But what are your choices? for the purpose of this post we are only going to talk about the main 3 players in the plug and play devices Apple Home Hub, Amazons Alexa system and google nest system. As you can install and crazy wired in system that need more computing power that a bitcoin miner.

Want to add extra stuff into your smart? check my post here on the top 5 smart gadgets you need here

Remember with all these devices, security is super important, check my post on securing your smart home here

Let’s list the 3 best smart home systems for 2023 that you can buy on the high street

Apple Home Pod 2 Price: £299

For the purpose of this test, i’m going to use Apples home pod which is essentially a smart speaker but provides a perfect platform to run Apples Homekit software, please note you don’t have to buy the hub, you can run it off your ipad

Features

• Immersive, high-fidelity audio
• High-excursion woofer
• Beamforming array of five tweeters
• Spatial Audio 
• Room sensing
• Stereo pair capable you can only pair another home hub speaker though
• Multi-room audio 
• Smart home hub using apples home kit
• Sound Recognition- Can detect smoke, carbon monoxide or fire alarms and send you a message
• Temperature and humidity sensor 
• Private and secure

What can Homekit do?

HomeKit isn’t a product or software; it’s a framework that links smart home products together and adds new capabilities to devices like lights, locks, cameras, thermostats, plugs, and more. HomeKit lets you control smart home products using apps on your iPhone iPad or Mac, or simple Siri voice commands.

While controlling smart home products with ‌Siri‌ or with an ‌iPhone‌ is convenient, the real magic of HomeKit comes when you have multiple HomeKit-enabled products because you can control them all at once using scenes or set up automations so that they activate automatically.

You can set up a good night mode where it will make sure all your smart locks are secure.

What We Love ❤️

• Centralised control: Apple Home Hub allows you to control all your smart home devices from a single dashboard, making it convenient and easy to manage your home automation5.
• Privacy and security: Home Hub devices, such as HomePod and Apple TV, are built with robust security measures and privacy policies, ensuring the protection of your data and restricting the ability of smart device makers to collect and share your information5.
• Support for emerging standards: Home Hub devices support connectivity with Matter and Thread, two emerging wireless standards that aim to make the smart home more versatile and cross-compatible5.
• Integration with Apple ecosystem: If you already use Apple devices, such as iPhones, iPads, or Macs, integrating a Home Hub into your smart home setup will be seamless and provide a cohesive user experience5.
• Easy setup: Apple’s HomeKit ecosystem makes it extremely easy to set up devices, usually taking seconds to minutes, and the Home app is well-organized and intuitive, even for casual smart home users

What We Hate 🤬

• Limited compatibility: Home Hub devices only work with Apple devices, so if you have non-Apple smart home devices, they may not be compatible with the Home Hub ecosystem
• Cost: Home Hub devices, such as HomePod and Apple TV, can be more expensive compared to other smart home hubs on the market
• iPad limitations: While iPads can be used as Home Hubs, they are not supported on the new, more reliable, and efficient Home architecture, which is available as a separate upgrade in the Home app.
• Dependence on Apple services: To fully utilize the features of a Home Hub, you need to be signed in to iCloud with the Apple ID used to set up your HomeKit and Matter accessories, which may be a drawback for users who prefer not to use Apple services
• Limited third-party options: Apple does not currently offer third-party options for Home Hub devices, so you are limited to the available Apple products for your smart home setup

Why should I buy it?

If you’re like me and have a world of Apple products, then this is a logical step, like most of these systems they only really work well or at all with products from their own catalogue, there is a full list of compatible on Apples website here the list is massive and is only gonna get bigger.

Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I know you can only use Apple stuff with it, but I’m already all in with Apple!!

Amazon Alexa £184.99 Echo Show

Alexa and it’s numerous little speakers have been around in the smart home sector for a while now, I don’t know many people who haven’t at some time owned a dot!! Amazons system like Apples is compatible with a wide range of kit including many non-amazon products, eg most Phillips hue lights will work with alexa.

Again remember, the devices you see above are broadly mini speakers/screens. For the purpose of this article the features i’ll list will be for the echo show, but you can control your connected devices on any amazon assistant platform using amazon alexas smart assistant with your voice or on the app on your phone etc is what gives you the home automation control when you have the corresponding smart device paired and connected to your Alexa device and account. With Alexa, the app has to ‘learn’ about the device you’re connecting (don’t worry this is just another way of basically downloading a driver so it will work!!!)

What Can Alexa Do?

This is where alexa comes in to it’s own, you basically “wake’ it up by saying “Alexa” then give here an instruction (remember if you want it to control some smart home tech you’ve got to enable it first in Devices)

• “Alexa, turn on/off the kitchen lights.”
• “Alexa, dim lights to 40%.”
• “Alexa, set the temperature to 73.”
• “Alexa, lock my front door.”
• “Alexa, show me the [camera room location].” (This only works on Echo Show and Fire devices.)
• “Alexa, turn on/off the [plug name].”

