scanning and device recognition platform.
If you want to contribute to our ever-growing catalog, check your devices and help us improve our recognition.
The Matter of Home Automation
When talking about Home Automation devices, it’s essential to mention the concept of Matter. What is Matter? Simply put, it’s a common language shared amongst smart home devices to communicate regardless of brand or manufacturer. A common theme throughout this iteration of Insights will be innovation. However, innovation can be stunted without collaboration, and Matter is the Tech industry’s collective answer to standardizing home automation technology.
Not all manufacturers are rushing to adopt the technology, however. In a tweet from November 2022, Ecobee’s official Twitter account stated that the company had no plans to integrate Matter into their devices for now. After the news was met with public disappointment, Ecobee offered further clarification hinting at the possibility of future adoption. Will Ecobee pull off this calculated risk or will the manufacturer be left behind by its peers who’ve fully embraced Matter? Only time will tell.
Smart Surveillance Helps Safeguard It All
The advancement of home security systems has seen an increase in the popularity of smart surveillance cameras. Today, homeowners can monitor their properties and know what’s happening inside and around their properties from their fingertips. The best smart cameras on the market come with a range of features and benefits such as motion sensors, two-way audio, night vision, and facial recognition. The ability to receive real-time alerts and record footage from the comfort of a smartphone or tablet has become the industry standard.
According to our analysis, the Blink Mini was the most popular camera, with 40,000 recognitions. This is impressive considering Ring had four different models of its range within the ranking. For context, this is over three times more than the second most popular camera on the list within the same period, Ring’s Stick-Up Cam. Surprisingly, although it ranked number one in our all-time recognitions, the Nest Cam could only manage 9th place in the 30-day top 10. Reolink’s C1 Pro and Hikvision round off the list with some of its industrial models. Hikvision’s resilience and Fing users’ persistence with the brand is one discovery that caught our eye. In 2022, the manufacturer came under heavy scrutiny from the international community following claims of compromised security.
Fing covered the controversy at the time with an in-depth analysis which can be found here. Smart surveillance will continue to play a vital role in home security. With new technology and advancements in cameras, sensors, facial recognition, and more, homes, valuables and property can always be monitored for the utmost peace of mind.
If you plan to install a surveillance system any time soon, check out 5 Common Mistakes When Installing Video Security System.
Could Smart Plugs Become the Most Reliable of All?
Continuing our theme of automation, smart plugs are effective in helping modernize any home. These convenient yet highly efficient devices allow users to control and monitor any device plugged into them remotely through a smartphone or tablet, ensuring they have control over individual appliances from anywhere. Want to heat up the kettle ahead of time for that morning coffee? A smart plug will see you through. Left your phone or laptop charging overnight and want to schedule it to stop at a certain point? An easy job for a standard smart plug.
TP-Link’s Smart WiFi Plug Lite generated over 20,000 recognitions according to our 30-day catalog review. Coincidentally, TP-Link, via its Kasa brand, accounted for 5 of the top 10 within this timeframe. Rounding out the list are a few notable brands, such as Wyze, with over 3,600 recognitions of their Wyze Plug and the Shelley Plug, with just over 1,000.
The potential of smart plugs in modern homes is evident. The data discussed reinforces this belief as Fing users also appear to see their reliability. With increasingly sophisticated features, such as voice control, energy monitoring, and security integration becoming available, smart plugs should continue to evolve, providing more utility and applications for consumers.
Looking to choose a smart plug for your home? Find out the difference between four TP-Link plugs in this video.
Smart Thermostats Turn Up the Heat
Smart thermostats are becoming increasingly popular in modern homes due to their ability to optimize energy efficiency while providing convenience and comfort. Smart thermostats can be programmed to adjust the temperature within a specific range, making it possible to save energy by avoiding unnecessary usage. Additionally, as expected with other smart home devices, many models come with smartphone apps, allowing users to easily monitor and control their thermostat from anywhere.
Within the top 10 list of renowned and lesser-known brands, one device stood out above the rest – the Nest Thermostat. In fact, this device registered over 14,000 units in December, with the second in place – the Savant Multistat – reaching 4,500 recognitions.
Despite Nest’s seeming monopoly of the category, a special mention must be given to Honeywell. This competing brand accounted for 6 devices within our top 10, a mind-blowing figure.
Within the 30-day scope reviewed, our catalog registered almost 20,000 overall recognitions of our top 10. As far as smart home devices go, this indicates that smart thermostats will continue to rise in popularity among essential smart home devices.
If you’re searching for a smart thermostat to purchase, you can watch a Nest versus Ecobee and Honeywell & Wyze comparison here.
A Bright, Home-Automated Future
In conclusion, home automation technology has rapidly evolved over the past decade. Whether in the form of smart plugs, thermostats, surveillance systems, and many others we haven’t covered in this piece, the boundaries of innovation have been pushed to an unprecedented degree.
Based on our data and the sample size reviewed, it’ll be interesting to learn how this translates to the broader consumer market by the end of this decade. What’s certain is that with continued innovation, investment and interest, the future of home automation appears to be bright, indeed.
