These look amazing. This really is the next frontier for wall switches. I went with Lutron because of their amazing reputation and reliability of the wall switch even if HomeKit is being finicky. Simon, how long have you been able to try these switches and any indication on reliability? Others in the house (read: wife) will rip it out of the wall if it fails even once!
I’ve been testing both switches for a couple of weeks, and so far they haven’t dropped off the network once, and I’ve not had to reboot them for any reason. The only minor issues I encountered were a couple potential bugs which I soon figured out. One of these was that if you have two switches, each in different rooms, you can’t get them to show up on each others’ screens for control until you temporarily add them to the same room as each other. Once you do that, they then show up on the display. You can then switch each switch back to its own room, and they continue to show up on all displays (if that makes sense). Other than that, I haven’t had any problems. I do mention the fade out when turning on/off, so I hope they can add a feature to change that so the bulbs turn on/off instantly if required.
Thanks D, it seems these are now on the CSA website, so that means they’re Matter certified, and it’s just a case of them pushing out the relevant firmware update.
I have an Blink Outdoor Floodlight/Camera unit that I can control just "lights" part of it using Alexa or the Blink App, while keeping the camera part of it ON at all times. Can I program a button on the ORVIBO MixPad D1 to control the same lights through Alexa, Matter, or something, while providing a constant stream of power?
Hi, I don’t use Alexa so I’m not 100% sure if you’re able to achieve what you want with the Orvibo, but generally speaking it can only control devices in its own ecosystem. The only exception to this is with the example where I use their IR blaster to control other IR devices. I’ll see if I can find out for sure though, and let you Know.
Great video as always, Simon. These are very intriguing. Quick question… Will these will be able to control smart bulbs? For example, like the LIFX switch, when a smart bulb is turned off, it doesn’t kill the power to the bulb per se, but just sets a scene to turn the smart bulb off. Thank you. Assuming it would need Matter support at the least for this to be achieved.
Hi, if the smart bulbs are connected to the same circuit as the switch that the D1 is wired to, then you would y be able to control the LIFX bulbs. generally speaking it’s not a good idea to mix smart switches with smart bulbs, although there are some instances where this is possible (Yeelight SLISAON, for example). Hopefully once the Matter update is pushed, you could in theory use the state of the switch to trigger a smart bulb, but that would also mean it would be better to have the switch not actually wired to the load.
@@homekitnews thanks for the reply but I there might some confusion here. Probably because of the way I explained it. Not sure if you’re familiar with the LIFX Switch (not bulbs) but you wire it in the wall as a normal switch. Then within the LIFX app, you basically tell the switch to ignore the load. Now the switch is constantly powered. Then within the Home app, you configure the buttons (short press, double press and double tap) to do whatever you want them to do in HomeKit. Essentially, the switch now becomes a scene controller. I have several of them controlling Hue bulbs and scenes and it works great without cutting the power to the bulbs. This is example is where a smart switch and smart bulb can mesh. That’s what I was hoping this Orvibo can do, if it makes sense.
Hi, yes I know of the LIFX switches, but the Orvibo ones aren’t capable of this unfortunately. LIFX and the Yeelight ones are the two that I can think of that have this option, although Aqara switches can do something similar, but the switches, once converted, aren’t exposed to HomeKit. The Yeelight ones aren’t exposed to HomeKit at all, but can control Yeelight bulbs that are HomeKit compatible.
for some reason i dont see the intercom feature on mine, do I need to have more than one switch to see this feature? is it hidden if you only have one switch?
There’s an option to choose whether you’re using dimmable or non-dimmable bulbs, which in the case of the latter then only shows an option for on/off, but I’m not certain whether this behaviour work with dimmable bulbs. I suspect it can work, as I first tried non-dimmable bulbs and set the controls to dimmable, and it was permitted, even though the bulbs didn’t dim, as was expected. So I guess it must work the other way around.
If trying to replace a majority of switches in the home I feel these switches will overwhelm the WiFi network. Is that not true? That’s the reason I’d still have to chose Lutron or another thread type device for whole home light switching. Would love other people’s thoughts on this…
I would agree, if you have a lot of switches to replace, and your WiFi network isn’t designed for heavy use, it could easily overwhelm your network. I personally prefer Thread or Zigbee devices where possible, and although I don’t use Lutron myself, it’s clear from everything I’ve read that they’re rock solid. Saying that, it might be useful having a couple of these for places where the two way communication would be handily utilised.
So far it seems not, it’s registered as having passed Matter certification, and they’ve updated their amazon listing to say it’s coming later, but they’re still including Matter info, so I guess they’re working on the firmware update side of things.