You can set up room groups so they all perform a linked action on request, e.g you could say “Alexa, set the front room for seduction!” so the lights dim, room temp is 75 and Barry White is playing on the device, i’m sure you get where i’m coming from!!

Features

• Motorised screen automatically rotates to track you pretty cool if you’ve got cctv connected that gets triggered you don’t have to grab it to see who’s robbing your lawn mower!!
• Loud, crisp sound
• Built-in Zigbee hub for smart home device control
• Useful home security features

What We Love ❤️

• Easy to Operate: Amazon Alexa is a cloud-based voice service that is easy to use and can be operated by anyone, making it a convenient tool for both kids and adults
•  Control of Smart Home Devices: Alexa can seamlessly connect and control various smart home devices through voice commands, allowing users to manage their homes without lifting a finger.
•  Music and Entertainment: Alexa offers non-stop music and entertainment options, making it a great tool for playing your favorite songs, podcasts, or audiobooks
•  Timers and Alarms: Alexa makes setting and using timers and alarms tremendously easy, helping users stay organised and on schedule
•  Integration with Third-Party Devices: Alexa is compatible with a wide range of third-party smart home devices, allowing users to choose from a variety of options and customize their smart home setup

What We Hate 🤬

•  Privacy Concerns: One of the potential downsides of using Alexa is the privacy concerns associated with having a voice-activated device in your home, but you can say that about all 3 systems here!
•  Reliance on Technology: Using Alexa and other smart home devices may lead to increased reliance on technology, which can have negative effects on social interaction and personal well-being,
•  Music Quality: While Alexa offers a wide range of music options, some users have reported that the music quality is not as good as other smart home systems, such as Google Assistant
•  Limited Smart Display Options: Compared to Google Assistant, Alexa has a more limited range of smart display options, which may be a drawback for users who want to view security camera feeds or other visual information

Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Just because you can control 100’s of devices with it and it can cut to cctv images with the show.

Google Nest £219.99

And last but not least, Googles answer to the other 3, again you have adecent choice of device to be the central hub of your smart home with the Nest Hub max ( as shown above) being the flag ship. This also can control a whole host of device, albeit not as many as the Alexa units, but I’d be surprised if you couldn’t find a compatible unit to control the light in your home gym for example.

Features

• Music. Music on the Google Nest Hub. …
• Video. Watching Youtube on the Google Nest Hub. …
• Photo Frame. Photo Frame is a non-stop slideshow of your favorite pics. …
• Smart Automations. This is where the Nest Hub gets interesting. …
• Google Shopping.
• integrated YouTube, Netflix, and Spotify:
• can be control with hand gestures

What We Love ❤️

• 
   Easy to use and set up The Nest Hub is user-friendly, and its setup process is quick and straightforward
•  Integrated streaming services: You can enjoy YouTube, Netflix, Spotify, and other streaming services on the Nest Hub, making it a versatile entertainment device.
•  Smart home control: The Hub can efficiently manage various smart home devices, allowing you to control lights, cameras, and more from a single interface
•  Sleep tracking capabilities: The second-generation Nest Hub offers sleep tracking, recording metrics such as sleep duration and respiratory rate. It can provide tips and recommendations based on your sleep habits
•  Affordable price: The Nest Hub is reasonably priced, making it a cost-effective option for those looking to enhance their smart home experience

What We Hate 🤬

•  No video calling: The Nest Hub lacks a camera, which means you can see the person you’re talking to during a video call, but they can’t see you, just seems mad this, why spend all the time designing a unit with a screen and then not put a camera in it?
•  Small display: The 7-inch display of the Nest Hub may feel inadequate, especially when compared to larger smart displays like the Nest Hub Max and we hate feeling inadequate when it comes to size!
•  Limited compatibility with Google Workplace: The Nest Hub does not offer full compatibility with Google Workplace, which can be a drawback for users who rely on this productivity suite. Which seems strange Amazon could do this.
•  Sleep sensing can be fickle: While the sleep tracking feature is a pro, some users have reported that it may not always provide accurate or consistent data.
•  Gestures can be unreliable: The Hub’s Quick Gestures feature, which allows you to control certain functions with hand movements, may not always work as expected and what’s more annoying than a cool feature that doesn’t work?

Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Not my favourite by any means, smaller screens, no vid calls make this bottom of the pile for me.

Conclusion: My results for the 3 best smart home systems for 2023 are:

• How to Set Up a Smart Home on a Budget
• Private Internet Access Review
• How to use a VPN
• How To Use Chatgpt for Total Beginners
• Best Smart Thermostat Uk in 2024

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