Gabe Turner: Hey, folks.
This is Gabe at Security Baron.
Sometimes, you just want to use your phone to control all your appliances.
Today, we're reviewing the iDevices Switch, which purports to do just that.
[background music]
Gabe: I'm excited to dive into the Apple HomeKit-enabled iDevices Switch.
In today's review, I'm going to check out its design, feature set, installation experience,
and mobile application, so you'll have all the information you need to pick the right
smart plug for you.
If you'd like to see a list of our favorite smart plugs, google "Security Baron best smart
plugs."
If you have a question about today's review, leave us a comment, and I'll get back to you.
Let's kick off today's review of the iDevices Switch, checking out its design.
The first thing I'll note is that it's two-toned.
On the top, you've got an off-white, maybe even gray.
In the middle, you have your more basic interior décor white.
That being said, you also have a strip that lights up, and this color itself can change.
You have the light, the white, and the off-white.
You can physically turn the smart plug on and off with this button on this side.
On the opposite side is the actual input.
This is different.
Typically, you would see the plug with the input right over the output.
One thing I really appreciate about this is its slim horizontal design.
You can also be sure to get more than one of these into any wall outlet.
It's going to give you the ability to stack in a typical wall outlet.
Overall, it's a pretty cool design.
The light being so thin and long is pretty cool, and I'm into it.
Now that we've gone over the design of the iDevices Switch, let's talk about its feature
set.
Before we jump into any of the smart element, I want to talk about one thing, and that's
the night light.
It's a customizable night light.
You can change this color, and it's pretty visible.
If you or a little one wants a little bit of extra guidance walking in the dark, this
plug will provide it for you.
Let's jump into some of those smart features.
First thing we'll note is you can, of course, turn it on and off remotely.
You can use your phone from wherever you are and just turn it on and off.
That's great, but maybe you don't want to do it by hand.
Maybe you want to set up a schedule.
That's the second thing we can talk about.
You're going to set up a schedule so that every day it turns on when you get home.
It comes back, and everything is ready for you when you arrive.
The third thing you can do actually set up scenes.
This is like a schedule, but you can actually group various appliances together, which is
really useful.
Every time you turn on that television, it also turns on that space heater.
Maybe it gives you a little bit of music.
[background music]
Gabe: This really sets the mood and the ambiance for your space.
That's a really cool element.
The final thing we'll say is maybe you just want to be able to control it with your voice
at all times.
It actually integrates with Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, and Apple HomeKit.
You can speak directly to Siri and make sure that it's turning on that space heater, so
you're nice and comfortable without even leaving your couch.
Those are the features that come with the iDevices Switch.
[background music]
Gabe: Hold on a second.
I hope you're enjoying today's review of the iDevices Switch.
If you want to be kept up-to-date on the latest in smart plugs, smart bulbs, and just smart
home security, subscribe to our channel.
We're dropping new content weekly.
Let's get back to the video.
Now that we've gone through the feature set, let's talk about that installation experience
with the iDevices Switch.
It's pretty straightforward.
Take your mobile device, go to your favorite app store, download the app, make sure you're
on your home's WiFi, and then you're going to plug in your iDevices Switch like so.
From here, you're going to use the code provided to link the two.
Make sure it's on the WiFi.
It's going to download that firmware update, and you're ready to go.
Painless experience.
It probably takes you fewer than five minutes altogether.
The final thing I want to jump into today with the iDevices Switch is the iDevices Connected
mobile application.
Here is where you're going to be interfacing with your smart plug -- turning it on and
off, setting up your schedules.
Unfortunately, all that work is being really appreciated by the consumers.
In the Apple App Store, it has a 3.8 out of 5 stars.
In the Google Play Store, it has a 3.7 out of 5 stars.
People seem to like the app for the most part.
Let's go ahead and check it out on my iPhone X.
Here I am checking out the iDevices Switch in the iDevices Connected application.
If you look on the very bottom, I have the switch connected.
Let's use that primary function of turning it on and off with the tapping motion.
I tap on switch.
You'll hear a mechanical click, and it will come on.
[mechanical clicking]
Gabe: Voila.
There you have it.
I'm able to do everything I want by tapping on the switch.
If I want to go ahead and turn that back off, I'll tap it again.
[mechanical clicking]
Gabe: Now, it's off.
What's cool about the iDevices Switch is that it gives you a little bit more.
You can look directly at your energy usage right on that initial home page.
You also have the ability to look at your schedules and add schedules from that point.
You can even use the night light.
If I click night light on the right, there's a little half-moon or a crescent moon action,
and I can tap that.
Now, you see that the night light is actually on.
I can change this color to whatever I'd like.
You'll see now I can make it go blue, green, yellow, orange, red, back to purple.
Let me get out of here, and let's check out some of the other functionality in the mobile
application.
You have scenes.
Scenes basically allow you to set up various actions for your iDevices Switch.
You can have the night light come on.
It basically lets you group various appliances if you have more than one switch.
If you go to the right of that, you'll see schedules.
If I want to make a schedule, I can hit tap.
I can schedule the switch.
Let's say I want it to turn off every day by the time I'm gone to work.
Now, I've hit off, let's say, 8:00 AM.
I left the office or I left my house, let's say, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday,
and Friday.
Every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, it's going to turn off this particular
lamp at 8:00 AM.
Does everything look good with this schedule?
Yes, it does.
Hit done, and boom, schedule for switch created.
Now, I have two schedules set up.
One for 7:34 when I have to be up, and one for 8:00 AM when I have to be out.
If you note in the iDevices Connected app, to the right of that, there's a triggers,
but that is for a different iDevices products.
The final one that you'll see on the far right, final icon, that zigzag, that lightning bolt
is for energy, where you can look at your energy for the day and for the week to get
an idea of how much you're using, which I think is especially useful as we try to save
money and live more sustainably.
The last thing I want to look at today is the integrations with smart platforms.
Fortunately, the iDevices Switch actually integrates with the three major platforms
-- Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, and yes -- Apple HomeKit.
Apple HomeKit isn't the most popular one out there, so I'm really excited to see it.
Let's go ahead and demo that now.
Turn on my switch.
[mechanical clicking]
Siri: OK.
The switch is on.
Gabe: You'll note that just talking to Siri with that Apple HomeKit enabled, I'm able
to turn on my smart bulb.
I'm really excited to see Apple HomeKit integration directly with the iDevices Switch.
[background music]
Gabe: We've reached the end of our review of the iDevices Switch, and we demonstrated
a lot of features, but you want to know is it right for me.
I'll say this.
It's 29.95, which puts it right in the middle of its competitors.
For that 29.95, you're getting a ton of functionality.
You can, of course, control your appliances remotely.
We can also set up scenes to have iDevices Switches integrate with one another, so you
don't have to have one or two working separately.
You can have three or four all working together.
You also have scheduling available to you and integration with the three major platforms
-- Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, and Apple HomeKit.
It doesn't have the highest app ratings out there, but they're far more than just adequate.
Overall, I don't have a lot of bad things to say about the iDevices Switch and feel
like it can do a lot for you and your family's smart plug needs.
That concludes our review of the iDevices Switch.
If you appreciated today's video, give us a like and hit that "Subscribe" button.
As always, this is Gabe at Security Baron.
Be secure.