The price increase in technology is exhausting. With the recent price increases across the Apple lineup, seeing items go down in price is becoming rare. The Amazon Basics smart plug is one of the rare exceptions that seems to be holding the line. With Matter support and a price under $10, it may be my new go-to smart plug. Let’s take a look.
HomeKit Weekly is a series focused on smart home accessories, automation tips and tricks, and everything to do with Apple’s smart home framework.
The key feature of this Amazon Basics plug is its Matter support. For Apple Home folks, this means you can completely ignore the fact that previous Amazon-branded gear was Alexa only. Because Matter establishes a universal format for smart home hardware, this plug pairs directly with Apple just as easily as it does with Alexa or Google Home. You do not need to download a separate Amazon app just to get it running. As long as you have a Matter-compatible Apple home hub, like a HomePod mini or an Apple TV 4K, the plug talks directly to your existing Apple ecosystem over your Wi-Fi network. There is a Matter code right inside the box
IMO, smart plugs are arguably the most versatile and important building blocks of any smart home setup. While smart bulbs are great for overhead fixtures, outlet adapters let you bring automation to appliances that cannot be easily retrofitted.
Another major win here on this plug is the physical footprint. Early smart plugs were often bulky, frequently blocking both of the outlets and forcing you to use surge protectors. Amazon designed this plug with a highly compact form factor. It fits perfectly into a single socket, leaving the other outlet completely clear for other appliances or a second smart plug if you want to stack them.
There is a trade-off to be aware of before you buy Amazon’s Matter smart plug. This is a 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi-only device rather than a Thread-enabled plug. Wi-Fi plugs can occasionally introduce a bit of latency compared to the near-instant response of a Thread device, and they add another device to your router’s legacy client list. However, at a price point under $10, complaining about the lack of Thread is short-sighted. I’ve been using this for the last few weeks, and it’s really solid. It just does what you ask.
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Bradley has worked at K-12 independent schools for much of the last 20 years, serving as the head of the information technology department and leading classroom technology integration. He’s well-versed in enterprise Wi-Fi, macOS and iOS system management, school technology, and SaaS tools.
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