If your Android smartphone could give you a high-five at home, it would. Android has the power to transform any ordinary home into a Star Trek-like technological miracle. We’ve complained about many of the shortcomings inherent in today’s smart home market, and there’s still plenty to complain about. Here are five of our favorite smart home devices you can add to your Android ecosystem today.
1 Philips Hue smart light bulb
There’s a reason these are the best-selling smart bulbs
Philips Hue 60W A19 Smart LED Starter Kit
$120 $170 Save $50
There are many smart light bulbs on the market, but Philips Hue is definitely the best. These bulbs are more than just a light source. They are the architects of atmosphere. A designer with an atmosphere. Mood composer. I understand.
Choose from an almost endless color palette and brightness levels. It has a long service life of up to 25,000 hours and can last for years. Google Home also makes installation and setup easy. Link your Google Account to the Philips Hue app so you can easily control it with Google Assistant. There’s something satisfying about turning on a movie and yelling, “Hey Google, turn my living room blue!”
2 Sonos Era 300 smart speaker
Great sound with Google Assistant and spatial audio
We reviewed the Sonos Era 300 smart speaker. The TLDR is that this is a great smart speaker and picks up where both Google and Amazon dropped the ball with their own hardware. Sonos’ laser-focused approach to sound has been rocking our world for a while now, and the Era 300 is their latest piece of the puzzle. Pair with Google Home or Amazon Alexa Smart for incredible room-filling sound.
By linking your Google Account to the Sonos app, you can summon Google Assistant and Alexa on your speakers. This is also your personal assistant, a personal DJ that can control your thermostat and lights.
3 ring doorbell 4 camera
Out-of-the-box security, no subscription required
ring the doorbell 4
$128 $160 Save $32
The Google Nest doorbell camera itself isn’t bad, but it’s not as good as Amazon’s Ring doorbell camera. First, you don’t need a subscription to use the Ring camera (though Amazon does offer upgraded services with subscription plans). The ring also packs a punch. Motion detection alerts you the moment there is movement at your front door. Two-way audio can welcome Amazon delivery drivers or scare away porch pirates.
The device integrates with Android smartphones through the Amazon Alexa app. You can install Alexa skills and sync them with Google Home. It’s not entirely frictionless, but it’s not impossible, thanks to Amazon’s hostile “Amazon-only” attitude toward software. However, once everything is set up, you’ll be able to keep a hawk’s eye on your front porch.
Four August 4th generation Wi-Fi smart lock
Lose your keys with an easy-to-install smart lock
August 4th generation
$172 $230 Save $58
The 4th generation of August Home Wi-Fi smart locks will continue to be our favorite smart locks for the year ahead. This clever device turns your existing deadbolt into a super-intelligent castle guard. Lock or unlock your door with just a few taps on your Android smartphone and yelling “Open the gate!” As you do so. The best part is the ability to give a temporary key to a friend or house cleaner while keeping a log of everyone who enters your stronghold.
The August app is easy to install and set up, and lets you link your Google Account to let Google Assistant control your lock. This is very useful when setting up “Make way for the King!” As a custom unlock command.
Five Ecobee Smart Thermostat Enhanced Edition
More reliable than Nest
Ecobee Smart Thermostat Enhanced Edition
The Ecobee Enhanced smart thermostat is your home’s comfort hub, controlling your furnace and air conditioner and helping maintain air quality. This device is pretty smart. It learns your temperature preferences and adjusts accordingly to avoid being too hot or too cold. It has geofencing capabilities so you won’t waste energy when you’re not at home.
A lot of magic happens in the Ecobee app. Once you link your Google Account to the app, you can start using your thermostat with Google Home and Google Assistant. You can then change the temperature by complaining. “Hey Google, it’s too hot in here!” yells. Turn down the heating or turn up the air conditioner. How cool is that?
5 smart devices to save your Android smart home
These five smart devices prove that Android is more than capable of being the brains of your smart home. All of these can be easily integrated with Android smartphones, and most can be controlled with Google Assistant.
We’ve heard all the complaints about the state of Android-based smart devices in 2024. But these five devices show there is hope for the ecosystem. We intentionally avoided smart TV streaming devices. A truly seamless and user-friendly smart TV experience remains frustratingly elusive on the Android side. Apple TV 4K is recommended for anyone who wants a dedicated streaming device.
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