European smart home developer Shelly Group, has announced several new IoT and smart building products ahead of CES 2024, including components that utilize the Z-Wave 800 (Z-Wave Plus) chipset and its all-new Shelly Gen3 processor, which will power a new range of Matter-compatible Internet of Things (IoT) devices.
The new Z-Wave products, which will be marketed under the Qubino Wave brand name, include two smart plugs, one for the U.S. market and one for the U.K.; a series of AC- and DC-powered controller modules; and a collection of smart switches designed to operate inside a home’s breaker box.
Shelly Qubino Wave Plug US (there’s a UK version as well) is based on the Z-Wave 800 chipset.
Shelly Group
The Shelly Qubino Wave Plug US (and its UK counterpart) can control a connected load—a lamp, fan, space heater, or the like, turning it on or off—as well as tracking that device’s energy consumption. It can manage loads consuming up to 1,800 watts at 15 amps. The UK version features an LED light ring that changes color to report status and power consumption.
Shelly’s Wave i4 and Wave i4 DC are 4-input digital controllers for other Z-Wave devices. The former runs on 120-240V AC power while the latter runs on 5-24V DC power. Designed to be installed behind existing switches, both controllers can activate scenes, perform synchronized actions, or trigger complex scenarios involving one or many other Z-Wave-capable devices (smart lights, window shades, blinds, and so on).
Shelly says its new Gen3 processor enabled it to shrink components like the Shelly PM Mini Gen3 smart power meter (connected to a UK outlet in this photo) to 35 percent the size of the previous generation.
Shelly Group
The company also announced a new family of Shelly Gen3 products, powered by the third-generation Shelly Chip. This new processor features 8MB of memory—double that of the preceding generation—the components it powers can be upgraded to Matter compatibility. The company says its new processor also supports “virtual” components, enabling you to manage and control third-party IoT devices from the Shelly app.
The Shelly H&T Gen3, shown up top, is one of the new products to be based on the third-gen processor. This Wi-Fi smart sensor tracks a home’s indoor temperature and humidity levels and displays them on an e-ink panel. In one use case, the sensor can work in conjunction with a Shelly smart plug to turn a connected space heater on and off to regulate the temperature in the room in which both devices are operating.
We’ll update this news story with pricing information when Shelly Group announces it next week at CES.
Author: James Barber, Contributor
James began his career as music director at college radio station WHRB. Over the past three decades, he’s managed the legendary Georgia rock band Drivin’ N’ Cryin’, signed Grammy-winning recording artist Lisa Loeb as an A&R executive at Geffen Records, and worked as a producer for artists like Ryan Adams. He currently advises the startup music companies Soapbox Studios and 24/7 Artists and writes about the history of the entertainment business on Subastack at Stars After Stars After Stars. As a freelancer, he has contributed to Slate, the Robb Report, and Rick Beato’s Everything Music channel on YouTube.