Skip to main content
Tech Radar TechRadar the technology experts
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
RSS
Asia
flag of Singapore
Singapore
Europe
flag of Danmark
Danmark
flag of Suomi
Suomi
flag of Norge
Norge
flag of Sverige
Sverige
flag of UK
UK
flag of Italia
Italia
flag of Nederland
Nederland
flag of België (Nederlands)
België (Nederlands)
flag of France
France
flag of Deutschland
Deutschland
flag of España
España
North America
flag of US (English)
US (English)
flag of Canada
Canada
flag of México
México
Australasia
flag of Australia
Australia
flag of New Zealand
New Zealand
  • Phones
  • Computing
  • TVs
  • AI
  • Streaming
  • Health
  • Audio
  • VPN
  • More
    • Cameras
    • Home
    • News
    • Reviews
    • Opinion
    • How to
    • Versus
    • Deals
    • Coupons
    • Best
Tech Radar Pro
Tech Radar Gaming
Trending
  • Nintendo Switch 2
  • ChatGPT
  • Best laptop
  • Best VPN
  • NYT Wordle today

Recommended reading

Philips Hue lightbulbs, Apple HomePod mini speaker, and Blink security camera on purple background
Smart Home The best smart home devices 2025: smart speakers, lights, hubs, and more
Split image showing retrofit smart lock, curtain puller, and switch pusher
Smart Home Build a zero-waste smart home by automating your existing hardware
Philips Hue + Spotify
Smart Lights I have Philips Hue lights everywhere in my home, and this is what I want to see from its AI assistant
Google TV Streamer
Smart Home Google promises more Nest devices are on the way – but two older products have now been discontinued
Various SwitchBot smart home automation devices
Smart Home Hubs Switchbot has totally redesigned its smart home hub – and it's great news for renters
Three smart light bulbs on purple background
Smart Lights The best smart lights 2025: light up your life with smart bulbs and lamps
Three smart plugs on teal background
Smart Plugs The best smart plugs 2025: take control of any electrical appliance
  1. Home
  2. Smart Home

Why 2016 is going to have the best smart home gadgets

News
By James Rogerson published 22 January 2016

Homes are about to get a whole lot more clever

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

What's next in connected gadgets?

What's next in connected gadgets?

The connected home is the next real frontier in tech. Now that we have computers in our pockets and on our wrists it's only logical that the rest of the things we use become smart and web-connected.

Already it's possible to get smarter lights, speakers and even kitchen scales, all of which feature in our guide to the ultimate connected home.

But these are just the tip of the iceberg. Throughout 2016 we're going to see far more connected devices and far better ones, as once dumb appliances overcome their teething problems and fulfil their potential.

The world in which your smartwatch or phone will automatically turn on your lights or heating when you enter a room is incoming – as long as you remember to keep your phone or watch charged, that is.

Page 1 of 9
Page 1 of 9
Samsung Family Hub refrigerator

Samsung Family Hub refrigerator

Smart fridges sometimes get a bad rap, becoming the punchline in the connected home joke. But connected homes aren't a joke any more, and smart fridges are slowly but surely becoming more than just gimmicks.

The Samsung Family Hub Refrigerator has a 21.5-inch 1080p screen, which can be used to display recipes, a calendar, notes and more. The screen can also be used to stream TV and music – and screw sticking your shopping list on the door, you can out and out order your groceries on it.

And the Family Hub has another trick up its sleeve, in the shape of built-in cameras that show you what's in the fridge. You can view the contents from your smartphone wherever you are – so if you get to the shop and aren't sure if you need to buy milk you can just take a look on your phone.

It's set to launch in the early part of 2016 for $5,000 (around £3,400 or AU$7140).

Page 2 of 9
Page 2 of 9
Sony Multifunctional Light

Sony Multifunctional Light

When is a smart light not just a light? When it's Sony's Multifunctional Light. Not only is it app-controlled and capable of shining in a myriad of colours, it can also sense motion – so it can turn itself (or other connected devices) on when it senses your presence – as well as temperature and humidity.

