GoKawiilChoosing a smart plug usually feels like a gamble on which protocol will win the war. Belkin recently ended support for its Wemo line as well. Shelly has apparently decided to stop gambling and just include everything. I’ve been testing the Shelly Plug US Gen4, and it’s great! It supports Matter, Bluetooth, Zigbee, and, in a rare move for a smart home device, Wi-Fi 6. It also includes precise power metering, a feature I think is awesome for a modern smart plug.
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HomeKit Weekly is a series focused on smart home accessories, automation tips and tricks, and everything to do with Apple’s smart home framework.
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6 and Matter
Usually, when you buy a smart plug, you have to pick between Zigbee and Wi-Fi. The Gen4 lets you do both, and it does them better than the competition. Out of the box, it supports Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), which is a really nice inclusion. While a pipe dream would be for Wi-Fi 7, it’s better than Wi-Fi 5.
Why does that matter? Most smart plugs run on older Wi-Fi standards, which can create some interesting network complexities. Wi-Fi 6, while not the latest standard, can handle dozens of IoT devices without slowing down your Wi-Fi. It’s faster, more reliable, and stays connected even in “noisy” RF environments. I really wish it supported 5 GHz, though
On top of that, it supports Matter. This means you can scan the code and add it directly to Apple Home, Google Home, or Amazon Alexa without a proprietary bridge (you will want an Apple TV or HomePod as a Home hub for Apple Home for remote access). If you are a Home Assistant power user, you can even flash this unit to run as a Zigbee device. With Matter and Wi-Fi 6, the only thing you are missing is Thread support.
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The killer feature
My favorite feature is the power metering, but there is a catch for Apple users. While the plug collects incredible data, Apple’s Home app can’t doesn’t natively display energy usage charts in a meaningful way.
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