There are numerous reasons to establish the best intelligent domestic devices in their vital space. For some, it is about making your home more energy efficient in the summer months; For others, it is about making their homes safer with security cameras. A recently CNET survey found that 71% of American adults are taking measures to prevent porch robberies, something that intelligent domestic devices can help deter
Years ago, having an intelligent home seemed to live in the future. Now, it is easier than ever making your home intelligent. After all, intelligent domestic devices are much more accessible and affordable, so anyone can have the smart home of their dreams. But if you are just beginning to consider that your home is smarter, the number of options can be intimidating, or you may believe that it is still very extractor or too technical.
These concerns are valid, but smart houses are no longer only for technicians or for one percent. Here, I will explain three simple steps to start an intelligent house in 2025.
How to start an intelligent house
Starting with a smart home can feel discouraging, but you don’t have to do it. The first steps are to choose the platform with which you want to manage your devices, choose some devices and then make everything work together with scheduled automation.
Stay with me, and at the end of this, you will be ready to start your smart trip at home.
Step 1. Decide on a platform: Google, Amazon or Apple
First you must decide on a platform to connect and manage your devices. Doing this allows you to have a single application to see, control and link for automation. The Smart Home Standard Matter has opened interoperability between devices, which is excellent but also has inconvenience.
I recommend establishing a platform that connects multiple brand devices and allows you to manage them from a single application. For beginners, we will focus on Google, Amazon and Apple as main options for a centralized platform. These are the most omnipresent, and the three sacrifice the smart speakers that act as centers to connect and control their devices.
The use of a smaller third party platform, such as Smartthings, Home Assistant or Aqara, can have benefits such as device connectivity and local processing, but they can also be more felling. Then, going with one of the three great mentioned above will be the best bet for beginners.
If you are an iPhone user with several other Apple devices in your home, the best option is Apple Homekit. While the platform is not in compatibility with the device such as Amazon and Google, it is so reliable.
Your options for a center include Homepod or Homepod Mini. These smart speakers will help manage devices, allow more compatibility and make the connections more reliable. But iPhone users are not required to use Apple’s Smart Home platform, since Google and Amazon have applications in the application store to use those platforms.
The Apple Homepod Mini is an excellent entrance door to start an intelligent home for those in the Apple ecosystem, since it gives access to Siri and is a border subprocess router.
Android users should consider Amazon Alexa and Google Home at the beginning of their smart home. Each platform is compatible with more than 50,000 intelligent domestic devices of thousands of brands, with Alexa with more than 100,000.
These two platforms have similarities, but the differences between them are marked. As expected, Google is carefully integrated with other devices and services owned by Google such as YouTube, calendar, Gmail and photos. The same goes for the devices in which you will get the best experience with products in the Google Nest ecosystem. Like Apple, Google’s smart speakers, screens and more can also be their center to connect devices.Amazon Echo devices are notable in many styles, but all can be excellent domestic assistants.
Amazon Alexa is the only platform with a Zigbee control and integrated matter in its echo speakers and screens. This feature gives the brand an advantage over competition. As I said before, there is a tight race between Amazon and Google, and the differences will determine their choice. Amazon connects perfectly with ring products and offers services such as Prime Music, Prime Video and others that won on other platforms.
Amazon is also continuously improving Alexa, now with a more conversational Alexa Plus. Alexa Plus will not only be more conversational, but you can also handle complex commands and even facilitate purchases on Amazon than ever. There are also some new AI features such as searching for security videos of your home or controlling music or movies with your voice. However, Alexa Plus has a cost of $ 20 per month.
While a CNET survey found that approximately half of American adults (50%) use a voice assistant at home since the beginning of the year, Alexa is the most popular among American adults with 27%. Despite that fact, about 50% of Alexa’s users would pay more for Alexa Plus, since the cost and privacy are main groups.
When considering the center of its choice platform, I have a firmly touch that I get an intelligent screen on an intelligent speaker if you only get one and you can pay it. This is because you can see Netflix, YouTube and other video services, see your food for your camera and video and control your other smart devices. For Amazon Alexa, I would go for the Echo Show 8, for Google, Nest Hub Max and Apple, they can’t do not do not?
Step 2. Choose some devices that are easy to integrate
Choosing a platform is essential, but it is not the funniest part of an intelligent home. That’s when you can start choosing fun devices. Knowing where to start can be overcome with so many devices. In addition to the smart speaker or the screen of the chosen platform, I recommend smart lights or smart plugs such as its initial devices.
These devices sacrifice a high impact for low effort and are also some of the most affordable. Smart lights are motionless and can be established in about 16 million colors, depending on the bulb you choose. We recommend bulbs from Freak. Of course, obtaining smart lights means that you can control them from anywhere and establish schedules to function automatically.
Smart plugs are very similar to lighting in what is possible for low cost. Smart plugs provide intelligent functionality to things such as lamps, coffee makers, fans, etc. To be able to program appliances to turn on and off the automatic and control them remotely can be useful for many. There are many ways in which you can use an intelligent plug to add convenience and functionality to your home.
Of course, there are many more options than plugs and lights for your smart home. Another popular addition is a video bell; Our best choice here is the Arlo Video Hoomell 2K. These devices are excellent to watch on their forehead, chat with visitors and watch who goes and come, even when it can’t be. Combine the bell of your video with a security camera and block to get more tranquility, which can be controlled through your new home Smart center.
It is likely that there is an intelligent version of almost all appliances, including thermostats, vacuums, grass cutters, outdoor plugs, light switches, furnaces and more.
Step 3. Configure routines and automation
Smart plugs are a quick and easy way to add not only remote control over appliances, but also automation.
Once you feel comfortable by adding and controlling intelligent domestic devices, you can start automating your flourishing intelligent home. While there are many complex and unique automation, including these four that I love in my home, it is better to start simple.
Start creating a routine for Alexa to turn on the lights of her living room at sunset or establish an automation for her Google house to start the coffee maker in the morning. These automation are what I use daily and I find impressive. I also connect devices to sensors like this Aqara motion and light sensor p2 to detect movement in a space or a EV BY & Window Smart Contact Sensor You can tell you when a window has been opened or closed. These sensors, matched with other smart devices, add new layers to the automations of their smart home.
Google Home is gaining Gemini integration to help with the wizard.
An intelligent home becomes more advanced as it begins to link multiple devices for automation. For example, if the temperature in the house reaches a specific temperature to light the air conditioning, a fan, close the blinds and turn on some lights. Some third -party services, such as IFTT, provide more forms of automatic devices than can be notified in its central platform application and can connect the services that Google, Amazon or Apple allow.
Once you have a mango in your intelligent home with some devices and automation under your credit, you can start playing with different configurations and devices to adjust your configuration. Then, you can start using your smart home for vacation fun, such as establishing a spooky scene for Halloween. We have also gathered an intelligent homemade leaf to help you on your trip to find all the fun ways of using your smart home.
