"Pumping" an apartment: how to inexpensively make a house smarter. Life Control smart home reviews

Hello, dear readers of the site site. Do you often hear the phrase "Smart home"? Every self-respecting company has some kind of experience in its arsenal - a smart refrigerator, a vacuum cleaner, a light bulb ... What else happens there?

Unfortunately, now - "smart home" is a large set of gadgets from different companies, but someone is trying to cover the entire market at once, for example, Xiaomi, which has a bunch of different brands - they make a smart home.

Unfortunately, in Russia all this is not relevant, because there is not even English there. What can we say about Russian. But there are a bunch of analogues, including Russian ones, for example, a system that includes 12 different devices. Today we will take a closer look at each of them.

Let's start with the most important thing in the system - hub or smart home center, which allows you to combine and manage all devices at once. And it's not some useless plastic, it has five main benefits:

This is what Chinese developers do not think about, but which is extremely important for our realities. It is enough to put it under the bathroom or in the kitchen by the sink, if suddenly water starts to flow, you will instantly receive an alert on your mobile phone.

All this is connected not only to the hub, but also to the Life Control application of the same name. Downloadable for both iOS and Android, there are 3 items: smart home, fitness and tracking. We will talk about everything later.

Third on the list is the mesh round plastic air quality sensor. He analyzes the content of carbon monoxide (CO) and volatile organic substances (VOC), who needs such a thing - he already knows everything about it, but even in Moscow realities with air everything is less and less good, so the thing is relevant specifically for some special objects.

Much more interesting is another gadget: a smoke detector. A photoelectric sensor with a range of 20 meters, if it suddenly senses smoke, it will instantly notify you by phone, a push notification will come, a powerful 80 dB siren will sound, and, just in case, an email. Enough so that you don't miss a fire in your own apartment. Nothing awakens in the morning like a fire in an apartment or the demolition of an entire house ...

A very cool topical item from unwanted guests, or so that the cat does not jump out the window. Installed on a door or window and a jamb, if the door opens accordingly, you will receive a notification on your phone. There are two color options for the case - black and white. In addition to protecting doors and windows, you can also use a motion sensor that operates on two AA batteries for up to six months. Capture angle 120 degrees.

Any of the above sensors are partially useless if you don't install a Wi-Fi camera. Well, it seems, if something caught fire - you need to check. The proprietary camera has a resolution of 1.3 megapixels and a frame size of 1280 by 960 pixels. The viewing angle is 125 degrees, it detects faces at a distance of up to eight meters, and at night up to 10. Yes, it also works at night.

In addition to the picture, you can hear everything that is happening in the room thanks to the built-in microphone, as well as a motion sensor, if someone enters the camera, it will start instantly recording and saving to the cloud, and notify you about it. True, the camera must always be connected to the network. Data is written to a microSD card up to 128 GB.

The cost of the device is 3,990 rubles. For the cloud, you need to pay separately from 300 to 500 rubles per month, depending on the number of recorded days stored on the server.

You do not need to change all the sockets in the house, this one plugs into a regular one and adds a number of useful functions.

1. Expanding the range of the smart home control center.
2. The socket monitors the voltage and keeps statistics. You can see how much, for example, your TV consumes a month or how often you charge your phone from the outlet.
3. You can turn off this outlet remotely: You don't know - did you turn off the iron at home or not? Play it safe, unplug the outlet.

Also two color options - black and white. Power 7 W, base type E27, color temperature 3000-6000 K, luminous flux 560 lm. Like its counterpart from Philips, it can change colors and brightness. Like a socket, it can act as a hub repeater. Unfortunately, the colored elements are not very bright, so they are more likely to decorate the room, but if you turn on the white color, it will be VERY bright!

Another non-standard item in the smart home kit and the dream of any housewife is a plant care sensor. It is protected from moisture according to the IPX5 standard and you can use it not only at home, but even for the beds, however, for this you will have to buy more of these pieces. The sensor is powered by an AA battery, which will last for 5 months. The device looks at soil moisture, temperature, pollution, etc. - and notifies you about it on your phone.

Moving from sensors and home gadgets to wearable technology. The Life Control arsenal also includes a smart bracelet and a geotracker. The fitness bracelet, like everything else, tracks your activity during the day, the quality of sleep, motivates you to exercise, and displays the time, date, number of calories burned and kilometers traveled on the screen with a resolution of 96x16 pixels. The body of the bracelet is protected from dust and moisture according to the IPX6 standard, the built-in 45 mAh battery is enough for 5 days of battery life. Communication with a smartphone is carried out via Bluetooth 4.0. The strap is still only black.

