Aqara’s first Matter sensor for doors and windows is also a programmable button

Aqara’s first matter-over-thread sensor is now available for purchase. door and window sensor P2 price $29.99 , £29.99 , €32.99 and fits directly into existing Matter-enabled smart homes as it does not require an Aqara Hub to operate. But those who choose to use the sensor with Aqara’s upcoming Hub M3 will enable additional features like built-in programmable buttons.

The Door and Window Sensor P2 uses a magnet to identify whether a window or door is open or closed, a feature that could be useful in any number of smart home automation applications. For example, they can be used to enhance security, to remind you to close the window when it starts to rain, or to alert you that the freezer door has been left open for too long. Aqara says, the Door and Window Sensor P2 comes with an adhesive mount “that won’t damage the wall when removed,” and a thin magnetic plate for additional mounting options.

Fortunately, Aqara’s plain white two-part sensor is nondescript, with no visible logo or wording. This is important if you want to install dozens of such sensors around the house without turning it into Times Square. I know a lot of people who paint their sensors to better blend in with their doors and windows, but beware: there’s a small Matter logo and pairing code hidden on the inside edge of this new Aqara sensor, Which you have to take care of. ,

The main sensor unit houses a new larger-capacity 1,400mAh CR123 battery, making it last longer than the company’s Zigbee-based door and window sensors. It measures 77 x 22 x 22 mm, which is roughly the width of a typical smartphone. Aqara doesn’t offer any longevity claims for the new battery, saying it depends on how often the low-energy sensor is polluted and what apps and border routers it connects to. Strange, as the company says its sensor is out of date”Can last for more than 2 years under normal use,

Unlike the company’s older Zigbee-based door and window sensors, which required connection to an Aqara Hub, the Thread-based P2 sensor works with any Matter-enabled Thread border router. This allows it to integrate seamlessly into any Matter-enabled ecosystem such as Amazon, Apple, Google and others. You may also already have a Thread border router in your home in the shape of a fourth-generation Echo, Apple TV 4K, or second-generation Nest Hub, to name a few.

Aqara will release its first thread border router, the Hub M3, in early 2024 with an update to the Aqara Home app to support Mater. Door and window P2 sensors paired with the Hub M3 will get additional features such as tamper alert, adjustable sensitivity between one and three centimeters and a programmable button that when pressed can activate a customized home scene or automation. Until then, the functionality of the buttons on the main unit is limited to setting and resetting the device.

The company first teased the door and window sensor P2 in January 2022 at CES, along with the thread-enabled motion and light sensor P2. The motion sensor is still coming “later this year,” according to Aqara representative Michelle Lee in an email exchange. Together ledge, Yep, it’s delayed from the original “early 2023” release plan.

Aqara is also well at work on adding Matter support to its existing hubs as a way to connect its suite of older Zigbee devices to the new unified smart home protocol, and on its thread are “various smart sensors, dimmer switches, smart plugs, and more.” and lights”. The Saksham roadmap is still to come.