We’re nearly done with the first month of the year, and the holidays have since past. Now it’s time to think about future purchases for the year. Smart home gadgets were really coming on strong in 2019, with security cameras, smart lights, and smart speakers. That trend is bound to continue this year. What is the first smart home gadget you plan to buy in 2020?
Our Opinion
For Elsie, it has to be a smart plug. She’s “had enough strangely high power bills” and needs to keep them in check. If she saves up enough cash, she’ll probably get a smart refrigerator someday.
Simon has been very tempted to get smart lights recently, ones you can set on a schedule and adjust from wherever you are.
David is “tempted to finally pull the trigger on a smart plug,” just like Elsie. He’s been hesitant to start putting more than one or two smart home products in his house as is. Products like the Wemo smart plug are a cheap and easy way he can get started without feeling like he has to fully commit.
Sayak is interested in a dedicated video-calling display, similar to Facebook Portal. He’s seen neighbors use them to stay in touch with their distant loved ones, and he thinks “they look fabulous.” However, he also wants greater privacy controls and an option to turn off location tracking.
Odysseas still regards smart home gadgets as too pricey for what they’re supposed to do – at least in Greece, where he lives. He doesn’t want to pay a full month’s pay to “have my lights turn on when I clap my hands or yodel.” He’s thinking of adding a new Raspberry Pi to his existing mix of tech, though. He wants it to hack into a device that can be a voice assistant, information, media, and gaming center that can stream Steam games to his daughter’s bedroom and would like to find some time to do this before the end of the year.
I might be putting a different security camera on my home. I have had one installed for the past year-and-a-half, and I feel much safer with it, but it doesn’t do all the things I’d like it to. I’d prefer to have a Ring-type camera, but I don’t think I want to enter into the security concerns that the actual Ring brings. I had added a few smart lights and really enjoyed the convenience, but one burned out already, and I don’t know if I want to keep replacing the bulbs at that expense.
Your Opinion
Are any of these products something you are considering in your home? Are you looking to start simple, such as a smart plug or smart lights, or would you rather DIY it with a Raspberry Pi? What is the first smart home gadget you plan to buy in 2020? Tell us in the comments below.
Laura has spent nearly 20 years writing news, reviews, and op-eds, with more than 10 of those years as an editor as well. She has exclusively used Apple products for the past three decades. In addition to writing and editing at MTE, she also runs the site’s sponsored review program.
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