Belkin expanding WeMo smart home range with four new sensors, as BeeWi plans to compete

Belkin expanding WeMo smart home range with four new sensors, as BeeWi plans to compete



Belkin has announced four new products for its WeMo home automation range, with a focus on home security. You won’t be able to get your hands on them for a while, though: they aren’t set to go on sale until the second half of the year.

All four new products are sensors, capable of sending alerts to the WeMo app and triggering other WeMo devices such as switches, plug sockets and lightbulbs … 
The four new devices are:

• Door/window magnetic sensor, triggered on opening
• Room motion sensor, a more sophisticated version of the existing movement sensor
• Alarm sensor, which monitors dumb alarm devices like smoke and carbon monoxide detectors
• Keychain sensor, designed to alert you when your kids leave or return to the home

A water monitor is also in development.
Belkin says the capabilities of the WeMo app will be extended to support the new products. For example, if you give your kids keychains, you’ll be able to set the app to alert you if they are not home by a certain time.
The WeMo range started with just three products, adding a bunch of new ones at last year’s CES.
The company will likely have new competition by the time the new products are launched. Engadget reports that BeeWi, a company making wireless products in Europe, Canada and parts of South America, plans to bring a rival range of products to the US “in the next few months.” The company says its smart lightbulbs and temperature sensors will sell for $20-25 each.