A handy thing for spying on children, pets or a car. In addition to GPS, a SIM card is built in here. With this kind of work, it will last for 106 hours if the data is updated once an hour. The time of sending geodata can be configured individually. Coordinate determination accuracy up to 3 meters. On the built-in screen, you can watch the time, signal level, battery charge or read SMS messages. The housing is protected from moisture according to the IP67 standard.

The most important feature is the SOS-button, when you click on it, you will immediately receive the sender's coordinates. This piece can be worn on your arm, on a pet's collar, or on a bag. To use the gadget, you definitely need an additional tariff - 99 rubles per month. (respectively Sim-card from MegaFon)

Equipment controls

All of the above can be controlled using a proprietary application or using the web version. All notifications come in the form of a push to a smartphone or email. The most important and useful thing is the scenarios for the operation of all devices in the system. For example - the door is opened, the smart light turns on in yellow with a brightness of 100%.

Talk about smart home has been going on for many years, but things are not progressing to the general realization of this opportunity. Individual parts of a smart home sometimes appear in residential premises. These include lamps, cameras, sockets controlled from the same network, but there was no single control center yet. In this matter, the complexity of the installation of the system and the installation of elements plays an important role. There is not enough understanding of how reliable the system will be. Each device in the system is unique and expensive in its own way. Therefore, not everyone can afford such a pleasure. The service is offered by the operator Megafon together with the subsidiary company Megalabs. She developed the concept of her smart home, as well as software for it.

In addition, dozens of different sensor designs have been created that can be purchased today. This is the first mass development of a smart home for a Russian consumer. In the review, we will get acquainted with how individual devices work, evaluate their possibilities of using in practice.

The design of this system may vary. This may include sensors powered by your wireless network. Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, which is not suitable for a large-scale solution due to the distance limit. In addition, having mounted many sensors, it will be noticeable that they will work unstably and incorrectly. However, it is possible to organize an individual network for devices, in which there is a central control system, which is called a "hub". The existing devices are connected to this module, the data is processed and transmitted to your mobile gadget.

The hub can transfer information directly to the phone, or through an intermediate server to save the data. It is more practical and reliable, the phone can sometimes be offline. The basic designs of such smart home systems use Wi-Fi, it is a clear and simple standard. Many home owners have this kind of wireless technology. However, with a large number of such devices in an apartment building, device conflicts will begin, the range will decrease, and it will be impossible to expand the home network.

The solution to this problem was the standard ZigBee forming a network of elements. Each installed device expands the network and is a kind of repeater. This makes it possible to connect anywhere in the house. In Russia, this standard operates at a frequency 2,4 gigahertz and does not require a license.

A SIM card is installed in the smart home system so as not to be tied to the electrical network, which can turn off in an emergency. As a result, the home owner will not know what is going on in the home. V " smart home»A battery is installed, which allows the system to power the system for several hours in an emergency, depending on the load and the number of active sensors and the size of the transmitted data. In any case, the user will have information about what is happening in the living space.

Features of the control system

An important point is that the system control center is a kind of router that supports a mobile network and does not depend on a Wi-Fi wireless network. However, if necessary, you can connect this network to your own. Wi-Fi is connected only to a camera that transmits a video image in good quality, and the sensors function according to the standard ZigBee... For users using a connection Ethernet, it is possible to connect the cable directly to the center of the system. On many such devices, this is not possible.

As a result, the smart home system is a small body with a small screen size 3,5 inch. The screen supports color, but the data is displayed in black and white for better viewing from different angles. The screen is touch-sensitive, it shows the weather, time. Inside the case is installed " smartphone"On the operating system Android versions 4.4 with RAM 1 gigabyte and built-in memory 4 gigabyte. You can install a micro SD card.

A video camera is built into the wall of the control system housing, which is often used as a security system. On a smartphone, the user sees what is happening in the room where the center is installed. Of the auxiliary functions, there is only an alarm clock, which can be set directly from the screen. There are connectors on the back for connecting devices.

The presence of the Android system makes it possible to create programs that display various events from the calendar, tips, reminders on the display. Great opportunities for development are opening up.

