In the early 2000s, smart homes were only for the elite and luxury home interiors. However, it is now very easy to find gadgets that can transform your house into a "smart home". Keeping notes of the tech trends of 2022 as defined by Forbes, we've curated this list of smart home devices that'll simplify your life and upgrade your lifestyle. From security to entertainment, we've found products that won't cost you a bomb, and you can very easily seek the benefits of the latest technology. Also, don't worry; you don't have to be tech-savvy to set up your smart home. All you'll need is some easy installation, a smartphone, a Wi-Fi connection, and an outlet.
Entertainment To Security: Check Out These 6 Smart Home Devices Under INR 5000
Amazon All-New Echo Dot With Clock
₹5499
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I personally use the Alexa Echo Dot and find it to be the easiest way to indulge in music. The latest Echo Dot also comes with an LED display that shows time, outdoor temperature, or timers. With improved bass, you can play music, set alarms and ask questions on the Echo Dot. It's a simple and enjoyable way to have a dance party or relax in your spare time.
Discounted Price: INR 3,149
Tip: You can even go for a Google Home Mini with Google Assistant Smart Speaker. This smart speaker with a voice-activated feature will become your best friend in no time. With an easy installation, this is one of the most basic ways to convert your home into a smart home. Powered by the Google Assistant, you can play music on streaming apps or with Bluetooth, ask questions, set daily reminders, and get news updates on this Google Home Mini. It's a fun and all-rounder gadget that you can update your home with!
Amazon Fire TV Stick With All-New Alexa Voice Remote
₹4999
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The Amazon Fire TV Stick converts any TV with an HDMI port into a smart TV and is convenient as hell. We use it to stream everything from YouTube to Netflix, Prime, and Disney+ Hotstar on our TV. However, you can also use it to browse the internet and use a tonne of apps. It makes the viewing experience so much better. It also has a screen mirroring feature, which comes in pretty handy to enlarge those photos and videos on our phones.
Discounted Price: INR 2,199
Philips Smart Wi-Fi LED Bulb
₹1999
One of our best purchases this year has been this smart LED bulb by Philips. It requires no hub (like the Philips Hue range), is easy to install and you can use it with the WIZ app. It has 16 million colours to set the right mood for your room and home. One can also schedule these bulbs to light up or switch off at pre-determined times. The power outage recovery feature means the bulbs don't lose their settings in case of a power failure (perfect for Indian homes). It's compatible with Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri as well.
Discounted Price: INR 635
Looking for options for smart lights from other brands, read here.
Qubo Smart WiFi Wireless Video Doorbell
₹9990
If security has been one of the things you've been looking to invest in for your home, you can check out this Qubo video doorbell. At a nominal price, you can easily install this and stay stress-free about keeping a check on who visits your home. You can access it from your phone, and it also works with Alexa and Google Assistant. This also warns you of intruders, allowing you to travel with confidence. It has a do not disturb feature too, if you want to have a quiet afternoon. We're sure that once you've used it for a while, it'll come in handy.
Discounted Price: INR 5,990
Smarteefi WiFi Smart Power Extension Strip
₹4999
Saving electricity and remotely switching on or switching off your small home appliances becomes so much easier with this smart home device. You can control each socket individually with the Smarteefi app (Android and iOS) and even schedule your devices to switch on or off at a particular time. This power extension strip also supports Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant and will send you a notification whenever someone manually switches on or off your appliances.
Discounted Price: INR 2,799
HAMMER WiFi Remote
₹2499
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Your TV, air-conditioner, home theatre, set-top box, and basically everything that communicates using Infrared (IR) signals can be controlled with this one smart home device. Perfect for one room (since IR signals cannot penetrate walls), the device works with a variety of remote brands and you can even feed the IR codes into the app for remotes it doesn't support out of the box. The universal remote is also compatible with Alexa and Google Assistant.
Discounted Price: INR 599