Hi, the dimensions of the switch allow it to be used in multi-gang setups. The company claim it can be used as part of a three-way setup, but the state that a qualified electrician would have to set it up to do so. You can also control other devices with the switch as long as they are compatible.
If you want to just turn the light on or off, you can use the physical button below the screen. If you want to adjust the brightness of the light via the dimmer control, then you have to swipe to that screen.
@@homekitnews Totally missed that. Thanks. Looks like it will work with 3 way, but what about 4 way. So far Caseta w/ Pico remotes seems like the only good solution for 4-way. (obviously not Matter compatible yet)
But does it work with anything but orvibo? Can you control your other smart home devices? For the price, I would expect some integrations. Otherwise, it's just an expensive dimmer with a screen for no reason. I wouldn't trust this company to gain those integrations, and Alexa, Google & Matter is probably only to control the hardwired light (one way)
When it comes to lighting, yes it can only control other Orvibo devices, which would also include their cheaper basic smart dimmer (which will also get a Matter update). This is why I chose to demonstrate the IR blaster option. If you want control of more devices from other brands, then the Brilliant switches are the other option. They are more expensive, but you can control devices from other brands. It also has the intercom and broadcast features, so it’s a bit more than a dimmer, to be fair.
These look amazing. This really is the next frontier for wall switches. I went with Lutron because of their amazing reputation and reliability of the wall switch even if HomeKit is being finicky. Simon, how long have you been able to try these switches and any indication on reliability? Others in the house (read: wife) will rip it out of the wall if it fails even once!
I’ve been testing both switches for a couple of weeks, and so far they haven’t dropped off the network once, and I’ve not had to reboot them for any reason. The only minor issues I encountered were a couple potential bugs which I soon figured out. One of these was that if you have two switches, each in different rooms, you can’t get them to show up on each others’ screens for control until you temporarily add them to the same room as each other. Once you do that, they then show up on the display. You can then switch each switch back to its own room, and they continue to show up on all displays (if that makes sense). Other than that, I haven’t had any problems. I do mention the fade out when turning on/off, so I hope they can add a feature to change that so the bulbs turn on/off instantly if required.
@@homekitnews Thanks for the detailed reply. This really helps.
@@Dr_Cole A quick update for you - these switches are now Matter compatible!
Well reviewed as always, Simon! I do hope this device does pick up support for matter soonM
Thanks D, it seems these are now on the CSA website, so that means they’re Matter certified, and it’s just a case of them pushing out the relevant firmware update.
@@homekitnews good deal!
Cool concept. like it!
Hey, great video!
I just have a Q: Does this works with a ceiling fan with lights?
I will appreciate your response.
It should do but only to turn both of them on and off, so you wouldn’t get separate controls for both the fan and light.
I have an Blink Outdoor Floodlight/Camera unit that I can control just "lights" part of it using Alexa or the Blink App, while keeping the camera part of it ON at all times. Can I program a button on the ORVIBO MixPad D1 to control the same lights through Alexa, Matter, or something, while providing a constant stream of power?
Hi, I don’t use Alexa so I’m not 100% sure if you’re able to achieve what you want with the Orvibo, but generally speaking it can only control devices in its own ecosystem. The only exception to this is with the example where I use their IR blaster to control other IR devices. I’ll see if I can find out for sure though, and let you Know.
My smart switch is in Chinese
I bought two of these and I cannot recommend them. Display started peeling on both and constant freezing. Support was good and refunded.
Great video as always, Simon. These are very intriguing. Quick question… Will these will be able to control smart bulbs? For example, like the LIFX switch, when a smart bulb is turned off, it doesn’t kill the power to the bulb per se, but just sets a scene to turn the smart bulb off. Thank you. Assuming it would need Matter support at the least for this to be achieved.
Hi, if the smart bulbs are connected to the same circuit as the switch that the D1 is wired to, then you would y be able to control the LIFX bulbs. generally speaking it’s not a good idea to mix smart switches with smart bulbs, although there are some instances where this is possible (Yeelight SLISAON, for example). Hopefully once the Matter update is pushed, you could in theory use the state of the switch to trigger a smart bulb, but that would also mean it would be better to have the switch not actually wired to the load.
@@homekitnews thanks for the reply but I there might some confusion here. Probably because of the way I explained it. Not sure if you’re familiar with the LIFX Switch (not bulbs) but you wire it in the wall as a normal switch. Then within the LIFX app, you basically tell the switch to ignore the load. Now the switch is constantly powered. Then within the Home app, you configure the buttons (short press, double press and double tap) to do whatever you want them to do in HomeKit. Essentially, the switch now becomes a scene controller. I have several of them controlling Hue bulbs and scenes and it works great without cutting the power to the bulbs. This is example is where a smart switch and smart bulb can mesh. That’s what I was hoping this Orvibo can do, if it makes sense.
