Smart button still an essential smart home control means

There are a few ways to control smart devices at home. The current mainstream control means are voice command and mobile app. Voice command is also a trending topic, as many predict it will grow more popular in the smart home space. App control is also convenient. Smartphones’ ubiquity, portability and ease of use make it an ideal connection point to other home devices.

That’s not to say these control means are without drawbacks. Even though people speak different languages and may have different accents, English is the most often used voice command. Devices receiving voice also need to be in range, so that users don’t have to shout across the house. Last but not least, the presence of background noise may prevent proper sound receiving.

Mobile app is not perfect, either. The act of taking out the phone, opening up the app, selecting and tapping command is complex enough. Turning on home appliances with a switch or remote sounds easier.

This is how smart buttons come into existence. Small in size and acting like a remote, smart buttons let homeowners control smart devices with just a click or two.
 

Fibaro is one of the better-known smart button makers. Its product the Button, for example, can be used to activate scenes, turn devices on/off, raise or lower light brightness or music volume. “The Button is extremely flexible and can be integrated into the home or offices, offering control with different click sequences,” said Rich Bira, Managing Director of Fibaro USA.

Most smart buttons function by connecting to the user’s smartphone via Bluetooth. Acting as a bridge, the phone will then relay the command to various home appliances. The phone either sends the signal directly to the device or communicates via Wi-Fi to a platform like IFTTT which will then trigger actions on the devices. Flic, one of the earliest smart buttons introduced to the market, is an example that does all these.

New development in the industry

Shortcut Labs, the company behind Flic, is rolling out a new product called Flic Hub. The hub will receive Bluetooth signals from smart buttons, so that the buttons can work independently of a smartphone. The hub can communicate to devices at home using Bluetooth, Wi-Fi (+ Ethernet), Infrared and a 3.5mm jack for audio, essentially allowing it to control a myriad of home appliances. “The beauty of the Hub is that you no longer have to rely on your phone as the gateway, giving you a much more reliable and stable connection,” the company says.
 

Flic Hub can link to up to 64 smart buttons. Production is already underway and shipping will start around early next year, according to Shortcut Labs co-founder Amir Sharifat.

Another development of smart buttons is Apple HomeKit compatibility. HomeKit enables homeowners to invite another person via their Apple ID so they can control lights and heating in your house as well. This way, your partner and kids can use their mobile devices to set scenes in the rooms they’re in. “However, you’ll not want to give each and every visitor full access to your setup, and that’s where buttons come in,” said Lars Felber, PR Director of Elgato, a home automation enabler based in Germany.

Besides Elgato, France-based smart home solution company Nodon also plans to add HomeKit compatibility to its smart button NIU. Released about a year ago, NIU connects to users’ smartphone via Bluetooth, and can trigger actions such as light control, music control and is also compatible with IFTTT to control even more appliances.

Uncertain market demand

Despites smart button’s usefulness, not every business is upbeat about the market demand. Only a select group is adopting smart homes. As such, the demand for smart buttons is not growing, according to QBlinks, another early entrant in the smart button space.

 “Not until smart devices are more broadly adopted by the public can demand for smart buttons continue to grow. In other words, the next wave of demand will arrive only after smart appliances become universal,” said Farry Hsu, Marketing and Public Relations Manager at QBlinks.

Philio Technology, an IoT solution company that also makes smart buttons, concurred. “The demand has not really picked up. The reason is that smart home is not universal. The price has to come down before there is more adoption,” said James Huang, CEO of Philio Technology.

Smart buttons, thanks to their unique capability, will probably stay in homes in the foreseeable future, however. Voice command is the future trend, but it will take time, Huang said. Out of the 10 commands given, often only 3-4 is recognized, forcing users to repeat commands. “Using the button to turn and control can be so much easier. There is no ambiguity and unlikely to have errors,” Huang added.

Philio Technology’s round smart button lets users make incremental adjustments on lights, air conditioner and curtains to a certain degree, as opposed to completely turning on or off.

Voice command vs. smart buttons

Some believe smart button and voice command are complimentary to each other. Voice command is ideal for spontaneous command. For example, when seeing a McDonald TV commercial, a user may want to place an order immediately, so they can just say, “OK Google, where is the closest McDonald.” For certain on-demand requests, voice command is easier. “Voice command has advanced features, and allows you to do whatever you want,” said Nodon CEO Thomas Gauthier.

Smart buttons, on the other hand, are better for repetitive actions. For example, turning on the light and TV when arriving home, and shutting down everything when leaving the house. People could get tired of saying the same commands over and over every day, and using buttons to complete the tasks is easier, said Shortcut Labs’ Sharifat.

Smart buttons also have a greater range than voice control. While voice control requires users to be near the voice assistant, smart buttons allow them to control their home automation and scenes from outside of the home. With Fibaro’s Key Fob, for example, a user could pull into their driveway in their vehicle and press a button that activates the “welcome home” scene, where the garage opens, and lights and heating turn on.

“While voice control is certainly very popular, at Fibaro we believe in giving consumers several options for controlling their connected devices. One-touch control will continue to increase in demand due to its convenience, accessible price points and simplicity,” Bira said.