Following on from other recent Aqara product announcements, the Shenzhen-based company has now unveiled an updated version of their popular M2 Zigbee 3.0 gateway, a story we originally broke back in December of last year.
The boosted version of the M2 now features Matter compatibility out of the box, which is a feature now offered for all existing M2 hubs from either China or international markets. Alongside this, the M2 can now be powered directly via the ethernet port (known as Power over Ethernet or PoE), although the micro-USB port remains in situations where the hub is used in wireless mode.
On top of this, Aqara claims that a new Dual-core A7 chip is now utilised for even faster processing times. The base of the unit has also gotten a minor boost in the form of a quarter-inch threaded hole so that it can be installed in places not previously possible.
Finally, like the Aqara G3, G2H Pro, and the 2nd geb M1S, the new M2 PoE also gets the ability to store and use custom audio files as ringtones. As this is initially for the Chinese market, there’s no way of telling if this model will eventually make it to international customers.
It may not matter though (no pun intended) as the Aqara M3 is slated for a release by the end of this year, which is designed to not only allow Aqara Zigbee devices to be exposed to Matter but also serve as a Thread Border Router, and a Matter Controller, which can directly connect and manage Thread and Matter-compatible smart home devices. The Company also plans to open its Aqara Home app to support third-party Matter devices.