Nanoleaf’s Sense Plus: A Smart Switch Revolution Fueled by Litewave
After a long and winding road, Nanoleaf’s much-anticipated smart switch, the Sense Plus, has finally arrived. This $30 wireless “anywhere” switch – available for pre-order now with an October release date – represents a significant departure for the company, both in terms of its technology and its approach to the smart home market.
Nanoleaf’s journey to the Sense Plus has been marked by a pivot away from its early adoption of Thread, a low-power wireless network protocol, and the development of a proprietary alternative: Litewave. This move highlights the challenges faced by manufacturers as they navigate the evolving landscape of smart home connectivity and the complexities of emerging standards like Matter, a unifying protocol designed to bridge the gap between different ecosystems.
A Touch of Control, A Glimpse of the Future
The Sense Plus offers users physical control over Nanoleaf’s smart lighting system, allowing them to turn lights on or off, dim or brighten, and even change colors with a simple press of a button. The device’s built-in motion and light sensors also provide intelligent automation, adjusting lighting based on ambient conditions.
But the Sense Plus isn’t just about simple control. It features two configurable buttons that can be programmed in the Nanoleaf app, offering users extensive customization options. These buttons can be used to trigger complex automations, integrating with other smart devices through Matter, creating a seamless smart home experience.
For example, pressing a single button could initiate a "Movie Time" scene, dimming the lights, closing the blinds, and even adjusting the thermostat, all in one go. However, since not all Matter platforms currently support smart buttons, Nanoleaf’s Matter integration for the Sense Plus is currently in an early access program.
Solving Connectivity Challenges with Litewave
Nanoleaf’s decision to create Litewave was born out of necessity. While the company remains a strong advocate for Thread and has integrated it into its Essentials light bulbs and strips, it faced significant challenges in implementing Matter over Thread.
As Nanoleaf Co-Founder and CEO Gimmy Chu explains, "We don’t have control over the Matter controller, which is responsible for making sure that things like pairing work correctly and that the Thread network is being maintained correctly. We needed to make sure that our products would work reliably with less dependence on the platforms."
Litewave, a proprietary local protocol operating over the same 802.15.4 radio as Bluetooth/Thread, allows the Sense Plus to communicate seamlessly with all Nanoleaf lights, regardless of whether they utilize Thread, Bluetooth, or Wi-Fi. This ensures instantaneous control across the entire Nanoleaf ecosystem, free from the "popcorn" effect that can occur with other wireless technologies.
"With Litewave, we can simultaneously be part of the Matter over Thread mesh network and also support our communication," Chu says. "We’ve tested it with over 100 devices across 10,000 square feet, and everything is instantaneous with about 100 percent reliability."
A Matter of Choice: Embracing Wi-Fi for Broader Reach
Beyond the Sense Plus, Nanoleaf’s commitment to expanding its product reach has led to the development of its first Matter over Wi-Fi light bulb, the Essentials Matter Wi-Fi A19 Smart Bulb, specifically designed for Walmart customers. This full-color and tunable white bulb comes in two-packs for $29.99 and demonstrates Nanoleaf’s strategic alignment with the mass market.
"The mass market does not know what Thread is," Chu observes. "When launching into a place like Walmart, we wanted to make sure we were catering to as broad an audience as possible."
Nanoleaf’s decision to embrace Wi-Fi for its Walmart bulb echoes a similar trend across the smart home industry. Other leading manufacturers like Aqara are also introducing products that support both Thread and Zigbee, reflecting a broader acknowledgment of the need for multiple protocols to meet the diverse needs of the market.
The Future of Connectivity: Thread’s Evolution and the Power of Choice
While the recent release of Thread 1.4 aims to address many of the current issues with its implementation, it will take time for manufacturers to adopt the new specifications. As Matter continues to evolve, achieving feature parity across different protocols remains a long-term goal, but for now, manufacturers like Nanoleaf are strategically addressing the limitations of Thread by embracing alternative solutions like Litewave and Wi-Fi.
Nanoleaf’s investment in Litewave and its strategic partnership with Walmart demonstrate a commitment to embracing diverse connectivity solutions and catering to a wider range of customers. The Sense Plus, combined with the new Essentials Matter Wi-Fi A19 Smart Bulb, represents Nanoleaf’s commitment to providing reliable, intuitive, and accessible smart home solutions, catering to both tech enthusiasts and the broader consumer market. As the landscape of smart home technologies continues to evolve, the company’s proactive approach to addressing connectivity challenges and embracing multiple protocols positions Nanoleaf for continued success in a rapidly growing and dynamic market.