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Aqara launched its new Doorbell Camera Hub G410 which might also serve as the centre of your entire smart home ecosystem.
While it's definitely a video doorbell, the "Hub" part of its name is what really makes it interesting. It's designed to be the central command center for your entire smart home.
More Than Just a Doorbell
So what makes this different from any other video doorbell? The G410 is packed with pretty much every way for smart devices to communicate. It has dual-band Wi-Fi, Zigbee, Bluetooth, and even Thread.
If that sounds like a bunch of tech jargon, here's the simple version: this doorbell acts as a translator for all your smart home gadgets.
Because it's a Matter Controller and a Thread Border Router, it can connect and manage not just Aqara's own devices, but also over 50 types of gadgets from other companies that support the new Matter standard. This could include everything from lights and sensors to robot vacuums and EV chargers.
A Smarter Eye on Your Front Step
Of course, it still has to be a good doorbell camera, and the specs here are pretty impressive.
- Crystal Clear Video: It captures video in 2K resolution through a wide 175° lens, so you get a very clear and broad view of your doorstep.
- Smarter Detection: It uses a millimeter-wave (mmWave) sensor for presence detection. This is a big deal because it's much better at telling the difference between a person and, say, a branch swaying in the wind, which means fewer annoying false alarms on your phone.
- On-Device AI: The G410 has on-device facial recognition. This means it can learn the faces of your friends and family right on the doorbell itself, without sending that data to the cloud. It's faster, more private, and you don't need a subscription to use it. You can even use this feature to trigger automations, like having your hallway lights turn on when it recognizes you.
Plays Nice with Your Existing Setup
Whether you're an Apple, Google, or Alexa household, the G410 is ready to fit in. It works with Apple Home and supports HomeKit Secure Video, which is great news for iPhone users. It can also stream its video feed to smart displays from Google Home and Alexa.
Where to buy?
We've received a review unit and are looking forward to testing it out.
If the news alone is enough to make you want to pick one up yourself, you'll be able to order it from Amazon today.
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