7.5/10
Score
A great smart home control plugin panel
Strong Points
Great hardware Works with multiple smart home brands Slider is great Easy to install
Cons
Expensive Motion activation is clunky Lack of brand integration
For nearly a decade now, smart home owners have been using a variety of devices to manage their connected devices, from phone apps to voice controls on smart speakers. But with the advent of smart displays, they finally have a central place to manage their smart home. The downside is that these displays are primarily managed by two major brands: Amazon and Google. This situation can create some friction regarding which devices and services can be accessed on these smart displays.
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Brilliant Smart Home Systems has been committed to providing an open solution that allows a wide range of devices and brands to connect to a central device and companion app, and the new plug-in models are just as sleek and feature-rich as the company's wired options, making it easier for more people to take advantage of the features of this great product – but only if they're prepared to pay a pretty penny.
What it is and how to get started
The Brilliant panel allows you to control each light individually.
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The wired version of the Brilliant Smart Home Control Panel is available in a variety of configurations and colors, but the plug-in model featured here comes in six different colors but only offers two touch-sensitivity slider setups to complement the 5″ LCD touchscreen. No matter which model you choose, it also includes a microphone, motion sensor, ambient light sensor, temperature sensor, and a camera with a physical privacy slider.
The panel houses a motion sensor and a camera, with a physical slider that covers the camera, and this pill-shaped section also houses an ambient light sensor.
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All of these hardware features are neatly packed into a slim 4.76 x 5.31 inch panel that attaches to a wall mounting plate. Installation is simple, just decide where you want to place the Brilliant Smart Home Control Panel, secure the mounting plate to the wall using the included screws, place the smart panel on top of the plate, and plug in the unit. If you don't want to drill holes in your wall or aren't sure where you want to permanently mount the panel, you can also do as I did and use command strips. A 13 foot USB cord and outlet adapter are included in the box, giving you some leeway when it comes to where you want to mount the panel.
This mounting plate attaches to the wall using screws or command strips, as I did, and the panel hooks onto the mounting plate.
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Once you've installed the Brilliant Smart Home Control Panel, you're ready to set up your Brilliant account through the companion app on your iOS or Android device. Once that's done, start adding your favorite smart home devices. The Brilliant app will guide you through the process of adding everything from smart lights to smart plugs to everything else.
Not only can you physically control your smart devices via the dual sliders and touch panel, but you can also connect the Brilliant Smart Home Control Panel to Alexa or Google Assistant. Google Assistant integration didn't work for us, so your results may vary. Once you link your preferred digital assistant to the control panel, you can use the device just like you would with a top-class smart display. You can ask your Sonos speaker to play music, use it as an intercom, ask questions, and basically anything else you'd use a smart speaker for.
The Brilliant companion app lets you control the lighting, camera, and temperature all from your smartphone.
Screenshot: Chris Wedell/CNET
Once you install and set up the Brilliant Smart Home Control Panel, it becomes a central location where anyone in the household can confidently adjust their connected devices. This is a true testament to Brilliant making their UI and the product itself familiar and intuitive to use. I have the panel mounted at the front door of my home, and it's great to be able to tap a few buttons on the screen or use sliders to make quick changes as my family or I enter or leave the house.
What are the pitfalls?
Part of a smart home brand that “works with Brilliant.”
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With so many great things about the Brilliant Smart Home Control Panel, there's got to be something wrong with it, right? Well, yes and no. The big one is the price. At $400, it's a steep entry-level price (though it's currently discounted to $299 on the Brilliant website). Sure, the device has a lot to offer and could be considered an all-in-one device like the Amazon Echo Show 5, which technically can offer both Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, has two sliders, and can be mounted on the wall. But is it really worth the extra $300?
Brilliant is actively working on integrating with various smart home brands, but there are still some big names missing that work with both Google and Amazon smart speakers and displays. Options like Nanoleaf, Govee, GE Cync, and Eufy are all missing. This may not be an issue for some, but for a $400 product, you want to make sure all your devices can connect to the control panel.
The Motion Sensor page shows the level of motion detected.
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Aside from the lack of integration, the main issue I had while using the device was the inconsistent motion sensor. The Brilliant app has multiple settings that allow you to make various adjustments to fine-tune the sensor and configure it the way you want it. This helps reduce the number of false positives that cause the device to not work as intended. However, no matter how I tweaked the settings, I couldn't get it to work reliably.
Should I buy it?
The panel has the option to turn your photo into a screensaver.
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It all depends on your smart home setup. If your home is stocked with Philips Hue lights, Sonos speakers, an Ecobee thermostat, and some Ring cameras, the Brilliant Smart Home Control Panel would be a great addition to your smart home – if you can stomach the price. There are other major brands that work with this smart panel, including Arlo, Google Nest (recently shut down), and TP-Link, but I hope you get my point in leaving out some less mainstream brands.
You could also consider something like the Amazon Echo Hub, which is much cheaper, at $180, and has many of the same features as the Brilliant Smart Home Control Panel. It doesn't have a camera or sliders to adjust your devices, but it works with a wider range of devices.
Ultimately, it comes down to your smart home needs, budget, and the aesthetic you prefer. The Brilliant Smart Home Control Panel is a great product with a lot of potential, but as an outsider looking at Google and Amazon, it's unclear whether they could add missing integration features or make the price more affordable.