After initially being revealed as part of a batch of new products late last December, following on from the Aqara S1 and the MagicPad S1, Aqara’s 3rd LED display device, dedicated to thermostat control, has now been officially launched (in Mainland China initially at least) – the Aqara Smart Thermostat S3.
We previously summised that this product would most likely be HomeKit compatible, and now with the newest announcement, HomeKit compatibility has been confirmed. The new S3 can control central air conditioning (HVAC), as well as water and underfloor heating, all from the one central full colour 3.95in LED display. The display itself also has temperature and humidity sensors built-in, although you can have it adjust various parameters based on external Aqara sensors is preferred.
As it’s HomeKit compatible you can control the your HVAC system via Siri, although it also has Aqara’s own smart personal assistant ‘Xiao Qiao’ built-in, which only speaks Mandarin.
Whilst this is initially a Mainland China only release, due to the large scale usage of these types of thermostats in the US and Europe, it’s still a possibility that a version of the S3 will be released internationally at some point. That said, although the dimension of the unit match european recesses, the back portion of the device is square, like the Chinese switches, and not rounded like you would find in European homes.
Thanks to Arthur M. for the tip off.