It can also be voice-controlled, and can play music through a built-in speaker – there's even a microSD card slot.

Sadly, the Multifunctional Light isn't out yet and is initially only headed for Japan, but if this is the future of smart lighting it should be well worth the wait.

Page 3 of 9
Page 3 of 9
Amazon Echo

Amazon Echo

$179.99 (roughly £126 / AU$261)

The Amazon Echo could one day be at the heart of smart homes everywhere, especially if the company ever sees fit to release it outside America.

It's a voice-controlled device that talks back, and can be used a lot like Google Now or Siri. You can ask it questions which it will answer by searching the net, or have it check your calendar and set alarms. It can also play music and read ebooks at your command.

But the best thing about the Amazon Echo is that it can connect to an ever-growing number of other smart devices, enabling you to control them – you can turn off your lights, adjust your thermostat, and (coming soon) start your Ford car remotely with voice commands rather than using an app.

Page 4 of 9
Page 4 of 9
Netatmo Presence

Netatmo Presence

The Netatmo Presence is smarter than your average security camera, as it can tell the difference between people, animals and cars – so when it sends you a real-time alert it won't just be warning you of movement, but the type of movement.

Beyond that, this outdoor camera has many of the same features as its connected rivals. You can view live video feeds on your phone, save footage and customise the notifications you get.

At night you can choose to use an infra-red mode to keep on monitoring your home, or switch on a floodlight to deter burglars and light your way if you're coming home after dark.

The Netatmo Presence is not out yet, but it's coming soon and we're jolly excited.

Page 5 of 9
Page 5 of 9
Philips Connected Multicooker

Philips Connected Multicooker

Cooking is an art – unless you have the Philips Connected Multicooker, in which case it's barely even an activity.

This clever device, due to hit the stores this year, links up to the Philips ChefConnect app, which is home to a library of recipes. When you find one you like the look of, just tap on it and simply add ingredients to the oven as and when it prompts you. It's like your mother's supervising you, but without the disapproving tutting.

With 21 cooking programmes the Connected Multicooker does the rest, so you can sit back and relax, knowing your food will be cooked to perfection and that you'll get an alert on your phone when it's done or when you – sigh – need to actually do something.

We're still desperately awaiting the release date and price of this one - not least because the diet of cereals that we try to live on is starting to wear thin.

Page 6 of 9
Page 6 of 9
Neato Botvac Connected

Neato Botvac Connected

Price: £549.97 / $699.99 / AU$1,150

Robot vacuum cleaners are nothing new, but they've come a long way since the futuristic visions of the 1960s – and certainly a lot further than jet packs and cities on the moon.

The Neato Botvac Connected is available right now, and it's one of the most high-tech yet, with app control enabling you to instruct it to clean your house even when you're not in.

The Botvac Connected will also send notifications through the app, and cleaning can be paused and scheduled. Or, if you're on the same Wi-Fi network as your robo vacuum, you can manually control it from the app for optimal cat-scaring fun.

Page 7 of 9
Page 7 of 9
Jibo

Jibo

If you like the look of the Amazon Echo, but wish it was slightly more scary, Jibo might be for you.

Like the Echo, this 'cute' robot is voice-controlled and talks back. It can look things up, interact with other connected devices, take photos and shoot videos, and play video and display information on its built-in screen.

The scary bit is that it can track motion, with the screen turning to face whoever it's speaking to. This makes it a little more lifelike than the Echo, although it's still planted to one spot – which is probably for the best if you don't want to be one of the first victims of the connected gadget uprising.

It's still awaiting a release date, but will go on sale later this year for $749 (£529, around AU$1075).

Page 8 of 9
Page 8 of 9
Samsung SleepSense

Samsung SleepSense

There are quite a few sleep-tracking apps out there, but if you want a deeper insight into your nightly habits you'll need something built from the ground up for the purpose – something like the Samsung SleepSense.

Slip this under your mattress and link it to the accompanying app and you'll be able to get insight into your movements, heart rate and respiratory rate. The SleepSense will also use this information to tell how long you spend in REM sleep and deep (restorative, nice-feeling) sleep, and give you a score based on the average data for your age.

