You’ve probably heard of Wyze. The company makes a variety of affordable and easy-to-install smart home devices — for example, its $20 smart security camera can do essentially the same job as Amazon’s Cloud Cam ($120) or Google’s Nest Cam Indoor ($200) – and now Wyze has announced its first-ever smart plugs. They’re called Wyze Plugs and they’re available for preorder now, with shipping set for this September.
A two-pack of Wyze Plugs costs $15, which is definitely on the cheaper side, considering the fact that it works with both Amazon’s Alexa and Google Assistant. To compare, Amazon’s Smart Plug, which works with Alexa, costs $25 for just one. And the Wemo Mini Smart Plug, which works with both Alexa and Google Assistant, costs almost $30. (Google currently doesn’t make its own smart plugs.)
As far as other bells and whistles, the Wyze Plugs are pretty standard smart plugs. You plug them into the outlet and use the Wyze app to connect them to Wi-Fi and complete the setup process. From there you can control when that outlet gets power, enabling you to turn on a dumb lamp, fan or coffee maker with just your voice. And since it works with both Alexa and Google Assistant, there’s a good chance these affordable smart plugs with slot seamlessly into most existing smart homes.
That said, the Wyze Plugs don’t work with HomeKit, so if you have a smart home centered around Apple’s ecosystem, these smart plugs aren’t for you.
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