Life Control capabilities from Megafon

A smart home includes a system of devices and sensors that monitor the living space online. Briefly, the capabilities of a “smart home” can be described by the following capabilities:

1. The system monitors changes within the area of ​​operation of the sensors. The owner of the apartment will be aware of the changes in temperature, lighting, air quality, water leaks, fires, and take care of the plants in time.
2. Simple controls... System devices are connected to a single center. It can be accessed through a mobile application on a smartphone, or in the Personal Account on the service's web page on the Internet. By pressing a button, you can adjust lighting, ventilation, open door locks, heat water, set heating savings.
3. Quick alerts... Changes to the home furnishings are sent to the owner of the home via the Internet via a smartphone or email.
4. Automation. « Smart House»Automatically manages the house. In the absence of the owner, the mobile application monitors his distance and distance from home. If the distance is greater than the specified one, the observation mode is automatically activated. At the same time, lighting, appliances and sockets are turned off, an alarm is triggered, motion sensors and other devices are triggered, locks lock doors and windows, switch to anti-burglary mode, and turn on economy mode.
5. Electricity consumption... A smart home can significantly reduce the consumption of electrical energy, or keep it at a constant level. The system monitors where people are and turns off lighting where it is not needed. The same situation is with air conditioning and heating. A person may forget to turn off the light or lock the door, but “ Smart House"Will do its job.
6. Camcorders... The operator Megafon offers users of this system to buy a place in the cloud storage, which will store various recordings of information from cameras. They can be consulted at any time on the Internet.

The composition of budget "Smart Homes"

Let's consider a general list of smart devices. This is the most suitable set of various home control devices. It allows you to make settings for individual parameters.

The last two devices of the "smart home" clearly do not fit the meaning of it, since they have other purposes that are not related to living quarters, but they were included in this set.

How "Smart Home" can be applied

Before purchasing such devices, you need to know how you can use them to get the most out of them. For example, consider several ways to use:

1. The door to the room opens, the sensor operates and connects the lighting on the smart lamp.
2. The plant control sensor detects too dry soil, sends a signal to the smart socket, which turns on watering. When the desired humidity is reached, irrigation is turned off.
3. The air sensor detects contamination, sends a signal to a smart plug, which starts the air purifier.
4. The smart lamp turns on at specified times, which creates an imitation of the presence of the owners in the house when they are not there.
5. The motion sensor detects a person who has approached the house and turns on the lighting.
6. The system of motion sensors in the country garden will protect it from thieves, and a smart video camera will give an image of the kidnappers.
7. The temperature sensor detects its decrease in the house, sends a signal to smart sockets that connect electric heaters.
8. If you have hired a nanny for your child, use a camera that automatically records the sound or movement of the nanny treating your children.
9. Going on a trip, you do not have to worry about water leaks in your apartment. A dedicated sensor will alert you to problems. The main thing is to make sure that the keys to the apartment remain with the relatives, so that they can eliminate the water leak.

How much does Smart home Megafon Life Control cost

The cost of a system kit from a white-green operator consists of the following elements:

1. Purchase of a Megafon SIM card.
2. Purchase of a starter package with the tariff " Smart House».
3. Purchasing devices for the system LifeControl... The cost differs from manufacturer to manufacturer.

The main expenses of money go to the subscription service of sensors connected to the system, along with video cameras:

1. Before 5 sensors - 300 rubles.
2. Before 10 sensors - 500 rubles.
3. Before 30 sensors - 700 rubles.

In addition, you can buy access to storage in the "cloud", which will be needed to save the videos for review if necessary. There is no limit on the amount of records, but there are limits on the storage time:

• with a shelf life of up to 3 days - 300 rubles;
• before 10 days - 350 rubles;
• up to a month - 500 rubles.

The bulk of the money needs to be spent on the purchase of a system and a set of sensors. In general, by purchasing " Smart House"In a complete set of the most necessary devices you will have to spend from 300 before 500 thousand rubles. If you need to carefully configure the system and maintain it, you will need to pay extra to specialists.

Personal account Life Control

To manage the "smart home" operator Megafon has created a Personal Account posted on the web resource of the lifecontrol.ru service. In addition, you can install a mobile application developed for the Android and iOS operating systems. In both systems, the Personal Account is arranged in a similar way, so we will consider how it works for Android.

First you need to register with this service. You can install a mobile application and get acquainted with the work of the service without registration. For this, a test input is proposed that displays the operation of the application and the action of different sensors. For familiarization, this is the best option to find out how the application works.

All events occurring in the house are displayed in the list of notifications. At the same time, you can configure notifications to be received by e-mail or directly in the application, which simplifies the use of the application. Additional sensors can be added there. You can connect to a specific camera by scanning the QR code with your smartphone's camera. In addition, you can configure the system on the web resource " smart home". Each user chooses the place for setting up the system independently.

Advantages and disadvantages

Service Smart HouseLifeControl, the acquired system has positive and negative factors that are worth considering in more detail.