But the Samsung SleepSense doesn't just tell you how you're sleeping – it also gives you advice on how to improve your sleep, and can link to other smart appliances, such as thermostats and light bulbs, to ensure that your sleeping conditions are optimal.

Best of all, in the morning it will gently wake you up at the optimal time, based on the data it's collected - although sadly we're still waiting to see when it'll launch and how much it will cost.

  • Google Brillo could unify smart homes
Page 9 of 9
Page 9 of 9
TOPICS
Samsung Amazon Echo Samsung
James Rogerson
Social Links Navigation

James is a freelance phones, tablets and wearables writer and sub-editor at TechRadar. He has a love for everything ‘smart’, from watches to lights, and can often be found arguing with AI assistants or drowning in the latest apps. James also contributes to 3G.co.uk, 4G.co.uk and 5G.co.uk and has written for T3, Digital Camera World, Clarity Media and others, with work on the web, in print and on TV.

See more Smart Home News
Read more
Philips Hue lightbulbs, Apple HomePod mini speaker, and Blink security camera on purple background
The best smart home devices 2025: smart speakers, lights, hubs, and more
Split image showing retrofit smart lock, curtain puller, and switch pusher
Build a zero-waste smart home by automating your existing hardware
Philips Hue + Spotify
I have Philips Hue lights everywhere in my home, and this is what I want to see from its AI assistant
Google TV Streamer
Google promises more Nest devices are on the way – but two older products have now been discontinued
Various SwitchBot smart home automation devices
Switchbot has totally redesigned its smart home hub – and it's great news for renters
Three smart light bulbs on purple background
The best smart lights 2025: light up your life with smart bulbs and lamps
Latest in Smart Home
Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box 8K on purple background with white text reading 'TechRadar lowest price'
Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box 8K crashes to record-low price – here's how to get the maximum discount
Three different types of Philips Hue bulbs installed in homes
Philips Hue bulb types explained: choose the right lights for your home
seerGrills Perfecta
The best steak I've ever had was made by an AI robot grill – too bad it's so expensive
Ecovacs X5 Pro Omni on a polished wooden floor
The Ecovacs Deebot X5 Pro Omni is an impressive premium robot vacuum with a versatile self-cleaning dock, let down by a slightly clunky app
Ecovacs Deebot X9 Pro Omni robot vacuum and mop
I test robot vacuums for a living, and this new bot has the best mopping system I've seen
Roborock Saros 10R and Saros 10 robot vacuums side by side in reviewer's house
I tested Roborock's two best robot vacuums side-by-side – here's how they matched up
Latest in News
AI Brain
Apple wants to connect thoughts to iPhone control – and there's a very good reason for it
LG Display Zero Bezel Micro LED
No bezel, no problem – two LG Display Micro LEDs can instantly look like one wide-screen display
A shot of David Corenswet's Superman in his 2025 feature film
5 of the biggest streaming announcements from Warner Bros. Discovery Upfront 2025, from HBO Max shows to the new Superman trailer
Nintendo Switch 2
Full Nintendo Switch 2 specs detailed in new report – here's what you need to know
wo human figure including America and China flag are in confrontation on the world background
Chinese energy tech exports found to contain hidden comms and radio devices
The WiiM sound, showing its controls on top, as well as the screen on the front
WiiM's new Hi-Res wireless speaker with cool circular touchscreen looks like a serious competitor to Sonos – with two big catches
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. 1
    The boombox is back in a cool new Bluetooth version that still plays cassettes, now just need to remember how to breakdance
  2. 2
    What are parameters?
  3. 3
    I found the world's largest external SSD, and at 30.72TB, it is even roomier than the biggest hard disk drives out there
  4. 4
    Apple wants to connect thoughts to iPhone control – and there's a very good reason for it
  5. 5
    Cheap(er) 15.36TB PCIe Gen 5 SSDs on the way as Adata launches new enterprise brand, but don't expect these to fit your PC case

TechRadar is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Contact Us
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Web notifications
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...