SwitchBot, a popular smart home business, has announced the new SwitchBot Universal Remote, which is aimed to improve home automation by supporting Matter when linked with the SwitchBot Hub 2 or Hub Mini, all of which are compatible with Matter.
The SwitchBot Universal Remote can control a variety of household gadgets that employ IR (Infrared), such as televisions, air conditioners, lighting, fans, Blu-ray/DVD players, and projectors. It can support up to 83,934 remote control models thanks to its improved infrared code library. It can also work with SwitchBot products such as the Bot, Plug Mini, Curtain, and Ceiling Light, as well as Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV (the latter two are expected in a future update). This enables customers to manage various devices without having to access their smartphone, smart assistant, or internet connection. The SwitchBot Help Centre provides precise compatibility information.
When used with the SwitchBot Hub 2 or the Hub Mini with Matter, the SwitchBot Universal Remote supports Matter, allowing you to operate SwitchBot products as well as other Matter-compatible devices for a unified smart home experience.
- Extensive Device Control: Manage a wide range of infrared devices, including the Apple TV and Fire TV.
- Customizable Scenes: SwitchBot Hub 2 or Hub Mini w/Matter allows you to create one-click scenarios to control several devices at once.
- Matter Support: Enables integration with Matter-compatible devices.
- User-Friendly Design: It has a 2.4-inch LCD screen, a Wheel dial, and big buttons.
- Long-Lasting Battery: A 2000mAh battery lasts up to 150 days on a single charge.
- Offline Control: Use infrared appliances and SwitchBot Bluetooth devices without an internet connection.
Many people will appreciate the function that allows them to find their missing remote. Simply launch the Switchbot app and the remote will play a sound to help you find it. Because the Switchbot app supports Siri Shortcuts, you could just build a Siri Shortcut to enable this activity, eliminating the need to ever launch the app.
The remote measures 50 × 27 × 190 mm (2 × 1.1 × 7.5 in.) and weighs 133g (4.7oz), similar to normal remotes. It also includes a USB-C charging cable. In addition to IR, the remote communicates with Switchbot devices and the company's proprietary hubs using Bluetooth LE.
The SwitchBot Universal Remote is available for $59.99 / £59.99 / €69.99 on SwitchBot's US Amazon sites, as well as on their own website in Europe and the UK. There are also bundled alternatives that include the SwitchBot Hub 2 and the Hub Mini with Matter.