1. Device compatibility can be considered a positive and negative point. The system can work with many devices, sensors and instruments. However, there are devices with which it does not work. When buying devices, you need to make sure they are compatible with the system. Otherwise, the purchase will not pay off. If the device provides feedback, then the system is compatible with these devices.
2. Price considered a negative factor, not everyone can afford to buy. However, you need to consider the issue more objectively. The purchase of the "Smart Home" system from Megafon will cost a lot for the subscriber. But it will be cheaper than hardware manufactured by Apple. For people with a sufficient budget, it is quite possible to purchase this system. The price also depends on the manufacturer. But if you buy sensors that are too cheap, there is a chance that they will quickly fail. As a result, this can lead to dire consequences.
3. Variety of settings... The system LifeControl can be customized for any purpose. In a sense, this is a disadvantage for those users who are afraid of so many settings. But the application has a clear and simple interface with a large number of functions, any person will quickly figure them out. Commands can be specified manually, voice recognition, gestures, for example, hand claps, can be set.
4. Multitasking... This factor is an advantage. While the owner is working in the kitchen, the fan, air conditioner and other devices turn on automatically.
5. Saving... The system from Megafon in terms of energy saving practically does not differ from its foreign counterparts. The lighting automatically adjusts according to the situation: the light will be brighter if there are many people in the house, the light intensity will decrease if everyone is watching TV or someone is working on the computer. In addition, the time of day is taken into account, the location of the sun by geolocation, whether the light enters the window.

In Russia, this system is sold officially, all devices have been certified and comply with standards. Mobile traffic is not charged when the devices are in operation, even when watching videos.

Conclusion of experts

The possibility of combining various sensors, simple settings and creating your own scenario of the system's operation attracts Megafon in this service. This is the most understandable system of all. The advantage is the software that connects different types of sensors in one device, makes it possible to control them, and receive information on the phone. During the use of this system " smart home”No particular problems were observed. Of the shortcomings, only confused units of measurement were noticed in the pedometer, which indicated centimeters instead of kilograms.

For the operator Megafon, this development includes a serious investment. No one has ever created such a system with a large set of sensors for all cases. The price of sensors is much less than similar devices from other companies. In Russia, there has not yet been a similar integrated approach. There are some app-controlled sensors on the market, but without a systematic approach. In this " smart home"From Megafon, all devices are combined. The user can create an individual scenario of work, which makes Life Control more flexible.

Life Control smart home reviews

On the Internet, users of this system leave feedback on the work. We have selected several of them, both positive and negative.

Peter: We have been using video surveillance for a whole month. Wi-Fi, a water leakage sensor and a motion sensor. Little time has passed, all devices work without problems, you have to pay a little. There are problems with the plumbing in the house, so the leakage sensor helps us out, the neighbors saw it and also installed it. I like the system because the information is displayed on a smartphone, all functions can be configured remotely, which is very convenient.

Sergei: We bought ourselves and connected " smart House»And are satisfied. We tried the fitness tracker, everything works fine, there are no malfunctions. There are no complaints about the quality of the devices, the installation was quick and easy. I consider this system to be a good option at an affordable price.

Olga: Operator Megafon honey agaric tries to rob customers, collects money for each step: connecting sensors, for mobile traffic, and other things. This is similar to security firms that go out on signals, where a cheap alarm button costs a lot of money and a huge subscription fee. I suppose that this is another attempt to have money for Chinese devices, having built in them LTE and 4 G, will fail like the previous GSM outlets idea.

Kseniya: I did not immediately start making big changes, I decided to start gradually testing new communication technologies. You need to start with something simple, understandable and inexpensive. I got two smart sockets. Their control is simple through a mobile application. The commands are executed correctly, no malfunctions were detected.

Elena: Acquired the system in February. The first month there were no problems, then incomprehensible write-offs of money began. The quoted rates are only honored at first. Then, when replenishing the account, all funds are deducted from the balance and " smart House" It does not work. This went on for a couple of days. Judging by the details of expenses, the consumption of mobile traffic has been exceeded, although there were no such problems in the last month. The help desk explains that there was an access to the network through the system, although in addition to the functioning of “ smart home" there was no exit. The operator cannot be trusted, the money is written off at different prices.

Smart Home technology is actively entering modern life and it no longer seems like an innovation or a fantasy. Mobile operators also use this service. With the help of the system, you can control all or part of your home. MegaFon invites subscribers to use the Smart Home tariff plan, the essence of which is described in the article.

More about the tariff

For the technology to work properly, you need to have access to a mobile network and the Internet. For this, MegaFon has created a profitable tariff plan.

