Aqara Releases the Smart Valve Controller T1
Aqara continues its investment in Matter with the new Smart Valve Controller T1. This is the first Matter certified connected water valve controller. At $69 the T1 connects to your water shutoff valve, making it remotely controllable (or set to automatic shut off) whenever a leak is detected. The Aqara hub enables integrations with other major Smart Home platforms. The T1 will run on two AA batteries for up to 24 months.
The Circana Take:
- Water leak sensors are a small but growing category and Aqara’s addition shows the company remains committed to the Matter specification.
- The accumulation of Matter certified sensors may prove to be the strongest driver of the spec’s adoption – as different sensors across the home working together can provide total coverage.
Amazon Releases Big New Smart Displays
Last week, Amazon updated the company’s largest smart display, releasing a new Echo Show 15 and introducing the Echo Show 21, a 21” wall mounted touchscreen. The newest edition adds improved audio quality, better screen resolution, and a better camera. The displays are now smart home hubs as well. Both the 15” and 21” Echo Shows received the same updates and are priced $299 and $399, respectively.
The Circana Take:
- Evolving from a tabletop screen device into a wall mounted touchscreen, these Echo Show devices represent new use cases centered around the household. The devices can double as TVs with Amazon’s Fire TV services built in, but the main uses are for smart home device control and family organization - the latter is enabled by the larger communal screen.