CES 2017: Belkin Adds Two New Smart Switch Products to its Wemo Lineup

Continuing to expand its Internet of Things ecosystem, Wemo, the smart home brand from Belkin International, unveils at CES 2017 two new smart switch products, the Wemo Mini Smart Plug and the Wemo Dimmer Light Switch.

“The International CES is the biggest coming out party of the year for Wemo and the perfect place to debut our new Wemo products,” says Brian Van Harlingen, Belkin’s chief technology officer. “In 2016, we doubled down on our app, making enhancements to ensure that the Wemo experience is best-in-class, so we’re excited to launch two new pieces of hardware in early 2017. With Mini and Dimmer, we are rounding out our smart switch line-up, enabling new experiences and making Wemo even more approachable and easier to use.”

Wemo Mini (F7C063)

The Wemo Mini is a smart plug that connects everyday household items to the Wemo app so you can control them from your phone or through voice commands. At half the size of the previous Wemo Switch, the Mini’s streamlined, stackable design maintains all of the same features as the original, but is specifically designed to stack on top of each other, allowing for two smart plugs in a single outlet. Wemo Mini also works with Amazon Echo and Google Home to control via simple voice commands, as well as the Nest Learning Thermostat’s Home and Away modes.

Additional Features:

• Turn household electronics on or off from anywhere
• Smart time rules to set schedules or turn devices on or off via sunrise or sunset
• Stackable design lets you use two Minis in one outlet
• Thermal cutout prevents overheating
• Operates over Wi-Fi or mobile Internet, at home and away
• Convenient Wi-Fi technology, no hub required
• Plugs into any regular 120v wall outlet
• Free Wemo app
• Works with IFTTT, Amazon Echo, Google Home, and the Nest Learning Thermostat

Wemo Dimmer (F7C059)

The new Wemo Dimmer includes all of the features of the original Wemo Light Switch, plus advanced updates such as Night Mode to prevent harsh lights at night and a customized bulb calibration. Current dimmer products have a single dimming range for all bulb types, which tends to create flickering and noise issues, but Wemo Dimmer uses the Wemo app to custom calibrate for any bulb type including incandescents (up to 400 watts), CFLs or LEDs, to eliminate those annoyances. In addition, Dimmer’s Night Mode feature enables users to set a specific level of brightness during a set period of time, which is ideal for middle-of-the-night bathroom trips or checking on the kids when they are asleep.

With a touch-capacitive dimmer control instead of a mechanical lever and a responsive light bar to indicate status, Wemo Dimmer is as smart looking on the outside as it is on the inside. The light bar uses movement, full RGB color and brightness as a language to provide contextual information. For example, Wemo rules are always signified by green, third party actions like Amazon Alexa are aqua, a radar “pinging” animation indicates that it is searching for a Wi-Fi signal, and a left-to-right “sending” animation is used for other features to let them know the message is being delivered to other devices.

Wemo also recently launched a new long press feature for both the current Wemo Light Switch and the new Wemo Dimmer, which allows for additional controls from the hardware itself. Pressing and holding the switch for more than two seconds will trigger a second action involving other Wemo devices. For example, long pressing a Wemo Light Switch or Dimmer upon leaving the house could turn off all Wemo-connected electronics in the home, or even trigger an away mode setting to randomize lights while away. Wemo Dimmer also works with Amazon Echo and Google Home for dimming and on/off control via simple voice commands, as well as the Nest Learning Thermostat’s Home and Away modes.

Additional Features:

• Adjustable light levels with convenient control from the app, switch or voice
• Smart timer rules to set schedules or turn devices on or off via sunrise or sunset
• Night Mode scheduling– predetermined lower light level at specified times of the night minimizing bright-light blinding
• Works with IFTTT, Amazon Echo, Google Home and the Nest Learning Thermostat
• Universal dimmer – works with any dimmable light bulb—incandescent, CFL’s, and LEDs
• Custom calibration provides the widest light level range possible (based on individual bulb spec)
• Custom Long Press – Control additional Wemo devices with a single, two-second press
• Away Mode scheduling – automatically randomize lighting so it looks like someone is home
• Convenient WiFi technology, no hub required
• LED Light Bar communication to indicate activity

Wemo Mini will be available for pre-order online for $34.99, and in stores later in January. The Wemo Dimmer will be available in the spring; no pricing has been set.

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