Since a smart home device is not very demanding, it is not necessary to use powerful services, the tariff will be enough to complete the necessary tasks. If you need to use an extended set of options, you can activate additional services that increase the volume of traffic or other services. The tariff itself has a small supply of package offers.

After purchasing and activating a tariff from MegaFon, a subscriber can control equipment in an apartment or other room using cameras and sensors. For control, a mobile phone and applications installed on it are used. The operator is recommended to use "Smart Home", "Life Control".

Scope of services and cost

The main thing you need to know about the “Smart Home” tariff plan from MegaFon: the advance payment upon connection is 300 rubles. There is no subscription fee. All calls within the home network are 5 rubles per minute, but the cost may differ in the regions. Under the terms of the tariff, the subscriber can use 50 MB of packet traffic per month for free, after using the limit, the fee is charged additionally - 3 rubles. for 1 Mb.

Calls

Calls at a tariff within the home region have a fixed price, amounting to 5 rubles per minute. The tariff scale in the country and to other countries is as follows:

1. Calls within the network within the country - 5 rubles / min.
2. Communication with clients of other mobile operators and with landline numbers - 15 rubles / min.
3. Conversations with residents of the CIS countries - 35 rubles / min.
4. Calls to Europe - 55 rubles / min.
5. Communication with subscribers from other countries of the world - 75 rubles / min.

Communication with the “Smart Home” tariff will turn out to be expensive, so it is not recommended to use the offer for conversations.

Internet

After switching to "Smart Home", the subscriber immediately receives a package of 50 Mb of traffic every month. If the subscriber makes a switch from another tariff on which there is an active service for the Internet, then free traffic is not provided.

The minimum volume is intended for the operation of smart home equipment. Megabytes not used:

1. While viewing recordings from cameras or archive.
2. When using a geotracker, which can only work when the Smart Home tariff is active.
3. For the application to work on the phone Life Control.

If the entire Internet limit is exhausted, then 3 rubles are additionally debited for each megabyte.

Posts

SMS prices:

1. Within the home region - 2 rubles.
2. To MegaFon numbers throughout the country - 2 rubles.
3. Text messages by country - 3.55 rubles.
4. To other countries - 5 rubles.
5. MMS for 7 rubles.

How to activate a tariff

To connect a tariff plan, you need to buy equipment for a smart home, which MegaFon calls "Life Control", after which the company employee writes out a new starter package with a SIM card.

If you already have the equipment and an active starter package, then the transition using standard methods through your personal account, technical service and other methods will not work.

To disable it, you practically do not need to do anything, but the SIM card must be blocked. To do this, you can contact the support service by phone 8 800 5500 500 or the employees of the communication salon.

It can be concluded that the “Smart Home” tariff can only work in conjunction with equipment from the operator. It makes no sense to use the starter pack for standard purposes, for example, for the Internet or for conversations, due to the extremely high prices.

Life Control is a system of home devices, information from which, as well as control and management, are available in a mobile application (iOS, Android) on the owner's smartphone. Your home is under control from anywhere in the world where there is internet. At the same time, Life Control is relatively inexpensive (several times, or even an order of magnitude cheaper than stationary smart home systems) and does not require special installation.

Life Control from MegaFon is not the only option for a budget smart home

Are there competitive systems? Yes, these are, for example, REDMOND Smart Home, TP-Link devices, smart solutions from Xiaomi (sold in Russia, but there are no official deliveries). They differ in some technological solutions and approaches, but the concept is the same: inexpensively and without the need for installation work to make any house or apartment smarter.

What is included in an inexpensive smart home system

Let's start with a complete list of Life Controllers. In our opinion, so far this is the most optimal set of smart devices for versatile monitoring of the situation at home, which allows you to create your own configurations for a specific situation. Information about the purpose of each and the price:

• Smart socket- control of the supply of electricity to electrical appliances, their switching on and off, metering of energy consumption - 1990 rubles *;
• Smart Wi- Fi-camera- transfers the image and sound of what is happening at home to the user's mobile device - 3990 rubles;
• Smart smoke detector- informs about smoke in the apartment (push messages to a smartphone, e-mail) - 2390 rubles;
• Smart open door sensor- informs that the door or window in the apartment has been opened (push messages to a smartphone, e-mail) - 1490 rubles;
• Smart motion sensor- records activity in the controlled space (push messages to a smartphone, e-mail) - 1550 rubles;
• Smart sensor for water leaks- informs about flooding in the apartment (it should be placed under pipes, at joints, valves, etc.) - 2690 rubles;
• Intelligent air quality sensor- monitoring the content of carbon monoxide (CO) and volatile organic substances in the air - 3390 rubles;
• Smart sensor for plant care- informs about soil moisture and its temperature, about the level of illumination of plants - 2690;
• Smart lamp- you can choose the type of lighting (cold or warm white light, colored) and its intensity - 1550 rubles.

