A company formed to bridge the gap between luxury home automation systems and consumer IoT smart homes has launched SmartSwitch Lite for convenient control over Philips Hue and Sonos.
Violet’s new touchscreen switch matches the size of a standard UK light switch but offers a simple way for users to control their Philips Hue lights and Sonos audio products without the inconvenience of having to load an app on their mobile devices.
Founder and CEO of Violet, Ryan Ovens said: “The light switch location as a control point is completely ingrained in us socially, so it makes sense that we smarten it up a bit. Using your phone for basic adjustments as you move around your home is just simply inconvenient: finding it, unlocking it, finding the app, etc.
“Sure, there’s voice control, but it’s not a silver bullet and there are many situations where it is not suitable. With SmartSwitch, all the family members and visitors can intuitively control what they need to from the location they are used to with just a touch or two.”
SmartSwitch Lite can be left in standby and has a QuickTap function to toggle the lights without waking it up fully. If the user would like full control access, they can use a longer press to access Hue scenes.
To access Sonos control, the user should swipe up and from there can play, pause, skip songs or adjust volume.
SmartSwitch Lite is available to pre-order now with expected shipping in March. Pre-order pricing is £127 but will usually be priced at £159.