Agreed - I think that the thread really is talking about two different products:
A smart light switch that is a drop in replacement for a wired switch and will control whatever dumb things the old switch controlled.
A scene controller that can do anything that wyze rules can do - turn on one or more bulbs, turn cams on and off, turn smart plugs on and off, etc…
Personally hoping for the latter. It would be very cool if you could make it so that the switch is both - using the on and off as triggers. Also, please note that there is a strong desire to have a product that does not require a neutral wire - that requirement leaves so many of us out in the cold. Thank you!
I would like one that does not require the white wire. Either replaceable batteries or better yet a rechargeable battery that is charged when the light is on and maintains connectivity when the light is off. This would not work in a seldom used light but should work well with one that is used regularly. I ask this because I live in an old house with very few switch wired correctly for wireless switches. I do use Kassa switches in newer areas and remodeled areas.
Don’t have extra wires sticking out the back of the switch. The switch boxes are crowded enough with wires and it is often hard to get the switch into the box all the way. Either have wholes in the back to put the wires into clamp the wires in them or screws on the side of the switch like regular flip switches. Electrical tap can be wrapped around the box to prevent shorts if it is a tight fit and some installers do it anyway as a safety measure. if someone has shorted wires in the electrical box they can use short piece of wire to connect to the wall wiring. This should not be needed in most cases but you do run into some poorly wired situations.
Personally, I have almost all the switches that have the white wire with the Kassa switches and would not replace them. The older switches that don’t have the white wire also are the smaller switch boxes and the second requirement above may be critical for them.
I don’t know if I represent many people but these are the two primary requirements for me.
Also, I don’t have much interest in diming switches but I could be a minority in that area.
@UserCustomerGwen any specifics that can be shared would be terrific. I’m hoping these are not WiFi switches, but given Wyze’s track record, I am pretty confident they will be, which means unfortunately I will not use them.
If you do make the right smart switches, you will sell an absolute ton of them. How many wall switches are in an average house? Probably 20-40. So loyal Wyze customers will probably buy more than they have cameras. $$$
This could be a typical 15amp wall switch replacement or a battery operated “smart” switch that could stick on a wall anywhere. The lamp already has power, I just need a manual switch to logically turn on the bulb.
It could be an input to turn on a whole series of lights.
@UserCustomerGwen Best news of the day!!! I’m curious if they have already determined the specs or if it’s still part of the dev process. I’d love to be a tester for this particular product since I already have other brands and I really know what to compare against. I’m particularly interested in the size and how it will be able to fit into a multi gang box and if there are plans to innovate a little more on the multi gang option. I’m really passionate about this one. Thanks!
This is already a capability, as a device trigger rule for the thermostat. Right now in the app you can create a rule to trigger a floor fan connected to a wyze plug to turn on when the thermostat activates. Literally all we need wyze to do is create a stinking basic switch and the possibilities would be endless.
It would not unfortunately. Temperature differences between rooms are because of design inefficiencies in your ducting. What you need are dampeners installed in your ducts to balance flow to different areas of the home. Just having the system operate longer to cool certain areas in your home based of multiple sensors would put wear on your system.
I’m not familiar with a system that can utilize a wyze thermostat to independently operate multiple heating/cooling devices, but it sounds like a pretty specific use case, and not something that would add to the value of a product designed primarily around cost efficiency.
I really really hope a Wyze team member sees my following post.
I just purchased a newly built home and we have can lights everywhere, fans, fixtures, all different sorts of lights… if I were to purchase wyze bulbs for the whole house (which 50% of the bulbs aren’t compatible due to size) then it would likely be over a thousand dollars or more.
I really hope the switch that is in development isn’t to simply control the wyze bulbs as a remote but rather a replacement for a “dumb” or typical light switch.
Also, most high end switches have a screen that can be used to intercom, alexa built in which would allow her to be used in the whole house, weather, thermostat changes from any room etc. A good example of this is the Brilliant light switches (which are excessively priced). Honestly that’s a dream list version.
At this point anything affordable to be able to control and dim switches using Alexa and the wyze app would be wonderful if afford ably you priced.
I just invite wyze to consider adding other features to the switch like a screen interface for single, double, three, and four din switches like brilliant switches. You could always push software updates to them later. Heck maybe make a simple smart switch and then a different version that has all the bells and whistles.
I know that if I am so desperate for an affordable switch setup like this then hundred of thousands of people must be too. The business man in me realizes that the goal here is to sell more product and by creating a switch you’d essentially be decreasing the sale of bulbs… however, for numerous customers like myself, you’d be loosing sales from not creating a switch because it will drive consumers to another provider and we all know people like simplicity, affordability, and a one stop shop solution. I’d love to only have wyze smart products for my home and not have multiple manufacturers and all their apps that are required as well on my phone and switch back and forth between them.
Customer, you are absolutely correct. Primary use case for a smart switch would be to control fixtures that likely won’t take a smart bulb. I could see using one of the new color bulbs on top of the smart switch so that I could control the temperature and color of the light in work spaces, as well as the on/off.
All that being said, I’d be happy as a pig in mud just to get a switch that isn’t WiFi connected and has controls similar to a “dumb” switch (ie simple paddle or toggle switch). Given Wyze’s usual MO in what they put out, I don’t see them trying to compete with uber high end switches, ie ones with screens and numerous possible functions, and that’s what I like about Wyze. Simple and often understated designs usually work best, at least for me, where I have guests and other people in the house that are not technically savvy.
I realize this switch will most likely be WiFi connected, it wouldn’t make sense to put out a switch without a hub for communications. To some degree I’m OK with this, I probably won’t use them, but I think it’s a great first step into the market, and hopefully what I am truly looking for will come later. That or I’ll just start buying Jasco switches in whatever rebranding I can get them in.
patiently waiting…