Amazon Echo Hub 8-inch Smart Home Control Display (B09BLGDRR5) vs Aqara Hub M2 Zigbee 3.0 Coordinator with Ethernet, IR Blaster and Local Automation
What separates them
These two differ on 8 recorded specifications. The Amazon Echo Hub 8-inch Smart Home Control Display (B09BLGDRR5) is ₹11,509 dearer.
Amazon Echo Hub 8-inch Smart Home Control Display (B09BLGDRR5) vs Aqara Hub M2 Zigbee 3.0 Coordinator with Ethernet, IR Blaster and Local Automation
Amazon
Amazon Echo Hub 8-inch Smart Home Control Display (B09BLGDRR5)
₹17,999
Three radios in one wall panel is what makes this worth its price: Zigbee, Thread and a Matter controller, which means it pairs the Zigbee sensors and the Thread devices in this catalogue without any additional hub.
Full details →
Aqara
Aqara Hub M2 Zigbee 3.0 Coordinator with Ethernet, IR Blaster and Local Automation
₹6,490
The single specification that justifies the price over a Rs2,000 Wi-Fi gateway is that automations are stored on the hub and run there.
Full details →Who the Amazon Echo Hub 8-inch Smart Home Control Display is for
Buy it if: Anyone consolidating Zigbee, Thread and Matter devices behind one wall-mounted controller.
Avoid it if: Anyone outside the Alexa ecosystem, and anyone wanting a portable display -- this is designed to be wall mounted.
Who the Aqara Hub M2 Zigbee 3.0 Coordinator with Ethernet, IR Blaster and Local Automation is for
Buy it if: Anyone building a Zigbee system who wants automations that keep running when the internet does not.
Avoid it if: Anyone with only Wi-Fi devices, and anyone wanting Thread or Matter-over-Thread -- that is the M3.
Specifications, side by side
8 of 19 rows differ. Differences first.
| Specification | Amazon Echo Hub 8-inch Smart Home Control Display | Aqara Hub M2 Zigbee 3.0 Coordinator with Ethernet, IR Blaster and Local Automation |
|---|---|---|
| Price | ₹17,999 | ₹6,490 |
| Battery life | Not applicable, mains powered | Backup battery not included; mains only |
| Hub required | This is the hub -- Built-in Zigbee and Thread radios; acts as a Matter controller and Thread border router | This is the hub -- Coordinates up to 128 Zigbee child devices |
| Local control | Partial. Zigbee, Thread and Matter device control is local; Alexa voice commands still require internet | Yes. Automations stored on the hub execute with the internet disconnected, which is the main reason to buy it |
| Power source | Power over Ethernet, or mains with the optional adapter | Mains via USB-C |
| Protocol | Wi-Fi, Zigbee, Thread, Matter controller, Bluetooth | Zigbee 3.0 coordinator, Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz and Ethernet uplink, infrared |
| Warranty | 1 Year Official Brand Warranty | 1 Year Manufacturer Warranty |
| Weather rating | IP20, indoor wall mount | IP20, indoor use only |
| Works with | Alexa ecosystem; controls Matter and Zigbee devices from any brand | Apple Home, Alexa, Google Home, IFTTT |
| Alarm siren | not published | Built in, up to 90 dB |
| Built-in radios | Zigbee, Thread, Matter, Bluetooth LE | not published |
| Camera | None -- unlike other Echo Show devices | not published |
| Display | 8 inch touchscreen, 1280 x 800 | not published |
| Infrared blaster | not published | 360 degree, with a learning mode for unlisted remotes |
| Local automation | not published | Hub-stored rules run without internet |
| Mounting | Wall mount, flush, with in-wall PoE or adapter power | not published |
| Neutral wire | not published | Not applicable |
| Thread border router | Yes -- this is what Thread devices such as the Aqara P2 need | not published |
| Uplink | not published | Ethernet or Wi-Fi -- Ethernet is the more reliable of the two |
| Zigbee capacity | not published | Up to 128 devices |
Every row is a figure one or both products record. A blank is a figure the catalogue does not hold, not a zero.
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