On Monday, I had the opportunity to visit IFA in Berlin and the Aqara booth. I have to say, it was a fantastic experience for me. The Aqara developers and staff who gave me a tour were incredibly friendly and attentive. I’d like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank Rachel @KinseyCreateGoods
and Arnold Kong.
My two highlights at the Aqara booth were definitely the U250 smart door lock and—something completely new to me—the Skylight V1 ceiling light series!
They also showcased the W700 boiler thermostat; unfortunately, it is still in the early stages of development and likely won’t hit the market until 2027.
It was also great to see the updated Cube T1, which features a better tactile feel and new colors.
Naturally, the long-awaited M300 hub—featuring the Aqara Studio platform—was also on display. This platform is aimed more at professional smart home users and installers. Hopefully, the M300 will launch soon.
Overall, Aqara seems to be focusing more on lamps and lighting, with increased development of outdoor lights and—hopefully—outdoor devices. I’m excited to see what they reveal at CES in Las Vegas this January.
Now, back to my two highlights.
The U250 is very compact and operates quickly; the software has also been upgraded so that a Bluetooth connection is no longer required to change settings.
The U250 will likely be sold in two colors.
Unfortunately, UWB connectivity is missing—something many users had hoped for! Hopefully, a door lock designed for the European market will follow later…
And finally, the Skylight V1 ceiling light: it comes in three sizes—round, rectangular, and a large square version. I was able to test the light a bit and try out the preset scenes. I really liked this one; it allowed for great color gradients that actually shifted and looked like real clouds. Of course, there were other fun features available, too. All in all, a fantastic line of lamps from Aqara. I’m really looking forward to installing them in my home.
Once again, I’d like to thank Aqara @Caroline_Zzz and Filipp for giving me the opportunity to visit IFA.
Thanks for sharing with us. 
