T h e w ay yo u u s e t h e s e co n t r o l s i s u p t o yo u
functionality. Take the speaker market, for instance; there’s no need to force yourself to use the Sonos Play’s Alexa portion – you can press the buttons, although this does somewhat miss the point of owning one. Most Bluetooth speakers will work just fine with a cable plugged in. Ikea’s Trådfri lighting solution, covered last issue, comes with its own semi-smart remotes, which you can use alongside, or independently from, its smart hub.
Get specific
And then there are direct, specific smart controls, which we’re looking at this issue. There aren’t too many of these around, but those that are available offer a great way to be creative; generally, the way you use these controls is entirely up to you. Put in a bit of work when you first get them, and you can keep your most commonly used functions a press or two away. Set up one by your front door to toggle your plugs or lights with no need to pull your phone from your pocket as you’re heading out. Put a waterproof button in the shower to skip to the next track or find another station on your bathroom radio. Keep one by the bed to trigger an evening routine without waking up your brain with the glare of an iPhone or iPad’s screen.
Smart buttons aren’t for everyone, of course – there’s a good argument to be made that they’re superfluous given that there’s not a smart device around that doesn’t already give you a way to remotely control it, and they’ll generally need a hub in order to be more than just an extension of your phone anyway. But if a little extra effort and expense is worth that eventual simplification of your home, go right ahead.