A couple more Life Control devices are a fitness tracker and a geotracker. They are clearly "attracted to the smart home by the ears." They have other tasks not directly related to the home. But they are:

• Fitness tracker- analyzes the physical activity and sleep of the owner - 2590 rubles;
• Geotracker with SIM-card- determines the coordinates of the object to which it is attached using GPS / GLONASS systems; it is easy to carry it on your hand, or to fasten it on a bicycle, a pet collar, on a backpack strap - 4590 rubles.

Smart Home Center (MCC)- without it, nothing of the above, except for trackers that connect directly to the smartphone, will not work. This is a hub that processes information from all devices, connects them and the mobile application on the owner's smartphone. Price - 8890 rubles. From February 20 to March 20, it is sold with a 20% discount at a price of 7120 rubles.

Life Control sensors will not work without the Smart Home Center - you must buy it

So you know: the total cost of all Life Control elements is 37,800 rubles. But buying them all at once is not at all necessary. You will definitely have to buy a Smart Home Center, and you can already select the right one for it.

Caring "MegaFon" has prepared even ready-made kits, any of them can be supplemented with other Life Control devices. "Basic" will cost 15 120 rubles (Control Center, Smart Socket, Smart Leak Sensor, Smart Motion Sensor). A set of smart devices for home security costs 21,000 rubles:

• Smart home center;
• Smart sensor for opening and closing doors and windows;
• Smart sensor for leaks;
• Smart smoke detector;
• Wi-Fi camera;
• Smart motion sensor.

Alas, this is not all the money that will have to be paid for Life Control. MegaFon is going to charge a monthly fee from April 1, 2017. There are 3 tariffs, the price depends on the number of devices used.

The smart home center works through a SIM card, which is undoubtedly a plus for those who will use the system in the country or in places with interruptions in Wi-Fi. The SIM-card can be with any tariff, but if you choose the MegaFon-Smart Home tariff, then all mobile traffic of the service will be absolutely free, including when watching 3D video from cameras. There is also a bonus in this tariff, 50 MB for free on absolutely any Internet resources.

Main competitors

And what about the competitors? What about the content of smart systems, prices, and monthly fees? Here is the REDMOND Smart Home family:

• Smart sockets - about 1,500 rubles;
• Door and window opening sensor - 699 rubles;
• Motion sensor - 999 rubles;
• Smart lamp - 1495 rubles
• Smart tracker - 799 rubles
• Smoke detector - about 4000 rubles;
• Smart surge protector - about 4000 rubles
• Smart light control unit - about 3000 rubles
• Smart switch for lights and household appliances - about 4,000 rubles.
• Smart power cord - from 2000 to 2600 (depending on the maximum power for which it is designed).

The set of devices is slightly different, most of the devices are out of stock at the time of this writing. There is something that Life Control does not provide, but, for example, there is no Wi-Fi camera, and this is an important device. Prices are somewhere lower, somewhere about the same - the difference is not global.

Here, however, here's another thing: REDMOND there is a great variety of home appliances (from multicooker to fan heaters) with remote control. In this sense, the solution is more attractive than the megaphone - the apartment is even smarter. But you need to control most devices to protect your home and control the situation in it from the Ready For Sky Guard mobile application, and household appliances from Ready For Sky. There is no complete unification in this sense.

There is no subscription fee either. Or rather, almost none. Those who want to control REDMOND equipment from anywhere, but cannot or for some reason do not want to install the necessary mobile application R4S Gateway on their mobile gadget, will have to pay: 3,500 rubles for a smartphone with this pre-installed application.

Plus a special tariff from MTS REDMOND Smart Home for controlling smart equipment from anywhere in the world. Monthly service costs 10 rubles for 5 MB of traffic and this volume, according to the manufacturer, should be enough to simultaneously control 10 smart devices at once. In general, it is noticeably cheaper than in the case of Life Control, but somehow florid.

Undoubtedly, Life Control's direct competitor is the We Are Home system from Gulf Stream Security Systems". There are also ready-made sets of sensors for different needs (basic set - 15,900 rubles), the ability to create your own current set of devices, your own scenarios, control from a smartphone, communication via the Z-Wave protocol. It is possible to configure the response of security services to signals from the We Are Home system. But there is also a subscription fee: from 450 rubles per month. In general, the set of sensors is noticeably smaller.

