Jordan O'BrienNetatmo has already established itself in the smart home industry thanks to products such as the Netatmo Welcome, which saved a family’s home from disaster last year. At CES 2017 however, the company is branching out with a few new smart products – including a smart smoke alarm and an indoor security siren.
Going head to head with the Nest Protect, the Netatmo Smart Smoke Alarm brings to the table features users will already be familiar with in this sector. That includes the ability to send a smartphone notification if the alarm detects smoke, and identify the exact room the smoke was detected in.
In addition to the simple smartphone notification, the Netatmo Smart Smoke Alarm also enjoys some dumb smoke alarm features – including an actual alarm. Triggering an 85dB alarm in the event of smoke is especially helpful if a user’s phone is dead or simply in another room at the time. That 85dB alarm can also be controlled using a smartphone, meaning if it’s accidentally triggered then it can either be switched off manually or from within the app.
Netatmo claims that its smart smoke alarm is capable of running for 10 years on a single battery, which for those in the know will recognise as the recommended service life of smoke detectors. To give peace of mind, the Netatmo smoke alarm will constantly check its battery level and then notify the homeowner when its running low and remind them that it needs changing.
In addition to its built-in smarts, Netatmo has equipped its smart smoke alarm with IFTTT and Apple HomeKit functionality.
HomeKit enables an array of connected devices in the home to collaborate with each other. With HomeKit, the user can also create customised scenarios to connect their Netatmo Smart Smoke Alarm to other smart home devices. For example, they’ll be able to connect their smart lighting to their Netatmo Smoke Alarm. The lights will turn on in the house if a fire is detected. The family will be alerted and will be able to leave the house quickly.
The Smoke Alarm is also compatible with IFTTT, a platform that allows the user to connect hundreds of services together. With IFTTT, the user connects the data from their Netatmo Security App – which controls the smoke alarm – with other devices, apps and services. The user can program customised rules or combinations of actions called ‘recipes’ to automate and control different aspects of their connected home. For example, they can receive an emergency call in the event of fire.
The Netatmo Smoke Alarm is CE and NF certified. In compliance with the applicable regulations, a red LED flashes discreetly every 10 seconds to show that the smoke alarm is working properly. If it detects any smoke, it starts flashing more quickly.
While the Netatmo Smoke Alarm will be useful in case of fires, the company realises that there are other situations in which users may need to protect their homes. That’s why the company is launching the Netatmo Indoor Security Siren, a product designed to protect homes against intruders.
The Netatmo Indoor Security Siren is an accessory of Welcome, the indoor security camera with face recognition. The siren operates with Welcome and the Netatmo Tags, the waterproof security sensors for doors and windows.
The siren is automatically triggered if Welcome or the Tags detect an intruder. It sounds an ear-piercing 110 dB alarm.
The user receives a specific real-time notification on their smartphone – such as ‘unknown face seen” or ‘movement detected on garage door” – together with the video of the event filmed by Welcome.
Whether the user is home or not, the Security Siren is sounded when there’s an intruder. The siren can also be manually activated with a click from the user’s smartphone.
The siren also has a tamper detection feature that detects vibrations and impacts. It sounds if an intruder tries to remove it or disable it.
The siren’s triggers are entirely customisable from the Security app. The user can program the siren to sound when they’re away, on the basis of different criteria: for example if Welcome sees an unknown face or a movement, or if the Tags detect that a specific door or window has been opened.
A range of pre-recorded audio messages can also be played from the app, such as ‘the police are on their way’, to frighten away any unwanted visitors.
Like the smart smoke alarm, the Security Siren is compatible with the IFTTT service. This enables the user to program customised rules of action between their Security app and their other apps.
For example, they can decide that the siren rings if their connected flood sensor system detects a water leak.
The Security Siren can be hardwired or battery-operated. The user can check the battery charge level from within the app.
The Netatmo Smart Smoke Alarm and the Indoor Security Siren will be available in the second half of 2017. Pricing has yet to be announced.