What you need to know
- Nokia and SmartLabs have teamed up to create the first Nokia Smart Lighting line of products.
- Options include switches, keypads, outlets, and a wireless bridge for offline control.
- Nokia Smart Lighting controls are designed to bridge the gap between traditional and smart devices and begin shipping in September.
Nokia, of all companies, is delving into the smart home space in a rather unique and interesting way with the eponymous Nokia Smart Lighting line. Instead of jumping into the rather crowded space of best smart lights, Nokia is partnering with SmartLabs to create smart switches that bridge the gap between physical and digital controls.
Essentially, Nokia Smart Lighting is designed to make existing devices in your home smarter by replacing the switches that control them, enabling you to better control all of your devices without completely replacing them.
The full product line includes dial and paddle switches, a four-button multi-function keypad, an outlet, and a bridge. All of these switches and outlets work with any traditional product you might have, from older incandescent lights to newer dimmable LED bulbs.
The Nokia Smart Lighting app helps you get things set up and calibrate your existing lights for the best experience.
To complete the circuit, Nokia is tying directly into Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, making it easy to control these devices with your phone, your voice, or with automated routines that involve other smart home devices you might also have.
All of the Nokia Smart Lighting products are designed to "work together" with or without a bridge, which is good since none of these products come cheap. Adding a Nokia bridge to your system will enable offline control, however, so if that's something that appeals to you, you might want to consider it.
Most of the switches retail for around $55 apiece and do not come with a wall plate, which starts at $4 apiece. These are screwless plates, though, so they've got a custom-fit magnetic solution that makes them elegant and easy to mount. You can find all of the Nokia Smart Lighting solutions at the Nokia website, which will begin shipping in September.
