Aqara has announced its first battery-powered presence sensor, which can be installed nearly anywhere in your home to automate smart devices as your family comes and goes. Instead of having to hide a cord and plan its location around a power source, a pair of CR2450 coin cell batteries powers the Presence Multi-Sensor FP300 for up to three years when using it with a Zigbee smart home setup, or up to two years if you’ve upgraded to Thread. It’s available now through Amazon or Aqara’s website for $49.99.
The FP300 uses a combination of passive infrared (PIR) and 60 GHz mmWave radar sensors to detect moving or stationary people up to 20 feet away so you can set up automations that turn on lights when someone enters a room, or turns off various smart home devices after a room has been empty for a few minutes. The FP300 also features built-in temperature, humidity, and light sensors so you can automate climate control settings for comfort or energy efficiency.
With both Zigbee and Matter over Thread support, the sensor can be used across smart home platforms including Apple Home, Google Home, Amazon Alexa, and Samsung SmartThings. If you stick with Zigbee, in addition to longer battery life, you can adjust the FP300’s detection range in the Aqara Home mobile app, and turn off individual sensors to further extend its battery life. The switch to battery power does come with some tradeoffs. The FP300 lacks the multi-person detection, fall detection, and real-time heart and respiratory rate monitoring while you sleep that’s available with Aqara’s more expensive FP2 presence sensor.
