Amazon Echo Pop Smart Speaker with Alexa and Built-in Smart Home Hub vs Aqara Hub M2 Zigbee 3.0 Coordinator with Ethernet, IR Blaster and Local Automation
What separates them
These two differ on 6 recorded specifications. The Aqara Hub M2 Zigbee 3.0 Coordinator with Ethernet, IR Blaster and Local Automation is ₹1,491 dearer.
Amazon Echo Pop Smart Speaker with Alexa and Built-in Smart Home Hub vs Aqara Hub M2 Zigbee 3.0 Coordinator with Ethernet, IR Blaster and Local Automation
Amazon
Amazon Echo Pop Smart Speaker with Alexa and Built-in Smart Home Hub
₹4,999
Most Indian smart homes are built around a voice assistant rather than an app, and at Rs4,999 this is the cheapest full Alexa endpoint that also acts as a Matter controller.
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 Pop Smart Speaker with Alexa and Built-in Smart Home Hub is for
Buy it if: Anyone building an Alexa-centred home who wants voice control in a second room cheaply.
Avoid it if: Anyone needing a Thread border router, and anyone wanting voice control that survives an outage.
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
6 of 19 rows differ. Differences first.
| Specification | Amazon Echo Pop Smart Speaker with Alexa and Built-in Smart Home Hub | Aqara Hub M2 Zigbee 3.0 Coordinator with Ethernet, IR Blaster and Local Automation |
|---|---|---|
| Price | ₹4,999 | ₹6,490 |
| Battery life | Not applicable, mains powered | Backup battery not included; mains only |
| Hub required | This is the controller -- Acts as a Matter controller for Matter devices on the same network | This is the hub -- Coordinates up to 128 Zigbee child devices |
| Local control | Partial. Matter device commands are local; every voice command is processed in Amazon's cloud and fails without internet | Yes. Automations stored on the hub execute with the internet disconnected, which is the main reason to buy it |
| Power source | Mains via included adapter | Mains via USB-C |
| Protocol | Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz, Bluetooth, Matter controller | Zigbee 3.0 coordinator, Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz and Ethernet uplink, infrared |
| Works with | Alexa ecosystem; controls Matter devices from any brand | Apple Home, Alexa, Google Home, IFTTT |
| Neutral wire | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Warranty | 1 Year Manufacturer Warranty | 1 Year Manufacturer Warranty |
| Weather rating | IP20, indoor use only | IP20, indoor use only |
| Alarm siren | not published | Built in, up to 90 dB |
| Infrared blaster | not published | 360 degree, with a learning mode for unlisted remotes |
| Languages | English and Hindi, including mixed-language commands | not published |
| Local automation | not published | Hub-stored rules run without internet |
| Matter controller | Yes | not published |
| Microphone | Far-field, with a hardware mute switch | not published |
| Speaker | 49.5 mm front-firing driver | not published |
| Thread border router | No -- that is the 4th generation Echo | 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.