Amazon Echo Hub tested: sleek smart home hub to easily control connected devices by touch and voice
Slim smart display is designed to be wall mounted for touch control of your lights, cameras and central heating
by Mark Kavanagh · Irish MirrorAmazon’s Echo Hub is a touchscreen controller for your smart home that you can either wall mount or place on a stand.
You need your smart home devices to be connected to the Alexa ecosystem, and the Hub works best with Amazon’s own kit, including Ring devices. That suits me perfectly as I love Amazon smart home devices and I love Alexa’s impressive capabilities.
Design, build, display, set-up
Echo Hub measures 202mm x 137mm x 15 mm and weighs 365g, which is more than 100g lighter than an entry-level iPad. It has an 8in screen with 1280x800 pixel resolution and the display is surrounded by a 13mm white bezel.
Three pinhole microphones are housed on the bottom bezel, the small speakers are along the top edge and there are volume controls on the right side along with a microphone mute button. The microphones and speakers mean you can use voice control if you wish.
In a recess on the rear is the USB-C port for power and the device comes with a wall adapter in the box. The unit also supports power-over-Ethernet if you wish to connect it to your router. You will need to buy a separate adapter for this to work.
Echo Hub supports Zigbee, Thread, Matter and Bluetooth so it can connect directly to a wide range of smart home devices, phones and speakers.
Setting up and using the Hub are both straight-forward. To get going, just plug it in and follow the instructions on the screen to connect it to your home network and then log into your Amazon account.
Key Echo Hub features
Echo Hub employs a slicker, stripped back, version of the UI you will find on the Echo smart display speakers. And it’s powered by a zippy MediaTek MT 8169 A processor.
I love the way its IR sensor (located in the top bezel) detects your presence to wake the display automatically as you approach and it then displays the home screen, which is filled with buttons and widgets for controlling devices around your house.
A list of rooms on the left lets you see every Alexa device you have connected, while a row of buttons on the bottom gives you quick access to categories of things such as security devices, speakers, plugs, cameras, thermostats and lights. Tapping one of the rooms on the left side opens up a full control panel for all devices assigned to that room. Button taps and swipes on the screen are responsive - it’s a pleasing user experience.
You can add your own widgets for the likes of the weather, calendar, shopping list, to-do list, among others.
You can use the Hub to quickly switch on your pre-programmed routines or turn on a group of devices. And you can use it to monitor any security cameras you have, or check who is at the front door if you use a Ring video doorbell.
Other Echo Hub features
Echo Hub can also act as a clock and digital photo frame, displaying a range of stock shots or your most treasured memories. And Alexa can bring up useful information like news reports, sports scores, and weather forecasts, if you wish.
There is no camera so you can’t use the Hub for video calls or home monitoring. However, you can make Drop-In voice calls to friends and family who have Alexa speakers or displays. You can also make voice calls using Skype and Zoom.
Verdict
Overall, Echo Hub makes controlling your smart home a lot easier. You can still use the responsive Alexa voice controls if you wish, but you also get the added convenience of being able to use the easily accessed smart home touch controls.
Pricing and availability
Echo Hub costs €203 from Amazon. A range of Amazon Alexa products are also on sale in Ireland at Currys.
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