Aqara Hub M2 Zigbee 3.0 Coordinator with Ethernet, IR Blaster and Local Automation vs Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen) Smart Speaker with Alexa (B09B8V1LZ3)
What separates them
These two differ on 2 recorded specifications. The Aqara Hub M2 Zigbee 3.0 Coordinator with Ethernet, IR Blaster and Local Automation is ₹2,000 dearer.
Aqara Hub M2 Zigbee 3.0 Coordinator with Ethernet, IR Blaster and Local Automation vs Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen) Smart Speaker with Alexa (B09B8V1LZ3)
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 →Amazon
Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen) Smart Speaker with Alexa (B09B8V1LZ3)
₹4,490
A capable Alexa endpoint with one specification people assume and do not get: it is a Matter controller but not a Thread border router, so Matter-over-Thread sensors still need one elsewhere in the house.
Full details →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.
Who the Amazon Echo Dot is for
Buy it if: Anyone adding Alexa voice control to a second room, or wanting temperature-triggered routines.
Avoid it if: Anyone who needs a Thread border router, or wants music quality from a single small driver.
Specifications, side by side
2 of 22 rows differ. Differences first.
| Specification | Aqara Hub M2 Zigbee 3.0 Coordinator with Ethernet, IR Blaster and Local Automation | Amazon Echo Dot |
|---|---|---|
| Price | ₹6,490 | ₹4,490 |
| Local control | Yes. Automations stored on the hub execute with the internet disconnected, which is the main reason to buy it | No -- every voice command is processed in Amazon's cloud |
| Warranty | 1 Year Manufacturer Warranty | 1 Year Official Brand Warranty |
| Alarm siren | Built in, up to 90 dB | not published |
| Battery life | Backup battery not included; mains only | not published |
| Built-in sensors | not published | Temperature sensor and accelerometer |
| Connectivity | not published | Wi-Fi 2.4 and 5 GHz, Bluetooth, Matter controller |
| Driver | not published | 44 mm front-firing |
| Hub required | This is the hub -- Coordinates up to 128 Zigbee child devices | not published |
| Infrared blaster | 360 degree, with a learning mode for unlisted remotes | not published |
| Languages | not published | English and Hindi, including mixed-language commands |
| Local automation | Hub-stored rules run without internet | not published |
| Microphones | not published | Far-field array with a hardware mute switch |
| Neutral wire | Not applicable | not published |
| Power source | Mains via USB-C | not published |
| Protocol | Zigbee 3.0 coordinator, Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz and Ethernet uplink, infrared | not published |
| Rated power | not published | 15 W adapter |
| Thread border router | not published | No -- the 4th generation Echo has one, this does not |
| Uplink | Ethernet or Wi-Fi -- Ethernet is the more reliable of the two | not published |
| Weather rating | IP20, indoor use only | not published |
| Weight | not published | 304 g |
| Works with | Apple Home, Alexa, Google Home, IFTTT | not published |
| Zigbee capacity | Up to 128 devices | not published |
Every row is a figure one or both products record. A blank is a figure the catalogue does not hold, not a zero.