But Xiaomi Smart Home Kit- a competitor to Life Control without a monthly fee. This is a kit for creating a smart home without any special financial costs. There are, however, very few devices in it:

• The hub lamp is partly an analogue of the Life Control Smart Home Center
• Smart button for wireless activation of various devices
• Open door sensor
• Motion Sensor

But there are other Xiaomi smart appliances on sale - from smart sockets, surge protectors, lamps and Wi-Fi cameras to smart multicooker and robotic vacuum cleaners. And all this can be controlled from one mobile application.

In the Russian Federation, we did not find the Xiaomi Smart Home Kit on sale, only the sensors separately. But on the beloved by many website Aliexpress, you can order it for 3,500 rubles. Or an extended version (plus a temperature and humidity sensor, and a smart socket) - 4,700 rubles. Delivery to Russia is free. This option is noticeably cheaper than Life Control, but there may not be instructions in Russian, and in general, with the Russification of the Xiaomi smart home, everything is not going smoothly yet. However, there are enough reviews and tests of the Xiaomi Smart Home Kit on the Runet.

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If we go back to the brands officially presented in Russia, then we cannot but recall TP-Link... They have, however, so far it all comes down to smart sockets and Wi-Fi cameras. Moreover, mobile applications are different for them - this is inconvenient. A smart socket HS110 will cost about 2700 rubles - more than a "lifecontrol" one.

TP-Link offers as many as 7 Wi-Fi cameras for remote monitoring of a home or office - at different prices and with different capabilities. The most affordable one costs about 2,000 rubles, and the most advanced (with two-way voice communication, a resolution of 1280 × 720, rotating the lens 360 ° horizontally and up to 150 ° vertically, night shooting) will cost almost 10,000 rubles. By the way, the Life Control Wi-Fi camera did not provide for two-way communication, which is sometimes needed for remote communication with children and pets.

The Russian market for inexpensive technologies for smart homes is not yet very developed, but there is already competition

In addition to the listed competitors of Life Control, technologically similar solutions (add to the list, for example, Fibaro, but their starter kit will cost 40 thousand), there are other relatively inexpensive opportunities to pump an apartment, make it smarter. You can use, for example, open platforms such as MajorDoMo... But this will require more effort and more likely refers to the creation of a smart home in the DIY format (from the English Do It Yourself - Russian "do it yourself").

How low-cost smart homes work

At Life Control, data exchange between devices and the user is carried out through the Smart Home Center. And you don't need Wi-Fi at home **. Everything works according to the ZigBee Home Automation 1.2 standard: each new device is a repeater. The maximum data transfer rate over the ZigBee network is 250 Kbps per channel.

Wi-Fi is not used for communication between Life Control elements, there is no additional load on the home network.

The same standard (ZigBee) is used by Xiaomi for the Smart Home Kit and other smart devices. Smart devices TP-Link are tied to Wi-Fi. But the REDMOND technique has two control options: via Bluetooth from the near zone and via the Internet from anywhere (via the R4S Gateway application - a kind of analogue of the Life Control Smart Home Center).

Unlike other low-cost smart home systems, Life Control can work using the mobile Internet: the Control Center has a microSIM slot (only works with a MegaFon SIM card, 2G / 3G / 4G) - for example, where there is no classic Internet providers. It can even be used as a router - to distribute mobile Internet. A removable battery (2400 mAh) helps to maintain autonomy and control over the house during power outages.

Smart Life Control devices will control your home, even during power outages

Partially in this moment, SENSET smart sockets can compete with Life Control, into which a SIM card is also inserted (that is, Wi-Fi is not needed), but these are, nevertheless, separate devices, and not a system of devices, they do not work without electricity and the mobile Internet is not distributed.

And also the Life Control Control Center can work as an alarm clock and give a weather forecast. Plus it is equipped with a 5-megapixel camera - it captures what is happening around. There is a slot for a memory card (up to 32 GB, it can store an archive of all connected video cameras, but there is also an option with the cloud). All of this to some extent justifies the fact that the Center is a separate device for almost 9,000 rubles, and not a free mobile application, as, for example, at REDMOND.

Smart device systems are controlled from a mobile application - each manufacturer has its own, but, in general, this is a common moment for all of them. Everything through it: settings of any of the devices, viewing information about their operation, turning on and off, creating your own scenarios for the operation of smart sensors, including in conjunction with each other (Life Control, REDMOND, Xiaomi, this is definitely possible, but TP -Link with its different mobile apps, not yet).

