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Belkin Wemo devices let you automate your lights and appliances or control them right from your phone.
Now the new Wemo Bridge for Apple HomeKit wants to let Siri take control too.
Plug it into your router and sync it up with Apple's Home app on your iOS device, and you'll be able to control most of your existing Wemo accessories alongside other HomeKit Compatible gadgets or turn things on and off using Siri commands.
Available now, the Weemo Bridge retails for $40 and that actually seems pretty fair to me.
Afterall, if you wanna control your Weemo gadgets using an assistant like Alexa or the Google assistant then you need to spend at least that much on a compatible smart speaker like one of these, asking $40 to add Siri into the picture seems like a reasonable ask In comparison.
The nice thing here is that the Wemo Bridge is really easy to use.
You plug it into your router using the attached nine inch land cable and then you plug it into power with the included micro usb cable.
Open up the home app and tap the little plus sign icon to add a device.
Then, select the Wemo Bridge.
From there, it'll automatically import all of your devices into the home app like a bouncer checking their ids and letting them inside.
The HomeKit Club.
One more thing I like about the WeMo Bridge is that it supports a pretty wide assembly of WeMo gadgets.
Along with the current gen WeMo mini and WeMo dimmer, devices like this original first gen WeMo light switch, and even the first gen WeMo smart switches which aren't even sold anymore are all supported by this home bridge, plug it in and they'll all be HomeKit compatible.
Now Belkin told me that WeMo's wired motion Motion detector will be supported as well.
And indeed, the Wemo Bridge brought it over into the home map when I tested it out.
However, it was often unresponsive.
And the home map couldn't even tell that it was a motion detector to begin with, so I couldn't use it.
I suspect that more fine-tuning is in order.
Hopefully, Apple and Belkin find a fix soon.
All in all, I think this is a good product that At a fair price that works as promised.
If you've been patiently awaiting the day when Siri can turn your Wemo gear on and off, and all the lights and appliances you've got plugged into them, then your wait is over.
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