The Eve Motion is the first Thread motion sensor - The Verge
Eve’s new smart home motion sensor works with Apple HomeKit out of the box and is expected to be upgraded to Matter when the smart home standard arrives later this year.
Smart home company Eve continues its transition to Thread this week with the release of the second generation of its motion sensor. A wireless sensor that works over Thread and Bluetooth Low Energy, the Eve Motion is the first standalone motion sensor to use the Thread wireless protocol, which is a pillar of the new Matter smart home standard.
Today, the motion sensor will work with Apple HomeKit to trigger automations such as turning on connected smart lights or opening smart window shades. But when Matter arrives later this year, Eve says the motion sensor and all Eve’s Thread-based products will receive an over-the-air firmware update to be compatible with Matter. This will open the device to other Matter ecosystems, including Google Home, Amazon Alexa, and Samsung SmartThings.
With Thread on board, this motion sensor should be significantly snappier than its Bluetooth-only predecessor. Thread is a mesh network that allows devices to communicate directly with each other rather than having to talk to a hub or bridge to receive commands. This translates to faster response time and lower latency. I’ve tested Eve’s Door & Window sensors in both Bluetooth and Thread versions, and the difference in response times was significant — going from 3 to 4 seconds to well under a second. It’s likely to be the same here, but we will be testing the sensor and will report back.
The Eve Motion works with Eve’s app and the Apple Home app.
Image: Eve
The new Eve Motion costs $39.95, which is $10 less than the previous version and its closest competitor, the Philips Hue Motion Sensor (which uses Zigbee and also monitors temperature). The Eve Motion is available today from the Eve online store and is coming to the Amazon and Apple stores later this year.
The Eve Motion’s dimensions are 2.56 x 2.56 x 1.34 inches.
Image: Eve
It can be wall-mounted and uses two AAA batteries.
Image: Eve
The sensor runs on two AAA batteries rather than two AA batteries, which means it’s significantly smaller than its predecessor, at 2.56 inches high. Interestingly, the second-gen model adds a luminosity sensor to monitor ambient light changes so you can set automations to respond to available light. It is also designed to work with Eve’s MotionBlinds to adjust the blinds’ levels according to the room’s brightness. Eve Motion is IPX3 rated, so it can be used outside in temperatures rated from 0 to 130 degrees Fahrenheit.
Rating: 5