Hi, yes I know of the LIFX switches, but the Orvibo ones aren’t capable of this unfortunately. LIFX and the Yeelight ones are the two that I can think of that have this option, although Aqara switches can do something similar, but the switches, once converted, aren’t exposed to HomeKit. The Yeelight ones aren’t exposed to HomeKit at all, but can control Yeelight bulbs that are HomeKit compatible.
@@homekitnews Gotchya. Thanks for the info. Bummer as these look like really awesome switches otherwise.
for some reason i dont see the intercom feature on mine, do I need to have more than one switch to see this feature? is it hidden if you only have one switch?
Hi, yes you need two switches in order to get the intercom features.
Great video. Can it be used as On/Off or only as a dimmer?
There’s an option to choose whether you’re using dimmable or non-dimmable bulbs, which in the case of the latter then only shows an option for on/off, but I’m not certain whether this behaviour work with dimmable bulbs. I suspect it can work, as I first tried non-dimmable bulbs and set the controls to dimmable, and it was permitted, even though the bulbs didn’t dim, as was expected. So I guess it must work the other way around.
Do you know if the dimming type is 0-10v or phase cut?
If trying to replace a majority of switches in the home I feel these switches will overwhelm the WiFi network. Is that not true? That’s the reason I’d still have to chose Lutron or another thread type device for whole home light switching. Would love other people’s thoughts on this…
I would agree, if you have a lot of switches to replace, and your WiFi network isn’t designed for heavy use, it could easily overwhelm your network. I personally prefer Thread or Zigbee devices where possible, and although I don’t use Lutron myself, it’s clear from everything I’ve read that they’re rock solid. Saying that, it might be useful having a couple of these for places where the two way communication would be handily utilised.
not if you have a good network
Great info did they ever added it to home kit or Matter
So far it seems not, it’s registered as having passed Matter certification, and they’ve updated their amazon listing to say it’s coming later, but they’re still including Matter info, so I guess they’re working on the firmware update side of things.
Hi, a quick update regarding your question - they now support Matter!
@@homekitnews THANKS YOU
Can you install this on a multiple switch panel? How does it wire in that case? Or do you use smart bulbs to link to switch?
Hi, the dimensions of the switch allow it to be used in multi-gang setups. The company claim it can be used as part of a three-way setup, but the state that a qualified electrician would have to set it up to do so. You can also control other devices with the switch as long as they are compatible.
Can you control a ceiling fan on this too?
Possibly, but I can’t say for certain. If it could, I suspect it would be only on or off.
How do I reset my switch if I need to? Can't seem to find instructions anywhere
I believe you can find the reset function within the setting section on the switch itself.
Does yours “beeep” or “vibrate” on touch? Mine doesn’t
I don’t have them set up at the moment, but I think there’s a setting directly within the device to change this setting.
To turn the lights on, do you have to swipe off the main screen first, or can to just tap on the main screen?
If you want to just turn the light on or off, you can use the physical button below the screen. If you want to adjust the brightness of the light via the dimmer control, then you have to swipe to that screen.
@@homekitnews Totally missed that. Thanks.
Looks like it will work with 3 way, but what about 4 way. So far Caseta w/ Pico remotes seems like the only good solution for 4-way. (obviously not Matter compatible yet)
4-way doesn’t seem possible for these switches, unfortunately.
How many lights can be wired to this smart switch
This replaces a standard single switch.
Can’t find the specs anywhere, does it support 220v?
Officially it only supports 100~120V AC @60Hz according to the manual, and as it's for the US I don't think it'll be safe to use on 220~240V.
But does it work with anything but orvibo? Can you control your other smart home devices? For the price, I would expect some integrations. Otherwise, it's just an expensive dimmer with a screen for no reason. I wouldn't trust this company to gain those integrations, and Alexa, Google & Matter is probably only to control the hardwired light (one way)
When it comes to lighting, yes it can only control other Orvibo devices, which would also include their cheaper basic smart dimmer (which will also get a Matter update). This is why I chose to demonstrate the IR blaster option. If you want control of more devices from other brands, then the Brilliant switches are the other option. They are more expensive, but you can control devices from other brands. It also has the intercom and broadcast features, so it’s a bit more than a dimmer, to be fair.
Too bad I cannot control my Lutron light switches with this.
The ‘Brilliant’ switches might be a better option in this case.
Its Orvibo not Orbivo :)
Yes, I did say it a few times - oh well, thanks for letting me know.