Nanoleaf Finally Launches Long-Awaited Smart Switch After 8 Years of Development
After nearly a decade of development, Nanoleaf has officially unveiled its Sense Plus Smart Wireless Switch, offering a game-changing addition to its smart lighting ecosystem. Priced at $30 and available for pre-order, the switch is set to ship in October, giving users an intuitive, hands-on way to control their lights without relying on their phones or voice assistants. With this new switch, users can easily turn lights on or off, adjust brightness, and even change colors—all with the press of a button.
What sets the Sense Plus apart is its built-in motion and light sensors, which automatically adjust lighting based on room conditions. Two customizable buttons allow users to create specific scenes, such as a “Movie Time” setting that dims the lights, lowers the shades, and adjusts the thermostat with a single tap. The switch integrates with popular smart home platforms like Apple Home and Samsung SmartThings through Matter, though this integration is still in early access.
A key challenge in developing the Sense Plus was ensuring seamless communication with all of Nanoleaf’s smart lights. To overcome limitations with existing protocols like Thread, Nanoleaf developed its own proprietary protocol, Litewave, which ensures instant, reliable control across devices. Litewave operates over the same 802.15.4 radio used by Bluetooth and Thread but provides a faster, more consistent connection without the need for additional hardware like a Thread border router.
In a demonstration, Nanoleaf co-founder and CEO Gimmy Chu showcased the switch’s ability to control multiple lights simultaneously with no delay, even in large spaces with over 100 connected devices. This breakthrough in smart lighting technology ensures that users experience fast, reliable control without the common “popcorn effect,” where lights turn on one by one.
In addition to the Sense Plus Switch, Nanoleaf is expanding its product line with the release of Matter-over-Wi-Fi light bulbs designed for mass-market retailers like Walmart. These bulbs cater to a broader audience by supporting Wi-Fi instead of Thread, making smart lighting more accessible to everyday consumers.
Nanoleaf’s new products mark a significant step forward in smart home innovation, offering users more flexibility, control, and convenience in their connected lighting systems. After eight years of development, the Sense Plus Smart Wireless Switch is set to redefine how users interact with their smart homes.
