There is a glut of smart home hubs on the market, from Wink to Nuzii and beyond. Many are retailing below $200, but that’s just the start of what you buy. Even Quirky’s products — which have prices below $100 for window sensors, water sensors, and smart light switches — still add up to several hundred dollars when you put the whole package together.
Elan’s g! connector recently launched, and it promises to connect everything in your home, though it’s being coy about pricing. Installing the company’s Whole House system, from lighting controls to video cameras to irrigation, can cost tens of thousands of dollars. The g! however, is the company’s first foray into the “sub-$1,000 market,” according to the press release.
The system is customizable, offering a remote that can “manage up to 16 zones of security, two electronic door locks, an audio/video receiver with up to 32 connected TVs, up to 24 lighting keypads, three thermostats, three IP surveillance cameras, up to 16 groups of irrigation, and an app available for iOS and Android.” But because the g! “can be configured to do as much, or as little as you want,” it’s not clear if you can get all that functionality for under $1,000. Elan claims g! “integrates flawlessly with the leading suppliers of lighting, climate, security and other home automation systems,” though we didn’t see, for example, Nest listed amongst its devices.
Unlike devices like Rico, which are crowdfunded and sent to buyers to install themselves, those interested in g! need to go through an Elan dealer. In addition to all the options listed above, a questionnaire you can send to a dealer also asks if you’d like automated drapes and to control your pool or spa with g!.
Aside from wall-mounted screens that control their devices, Elan seems to pride themselves on seamless, invisible integration. For those starting their smart homes from scratch, the g! makes sense.
