Aqara Hub M2 Zigbee 3.0 Coordinator with Ethernet, IR Blaster and Local Automation vs Amazon Echo Pop Smart Speaker with Alexa and Built-in Smart Home Hub
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.
Aqara Hub M2 Zigbee 3.0 Coordinator with Ethernet, IR Blaster and Local Automation vs Amazon Echo Pop Smart Speaker with Alexa and Built-in Smart Home Hub
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 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 →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 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.
Specifications, side by side
6 of 19 rows differ. Differences first.
| Specification | Aqara Hub M2 Zigbee 3.0 Coordinator with Ethernet, IR Blaster and Local Automation | Amazon Echo Pop Smart Speaker with Alexa and Built-in Smart Home Hub |
|---|---|---|
| Price | ₹6,490 | ₹4,999 |
| Battery life | Backup battery not included; mains only | Not applicable, mains powered |
| Hub required | This is the hub -- Coordinates up to 128 Zigbee child devices | This is the controller -- Acts as a Matter controller for Matter devices on the same network |
| Local control | Yes. Automations stored on the hub execute with the internet disconnected, which is the main reason to buy it | Partial. Matter device commands are local; every voice command is processed in Amazon's cloud and fails without internet |
| Power source | Mains via USB-C | Mains via included adapter |
| Protocol | Zigbee 3.0 coordinator, Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz and Ethernet uplink, infrared | Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz, Bluetooth, Matter controller |
| Works with | Apple Home, Alexa, Google Home, IFTTT | Alexa ecosystem; controls Matter devices from any brand |
| 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 | Built in, up to 90 dB | 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 |
| Matter controller | not published | Yes |
| Microphone | not published | Far-field, with a hardware mute switch |
| Speaker | not published | 49.5 mm front-firing driver |
| Thread border router | not published | No -- that is the 4th generation Echo |
| Uplink | Ethernet or Wi-Fi -- Ethernet is the more reliable of the two | 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.