Smart homes, mobile apps, and button switches

       Similar to previous years, the theme of the Internet of Things (IoT) was highly eye-catching at this year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES). In the past, the focus was on connected devices, but this year's theme is about integration. At present, there are no shortage of smart home devices on the market - there are already a wide range of products available, from smart lighting fixtures, smart curtains and door locks, to Haier refrigerators with internal cameras, allowing you to see what's inside while still in the market. However, there are still many issues with the application of smart home technology. Which products can add the most value to users? How do they work together? How reliable are they? What are the risks of outdated equipment? Many of these issues are related to a common theme - the role and value of hardware and software in terminal devices。

        From a hardware perspective, it should be emphasized that no matter how intelligent it is (setting up, modifying settings, resetting devices...), consumers almost always need to interact with the device, and how they perceive that experience has a significant impact on their overall satisfaction and recognition of the final product quality. Although mobile apps and software often receive the most attention, they are also a cause of frustration. In fact, consumers experience more frustration with applications that command, schedule, and manage devices than with the actual devices themselves. More importantly, consumers' lack of trust in the reliability of connected devices hinders the application of smart home products. Pay attention to this point to discover the main hardware features and understand how they can improve consumer satisfaction with smart home devices。

       Home safety is one of the main growth points in the smart home market, and for 90% of consumers, personal and home safety is the main driving force in the field of smart home applications. The main products for family safety include Internet or IP cameras and network door locks. IP camera is one of the fastest growing smart home products. Like many smart home products, the focus is on the use of mobile apps to easily set cameras and the use of the Internet to monitor homes through laptops. Although software seems to eliminate the need for hardware devices such as switches, as a user interface, hardware is important in one situation - when you forget your account password. In this case, the overlooked, touch sensitive metal button switch inside the camera becomes a watershed between being able to reset the system and having an expensive technology that cannot show you any purpose。

        For controlling family access, there are various products on the market, including an Internet doorbell with a built-in camera, which can show who is at the door, and an intelligent door lock that allows you to open the door remotely. These devices come in handy for opening doors for nannies or forgetful teenagers who leave their keys at school. Most smart door locks use some kind of micro touch metal switch to set or reset the door lock. These touch sensitive metal switches should have a compact appearance, long service life, and be able to cope with rainwater, moisture, and other environmental conditions. In addition to its compact appearance, the doorbell switch used on the Internet doorbell should also have a long service life and be able to adapt to the situation of over travel and over operation (think of the neighborhood children and annoying salesmen who repeatedly ring the doorbell). Although the Internet and software have gained glory again, simple key switches have become a watershed between convenience and frustration. In the coming years, the development trend of smart homes can drive significant market growth at any time, making ordinary households safer and more energy-efficient. Although software and communication platforms play an important role, simple and inexpensive button switches can ensure that consumers always have some control over the operation and reliability of these devices。