SwitchBot Hub 3: New smart home hub with Matter and IR blaster launches ^↺

The SwitchBot Hub 3 is now available for $119 and can integrate a variety of devices into a smart home network. It also works as a sensor and comes with a display and several control options. Specifically, it has built-in sensors for measuring temperature and relative humidity, which can be used to assess comfort levels. Meanwhile, motion and light sensors are also built-in and allow scenes to be triggered based on movement or certain lighting conditions. For example, it's possible to activate a hallway light when motion is detected. A USB-C port is onboard as well and can be used with external sensors. The second USB-C port is for power supply and provides up to 10 watts.

With dimensions of roughly 4.9 x 3.7 x 1.5 inches, the smart home hub is rather compact, but it still features a small display and multiple input options, including a rotary knob. The latter can be useful for dimming lamps, controlling the target temperature of an air conditioner or adjusting the volume of media devices. Additionally, scenes can be quickly activated with just one press of a button. The Hub 3 further supports 2.4GHz WiFi and Bluetooth LE. The smart home base’s primary purpose is to integrate various devices into a network.

Older AC units or other devices can be controlled via infrared, and it also supports SwitchBot devices and the Matter standard. Up to 30 Matter buttons can be mapped. In open environments, a range of up to 650 ft is advertised, and the Hub 3 can also function as a gateway in order to extend the signal range. Last but not least, the aforementioned infrared feature has a range of up to 98 ft.