A reliable HomeKit button Wemo Stage with Thread review

Hello, Guys welcome back with A reliable HomeKit button Wemo Stage with Thread review Belkin has finally completed its Thread-enabled update to the Wemo Stage scene controller, making this tiny remote the finest option for controlling your HomeKit home.

A reliable HomeKit button Wemo Stage with Thread review

The Wemo Stage has had a bumpy trip. It made its premiere at CES 2020, but it will take more than a year before it is available to customers in April 2021. Wemo announced at launch that an upgrade would be available soon that would enable communication over Thread rather than Bluetooth.

We’re now in early 2022, and the update has begun to trickle out. After a restricted testing period, all Wemo Stage users should now be able to update their devices to version 2.9.6.

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The Wemo Stage falls into the category of “button” gadgets, which have historically been a weak point in the HomeKit ecosystem. Apple’s handling of Bluetooth buttons in HomeKit has been abysmal.

When the Wemo Stage came, it, too, was unacceptably slow when delivering orders through Bluetooth. So much so that we decided to postpone our evaluation till the Thread update was released. With Thread now available, it’s time to go back and look at this little guy again.

What does the Wemo Stage do?

The Wemo Stage scene controller is a compact plastic remote control that you may use to operate your HomeKit devices and scenes. It is housed in a white wall plate that may be fixed using adhesives or screws.

If you don’t like the included white wall plate, it can be replaced with any standard Decora wallplate.

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Rather than leaving it affixed to the wall, it may be raised and moved around your home. When you’re finished, magnets assist it in nesting back into its wall cradle. The convenience component is significant here, but don’t lose sight of it in your couch.

A little Wemo logo helps you orient the remote so you know which button is on top and which is on the bottom. It is powered by a CR2032 coin-style battery that may be swapped out. Belkin claims that this battery should last two years on average, though we’re not sure how long it will last following the Thread upgrade.

Thread uses less battery power than Bluetooth, and we did need to change our battery after receiving our equipment in April 2021. On Bluetooth, this resulted in a nine-month lifespan. We’re hoping for better results as a result of Thread.

How to control your home with the Wemo Stage

At launch, the Wemo Stage could assign six commands to the remote’s three physical buttons. Each of those three buttons might be configured to register either a single short push or a single long press. Aside from Thread, the freshly released 2.9.6 version adds a new double press option to each button.

You may programme nine distinct button presses to the Wemo Stage in total.

For those who want to delve deeper, you may use a third-party home app and conditionals to make the controls infinite.

You may have HomeKit check the state of a device before operating it by programming a conditional. A single press, for example, could switch your lamp on or off. When you click the button once, HomeKit checks to see if the lamp is turned on. If the lamp is turned on, it will be turned off, and vice versa.

To develop these more complex activities, you can use free programmes like Eve Home or Home+. The Home app is otherwise limited to running a scene or managing several gadgets with a single button click.

Thread is a game changer

Wemo Stage scene controller joins our Thread network

We can’t emphasise how much Thread has enhanced this gadget enough. It is a game-changing update that elevates this little remote from “meh” to “must-have.”

Thread is a new networking standard that was created as a low-power alternative to Bluetooth that can construct a self-healing mesh network throughout your home. Thread has been used to launch a number of devices, including the current Eve MotionBlinds and Nanoleaf’s Essentials range. Belkin also stated that all-new Thread devices would be available later in 2022.

Thread has a lower latency, which means that devices reply significantly faster. Users will, however, require a Thread border router in order to use Thread. As of right moment, both HomePod mini and current-generation Apple TV 4K will act as border routers to connect your Thread devices to your network.

In our parlor, we customized our Wemo Stage to our Hue light, and different button presses would change the brilliance or shade of the bulb. Our testing has displayed close prompt orders. You press the button, and the light promptly changes. Never again is there a couple second postponement while the Bluetooth signal is handed-off from the remote, then, at that point, to your telephone, to the Home center, lastly to the gadget.

In our room, Wemo Stage is modified to control our brilliant shades. The top button controls one window – single press to open, twofold to open 60%, and long hold to close – while the center and base buttons are planned to two different windows.

HomeKit has had its concerns with buttons, yet Thread is by all accounts the required remedy.

In the event that you have a Wemo Stage scene regulator, check for an update now in the Home application.

On the off chance that you don’t have a Wemo Stage scene regulator, and you’re not kidding about home mechanization, you ought to think about getting one. It’s the most straightforward, compact method for controlling all of your HomeKit embellishments.

Wemo Stage pros

  • Updates are performed directly from the Home app, no third-party app needed
  • Quick and easy setup with NFC pairing
  • Long-awaited Thread update makes controlling accessories incredibly fast and responsive
  • Matter-ready
  • Portable, but can stay attached to the wall
  • Wall plate can be swapped for any standard Decora plate

Wemo Stage cons

  • $50 price point isn’t cheap
  • Thread update was very delayed

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