Belkin's WeMo Switch just got a lot smaller

Meet the new WeMo Mini. It's a smaller, less expensive version of the original WeMo Switch. Plug it in and plug something else in behind it, and you'll be able to automate that thing using the WeMo app, or any one of the many devices WeMo gear works with. Click through to find out more.

Like the name suggests, the WeMo Mini is much smaller than the original.

That means that it won't block off adjacent outlets like the old WeMo Switch does.

You can even squeeze two WeMo Minis right next to each other in the same outlet, should you choose.

WeMo's app will walk you through the setup process.

Once you've got everything synced up, the WeMo app's rules engine makes it easy to automate your plugs in a variety of ways.

The WeMo Mini works with some notable third-party products and services, including Nest, IFTTT, Google Home and Amazon Alexa (shown here within the Amazon Echo Dot). Those last two will both let you turn the WeMo Mini on and off using simple voice commands.

There's also a button on the switch that'll let you turn it on and off the old-fashioned way.

The WeMo Mini will not track energy usage -- for that, you'll still need to spend a few bucks extra on the WeMo Insight Switch, shown here.

The app isn't perfect -- here, it timed out during the setup process. Fortunately, everything worked after we restarted the app.

The body of the switch isn't the only thing that got smaller -- the price went down, too. To be specific, the WeMo Mini costs $35 (about £30 or AU$50), which is pretty competitive in the smart-switch category. Check out our full review for more details.