Smart home devices have gained considerable popularity in the last few years across the world which promises to make lives more convenient and easier. Smart home technology refers to interment-connected devices or gadgets which empower homeowners to remotely control and manage or automate various home systems or appliances, starting from temperature and light to entryways, entertainment devices and security systems. These devices can be controlled with the usage of dedicated applications on mobile phones.
With the usage of these home gadgets, several advantages can be obtained, including comfort, increased convenience, opportunity to save energy and strengthened security. In the modern busy lifestyle, due to the pressure of work, many often forget to switch off the fan, light or other devices at home while going to the office. In the context of the common regular home problem, home automation devices have emerged as potential solutions in recent times. For example, by the utilization of home automation technology, around 2000 US dollars worth of energy bills can be saved every year. Let’s checkout some of these home gadgets which you may consider to install in your homes.
Five best smart home gadgets can make your life easy
Smart Speakers
Smart speakers are one of the widely adopted smart home devices which allow users to get quick answers to any questions without time consuming scrolling at Google. These speakers have built-in microphones, which have the capacity to catch sounds from a considerable distance. Apart from getting answers to the questions, this can be used for playing music, knowing weather forecast reports as well as listening to the news. Moreover, this is also beneficial for controlling other smart systems or devices by enabling connection with them. Amazon became the first one to introduce smart speakers to the world by starting the offering of Alexa in 2014.
Smart thermostats
Among the most popular smart home devices, smart thermostats are one of the prominent ones. It is a Wi-Fi-enabled device which helps to automatically customise the cooling and heating temperature settings through smartphone applications from anywhere as per the preference of the homeowners in their home to make the environment comfortable. Smart thermostats support the maintenance of sustainability as they facilitate saving energy and utility bills by turning on or off the heating and cooling despite staying away from the home.
The prominent examples of smart thermostats are Google Nest Thermostat, Sensi Touch 2, Amazon Smart Thermostat and many others. As per the claim by Nest, around 10 to 12 per cent of heating bills and approximately 15 per cent of cooling bills can be saved annually by US customers by using their thermostats.
Smart Lock
Smart locks are a great option nowadays to strengthen a home’s security. The emergence of smart locks has eliminated the risk of the loss of keys. These are beneficial for locking and unlocking the doors remotely from anywhere using the smartphone application, pin, fingerprint as well as traditional key. Moreover, one can get an alert in the opening of external doors by someone else, which facilitates enhanced security. For example, Ultraloq U-Bolt Pro Wi-Fi is a great choice for smart locks.
Smart lighting
Among other vital smart home devices, one which can be considered by household users to get more convenience is smart light bulbs. This can work with the support of voice control and application. With the installation of smart light bulbs, one doesn’t need to get up from the bed to switch off the light as this can be controlled from anywhere just using the voice.
Apart from offering several benefits compared to the traditional bulbs, smart lights have a longer life period as well as consume relatively less energy which can lead to a substantial amount of saving in the long run. The Roku Smart Bulb SE Color is a prominent example of a smart light bulb which supports both Google Assistance and Alexa along with Roku devices. The price of this bulb is less than 10 dollars, which is accountable for displaying around 16 million colors of white light temperatures.
Smart plugs
With a smart plug, anything starting from lights, and humidifiers to space heaters, which are plugged into the wall, can be controlled through a smartphone. It is an effective way the automation wired devices and make the home smarter. This has the efficiency in reducing the consumption of energy which leads to considerable savings on energy bills. Some of the most popular examples of smart plugs are Amazon Smart Plug, Kasa Smart Wi-Fo Plug and Wemo Smart Plug.
Landscape of the smart home market
The growing popularity of networked devices and services has led to considerable growth in the market size of the smart home gadgets market. The estimated revenue from the respective market in India in 2024 is around 6.5 billion US dollars in 2024. It is also forecasted that the respective sector will enjoy an annual growth rate of 9.14 per cent between 2024 to 2028, leading to the attainment of a market volume of approximately 9.2 billion US dollars by 2028.
In comparison to the global perspectives, the United States is considered the most lucrative or profitable market for home automation. As of 2023, there were 360 million users worldwide who are found to be involved in home automation through various internet-connected devices while the number is expected to touch 785.16 million users.
There are several providers of intelligent devices designed to bring efficiency and convenience at home. In this regard, one of the leading companies is Google LLC, which offers a wider range of smart home gadgets, including smart light bulbs, plugs, thermostats and many others. Amazon is another prominent organization which has revolutionized the home automation market. Moreover, Apple Inc., Emerson Electric Co., Centrica Connected Home Limited, General Electric Company, Johnson Controls, Inc., and Honeywell International Inc. also have good brand recognition in the respective market.
FAQ
1. What are smart home gadgets, and how do they enhance convenience for homeowners?
Smart home technology refers to internet-connected devices which empower homeowners to remotely control and manage or automate various home systems or appliances, starting from temperature and light to entryways, entertainment devices, and security systems. With the usage of these home gadgets, several advantages can be obtained, including comfort, increased convenience, an opportunity to save energy, and strengthened security.
2. How much can homeowners potentially save on energy bills annually by using smart home devices?
By the utilisation of smart home gadgets, around 2000 US dollars worth of energy bills can be saved every year.
3. What are some examples of popular smart speakers and their functionalities?
Smart speakers allow users to get quick answers to questions, play music, know weather forecasts, and listen to news.
4. How do smart thermostats contribute to energy savings and sustainability?
Smart thermostats support the maintenance of sustainability as they facilitate saving energy and utility bills by turning on or off the heating and cooling despite staying away from the home. As per the claim by Nest, around 10 to 12 per cent of heating bills and approximately 15 per cent of cooling bills can be saved annually by US customers by using their thermostats.
5. What benefits do smart locks offer for enhancing home security?
Smart locks are beneficial for locking and unlocking doors remotely from anywhere using the smartphone application, pin, fingerprint, as well as traditional key. Moreover, one can get an alert in the opening of external doors by someone else which facilitates enhanced security.
