AI News Feed
Market watch
Products & Applications

Onvis Releases Matter over Thread Outdoor Smart Plug With Energy Monitoring

Onvis launched an IP65 outdoor smart plug with Matter over Thread, energy monitoring, and Apple Home support.

The report, part of 9to5Mac's HomeKit Weekly series focused on smart home accessories and Apple's smart home framework, notes that most outdoor smart plugs that work with Apple HomeKit over Wi-Fi depend on a router's signal reaching outside. That can be unreliable depending on what a house is made of; 9to5Mac cites brick as an example of construction that can make Wi-Fi outdoors rough. Thread is a mesh protocol in which devices route traffic through one another, which the report says makes it more reliable for outdoor locations that might sit on the edge of Wi-Fi coverage.

Because the Onvis plug is built on Matter over Thread, it works with Apple Home, Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and SmartThings without being locked into a single smart home platform. The report says a HomePod, HomePod mini, or Apple TV 4K is required to take full advantage of the plug with Apple Home.

The plug tracks real-time power usage and energy consumption through a Matter-compatible smart home system, according to the report. That allows users to see how much electricity devices such as landscape lighting, a pool pump, or an outdoor heater are using. The data appears directly in Apple Home's energy view, and the report says no separate app is required.

Onvis rates the outdoor smart plug IP65, which the report says means it is protected against dust and low-pressure water jets from sprinklers or rain. The plug handles up to 1800 watts, enough for landscape lighting, holiday decorations, outdoor fans, and similar uses, according to 9to5Mac.

Schedules and automations work natively inside Apple Home, so users can set landscape lights to turn on at sunset and off at a specific time without building anything complicated. The report describes the new plug as filling a product gap at a good price point, with Matter over Thread, energy monitoring, and other modern smart home technology built in. It also says Onvis has been a solid vendor for Apple Home for years.

The Onvis Outdoor Smart Plug is available now on Amazon.

Editor's Summary

Onvis has released an IP65 outdoor smart plug with Matter over Thread, real-time energy monitoring, and support for Apple Home, Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and SmartThings. The device handles up to 1800 watts and works with native Apple Home schedules and automations. It is available now on Amazon.