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Use cases for a budget smart home

It is important not only to buy smart things for your home, but to clearly understand what they are for. Only in this case, the maximum benefit from their use is possible. Here are just a few scenarios for an apartment and a summer house:

• The front door to the apartment opens - a sensor is triggered and the light immediately turns on in it, this is already a smart lamp;
• The smart lamp turns on at a certain time in the evening, according to the schedule - the situation is simulated that someone is at home - it is important when the owners are away;
• The smart plug turns on the air cleaner if the air quality sensor detects contamination;
• The sensor for caring for plants in the country detects dry soil and immediately the smart socket "gives the go-ahead" to the irrigation system, and when the soil moisture returns to normal, the irrigation will turn off;
• The motion sensor "sees" that you have approached the house at night and gives a signal to turn on the light;
• Several motion sensors will protect the garden in the country from hunters for someone else's harvest - the owner is immediately aware of the penetration, and a smart video camera will show: who has climbed and what is doing;
• An air quality sensor detects a low temperature at home (it can also do this) - problems with heating - but, thanks to smart sockets, heaters immediately start working;
• To prevent your dog or cat from getting lost, wear a waterproof geotracker on the collar. It can also be given to children in the form of fashionable watches to always be aware of their location;
• To know how the nanny treats the child - use the Wi-Fi camera, which, by the way, has an auto-recording mode for motion or loud sound: everything will be recorded;
• When you go on vacation, you can rely on a leak sensor. He will report that water is leaking somewhere. The main thing is that there are those who have the keys to the apartment, who will eliminate the leak.

Innovative technologies are quickly becoming a daily routine for ordinary people. What could be seen only recently in science fiction films is widely used in apartments, offices, summer cottages, and cottages. Operator MegaFon offers the Smart Home tariff for those who want to keep up with the times. This tariff is specially designed to work with the innovative Life Control system from MegaFon. This system allows its users to control the sensors installed in your apartment, house, dacha at any distance.

For high-quality service, reliable communication via GSM networks is required, which the operator offers in the new tariff. The desire to make life much more convenient and to give the opportunity to control home appliances remotely, forced MegaFon to create a new tariff plan "Smart Home", which fully meets the modern needs of people.

Full description of the capabilities of the tariff plan from MegaFon "Smart Home"

The developers of the “Smart Home” tariff have made a lot of effort to ensure that users get a modern, convenient tool for work. By purchasing and installing a special control system in the house, you can make room maintenance more convenient and technologically advanced. All household appliances can be controlled, switched on and off from a distance using a smartphone. You can work with the smart home system from Life Control on the popular Android and iOS operating systems, as well as through the lifecontrol.ru website. Several additional sensors will allow you to know exactly where the pets are and what they are doing. An inhospitable welcome will await intruders, and the security service may appear when a thief enters in a matter of minutes. The heating system and water supply will work much better, you will never come to a house that is not ready to meet the owner.

Modern technology guarantees complete safety, reliability and environmental friendliness. Management is carried out using a special application or from the website of an official representative through a personal account, to which only the owner has access.

You can purchase the Smart Home tariff in MegaFon for 8,890 rubles. In this case, you will need special sensors, SMART lamps and sockets, the cost of which depends on the selected model, brand of the manufacturer and is not included in the basic package.

Description of the tariff plan "Smart Home" from MegaFon

For the system to work without interruptions, 24-hour access to high-speed Internet and GSM connection is required. MegaFon offers a tariff that has special packages to fully meet the needs of the customer.

Proceeding from the fact that the offered resources are quite enough for the device for normal operation, it can be limited by the traffic included in the basic package. If the user needs more traffic or minutes for a conversation, you can always connect additional options. After the purchase and installation of the "Smart Home" system, all internal home appliances can be controlled remotely.

A special mobile application will allow you to monitor what is happening through the WEB cameras, and the sensors and control system will allow you to control heating, water supply, ventilation and air conditioning

How to connect the "Smart Home" tariff from MegaFon

It is clear that such a complex system is required to be installed by well-trained specialists and to adjust and adjust the equipment. The process can take several days and require additional investment for the installation of complex equipment, all kinds of sensors and WEB cameras. Everything will depend on the requirements of the buyer and his wishes. The purchase of a package can only be made through the official website or at the office of the company, where a specialist will answer any question of interest to the client.

Disabling a package

A technologically complex task that requires significant effort. It should be understood that by turning off the remote control system, you cannot guarantee the correct functioning of the equipment in the required volume. It will be necessary to carry out special work in order to again be able to turn on and off the operation of heating, the supply of energy resources in manual mode. Involvement of highly qualified specialists in this case is mandatory. Here you will not be able to simply switch to a new tariff.