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Customers received a notification that all their carefully designed home automations would be inaccessible unless they signed on for a $4.99-per-month subscription plan. The voice-control capabilities on both the Wink 1st generation and 2nd generation adds an nice feature to the overall usability and hands-free nature of this device. The size of the Wink smart home hub is about twice the size of the comparableSamsung SmartThings hub(we’ve included a visual comparison below). The speakers produce sound that, while audible, is more than a little anemic.
Wink also works well on Apple watches and Android wearables, giving you the flexibility to control your appliances from your wrist. There are large-sized icons, which make navigating through the options pretty easy. The temperature reports are very precise, the IFTTT works well and the display live feed is very clear. A similarity between the Wink Hub and Wink Hub 2 lies in their design. From a glance, it might seem like they have an identical appearance.
The downside: limited to one smart home protocol
While the Wink 2 does have wifi, it also has a wired ethernet connection. In my opinion, if you’re able towire smart home devices, it’s always best . The setup process got better with automatic discovery of the hub followed by a guided interface.The “Local Control”, the way they call it, got enhanced. Where the Hub 1 can only do basic stuff like switching devices on/off without internet, Hub 2 can, in addition, control home automation robots and schedules.
The easiest way to determine whether you’re going about this installation process correctly is to check the color of the LED light on your smart hub. In the initial setup and when you’re trying to connect to your home network, the hub will display an amber light. But once it’s fully configured, the light should turn to blue. When deciding between Wink and SmartThings for your smart home hub, SmartThings stands out in several areas, including a highly-rated app and battery backup.
Comparison: Wink Hub vs Wink Hub 2
It is simply that when there is no internet connection, the hub will communicate directly with the devices instead of going through the cloud. If you’ve searched for smart home hubs, you might have heard the name Wink. So in today’s article, we are going to review them and will also compare them head-to-head so you can make the right decision for yourself. TP-Link would be a better smart hub option if it had more than just Zigbee protocol on board.
Echo plus does have a Zigbee radio so any Zigbee devices should work as long as they are on the compatibility list. Most cloud based HA equipment will have an Alexa skill or integrate with Google home hub. I am having the damndest time setting up my devices with Smartthings lol.
Samsung SmartThings Hub
To boost security, this smart hub is equipped with a unique hardware-based feature, which they call Secure Boot. Wink improved a lot of features found in the first generation including the internet radio. With the Wink Hub 2, it sports a more powerful radio that has a better range and throughput.
Alexa voice commands were also executed instantly, as was my IFTTT recipe to have the smart plug turn on at the start of a NY Jets game. The door-window sensors were very responsive, as was the motion sensor and smart plug. Every installed device reacted instantly to my commands using the Wink app, and the Robot automations worked like a charm. My Lights Out Robot, which had the Cree light bulb turn off when I left the premises, worked without a hitch. So did my Camera Robot that had the Nest Cam turn on when a door sensor was triggered.
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You can also create a group for all of your alexa light bulbs, and easily group control your smart light bulbs with Alexa, Google Home. Both smart hubs support hundreds of different smart home devices, but if you need a specific smart device for your home, it’s best to check for compatibility before purchasing. The free Android and iOS Wink app is well organized and offers detailed instructions to help you pair components and monitor your connected devices. Its use of large icons makes it a bit more user-friendly than the SmartThings app. The home screen displays icons of product categories such as Thermostats, Sensors, Cameras, and Lights + Power. Tapping any category icon takes you to a screen with icons for each installed device in that category.
Wink is launching a second generation of its smart home hub, which it’s simply calling the Wink Hub 2. IFTTT certified connect all of your different apps and devices. When you sign up for a free account, you can enable your apps and devices to work together. If you have Lutron devices, you have to buy a Lutron Pro2 hub to run them with Hubitat over a wired LAN connection , can't say for SmartThings. But we believe in products and companies that have an excellent incentive to keep improving. Samsung is enormous as a company and would have gotten our vote if they hadn’t made an error and missed the mark in designing and a great user-friendly mobile app.
The best home smart hubs make living easier by having integration options, offers equipment, and connects to your other smart home devices. Connectivity relates to how easy the device is to set up and get connected. The whole point of a smart hub is to be able to wirelessly control a number of devices in your home by a single access point. Given that both smart hubs are made by the same manufacturer, it’s not surprising to learn that they’re set up in a fairly similar way. If you’re using the Wink 2, you have the option of connecting it wirelessly or via a wired connection.
At some point, app navigation gets complicated, which defeats the purpose of getting these futuristic devices. Those still seeking an alternative route should check out Google’s Home Kit enabled products that can connect through Elexa or Hue bridges to access Wi-Fi networks. The Wink Hub 2 is also an upgraded version of the Wink Smart Hub and offers an easy transfer to the newer, faster Hub 2.
As mentioned above, SmartThings v3 connects using Zigbee and z-wave. While it’s possible to use 3rd parties to work with Wi-Fi, it’s a disappointment that it’s not integrated as the main feature. Not to mention, when the power does return, everything will need to reboot and hopefully reconnect to all devices without issue. Check out our Best Home Security Systems review to find a smart security system that can replace your Wink hub. Wink’s not the only hub out there that can link all your smart stuff together.
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