Defying the notion that smart home hubs are a dying breed, Homey has launched the Homey Pro Mini, a more affordable and compact version of its $400 Homey Pro smart home hub. The new device, available for pre-order at $199 in the US and Canada, offers built-in support for Ethernet, Zigbee, Thread, and Matter, making it an attractive option for those looking to integrate their smart home devices without breaking the bank.

The Homey Pro Mini runs on the same Homey OS software as its more expensive counterpart, but with a few key differences. It has reduced processing power and ditches a few radios to bring the price down. Despite these changes, the Mini still offers a robust smart home experience, allowing users to set up and manage their connected devices locally without relying on proprietary platforms like Apple Home, Google Home, or Amazon Alexa.

As the brain of your smart home, a hub like the Homey Pro Mini enables users to control their devices, create automations and routines, and integrate with a wide range of devices and services. Homey claims over 1,000 integrations, including popular brands like Ikea, Sonos, Lutron, Roomba, Nest, Philips Hue, Aqara, and Yale, although only around 300 of these are officially supported.

The Homey Pro Mini's limitations compared to the Pro include the lack of Z-Wave, BLE, or IR support, but users can add these capabilities by linking the device to a Homey Bridge ($69). Additionally, the Mini is less powerful than the Pro and is recommended for running up to 20 integrations, which may not be sufficient for users with more complex smart home setups.

Despite these limitations, the Homey Pro Mini is an attractive option for those looking for a more affordable smart home hub. As a smart home reporter who has tested the Homey Pro, I can attest to the platform's intuitiveness for beginner users and its feature-rich capabilities for power users. However, some integrations may be limited, and community-created smart apps may not always meet user expectations.

The launch of the Homey Pro Mini comes at a time when the company is undergoing significant changes. Athom, the company behind Homey, was recently acquired by LG, which plans to use Homey software to power its ThinQ smart home platform on its own smart home hub. Despite this, LG has assured that Homey will continue to operate independently.

In addition to the Homey Pro Mini, the company has also released new Homey OS Dashboards, designed to make it easier to control smart home devices, and a new Home Energy Management System to help users track their energy usage. With these developments and the backing of LG, Homey is poised to become a significant player in the smart home market.

The Homey Pro Mini is available for pre-order now, with shipping slated for April 2025. Europe will follow later in 2025. As the smart home market continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see how devices like the Homey Pro Mini shape the future of home automation.