BERLIN – Not just connectivity, but an increasingly complete smart home ecosystem. TP-Link in Berlin for IFA 2022 showcased the best of its technology, which we got told by the Marketing Director for German-speaking countries Ferhat Akbay. The manager explained to us the strategies and ambitions of the company, which wants to become the “single solution for the smart home” for all consumers.
TP-Link at IFA 2022 in Berlin, connectivity and smart home
Chatting at the tables at TP-Link’s Berlin stand, Akbay explains that “For the eleventh consecutive year we are in first place in the global market for home connectivity solutions “. A continuous success therefore for the brand, which however has no intention of stopping here.
“In addition to consolidating our position in the world of routers, extenders, powerlines and mesh solutions, we are also shifting our focus to the smart home world. The goal is to create the best smart life experience for our consumers ”. To demonstrate this dual focus, TP-Link organized its stand in two main areas: Tapo connectivity and smart home accessories (plus a section dedicated to business solutions).
The power of WiFi 6 and the focus on Mesh solutions
Internet connectivity is a strange thing for a marketing manager. After all, we only think about our connection when it doesn’t work: if the router and the extenders do their job, they don’t cross our minds. “On average in Germany, users change smartphones every 18 months. While the router only replace it every 8 years. We therefore have few touch points to make ourselves known by customers ”.
Yet success seems constant for the brand. “In June we did a survey in Germany and it appears that one out of two mesh routers is TP-Link. And it is not the only market in which we dominate ”.
Mesh routers can be combined to have a stable connection throughout the home, without blind spots and slowdowns. A ‘premium’ solution which Akbay explains to us is constantly growing. “We are offering more and more premium solutions to our customers because always more people want reliable solutions for their home connection ”.
And the offer is indeed wide. The manager shows us different solutions for the powerline, which uses the power line to transmit the internet signal: there are devices from a few tens of euros to the most complete and powerful ones. The same goes for extenders, which use new features of WiFi 6 to allow more stable connections as needed.
A particularly interesting solution in this regard is the router Archer AXE200 Omni, whose four antennas move via a dedicated motor to channel data where it is needed most. For example, if you are playing they will point towards the gaming PC, if instead you move in front of the TV to watch Netflix they will move on their own towards your TV.
The Mesh solutions of the Deco line
But Akbay does not hide from us that the flexibility and coverage capacity of Mesh solutions is one of the technologies on which TP-Link believes very much: the stand at IFA 2022 proves it. In fact a Berlin we could touch different Mesh solutions with hand. Also evaluating the rather elegant design. “It certainly depends on personal tastes, but I think our designers have done a great job: they are no longer ‘hidden’ devices like old routers.”
The all-white look of Deco XE200 it is indeed elegant. But that candid body hides cutting-edge technology. In fact, you find connection AX1100 shared on three lines: 2,4, 5 e 6 GHz. The 16 internal antennas allow you to reach high speeds and there are even two Gigabit ports and a 10 Gbps port, for those who do not want limits.
Depending on your needs and availability, you can also focus on other products, such as the Deco X90 or the Deco XE75, also equipped with WiFi 6E connectivity. If you do not receive a fixed connection at home, you can choose the Deco X50-5Gwhich Akbay tells us is very popular because it is a very simple plug-and-play solution.
But there are also solutions for special cases, such as Deco PX50 that combines Power-Line technology with Mesh technology. With the electric cable connection you can overcome walls of old houses (with iron or pipes in the walls) and then expand the WiFi signal via Mesh. Or there are battery-powered solutions like Deco X50-PoE that you can stamp anywhere. It’s still Deco X50-Outdoor which has an IP65 certification to resist without problems even outdoors.
Finally, very interesting too Deco Voice X20, which has Alexa inside to act as both a Mesh repeater and a smart speaker. A solution that combines two advanced technologies in a single package.
TP-Link at IFA 2022 showcases the Tapo line for the smart home
Akbay explains that “We want to offer a complete and easy-to-manage smart home ecosystem to our customers. Give her smart cameras until our first connected video door phonepassing from smart sockets, lights, sensors “. But the manager confirms that all the products of the Tapo linewhich TP-Link dedicates to the smart home, are compatible with the standard Matter.
This means if you are starting to make your home smart now, you can only use the Tapo app to manage everything, from cameras to lights to all devices connected to smart sockets. But if you already have smart thermostats, speakers or other home optics products, you can integrate Tapo products without problems.
Safety first of all
Entering the area dedicated to Tapo’s smart home, Akbay first shows us the new video door phone D230S1 of the brand. It has IP64 resistance to make you worry about the weather, as well as a 5MP sensor capable of 2K video. “The intelligent algorithms we have developed make it possible to recognize, even at night, if there are people or animals in front of the door, if it is a courier carrying a package or a visitor. And with the Tapo app you can also decide to activate recordings only in certain situations. This way the battery can last longer than the year we promise ”.
But in addition to the video intercom, there are several other security solutions. Like the outdoor video camera Became C420S2, with 2K resolution and 180 day battery. Which you can install wherever you want (it’s IP65) and manage it intelligently from your smartphone.
Or Became C720, equipped with two large LED lights that light up according to what the camera is viewing. For example, you can place it in the garage so that it lights up when you enter the parking lot.
Akbay explains that: “We offer a subscription service to store camera data in the cloud. But if customers don’t want to pay for the service or prefer to avoid the cloud for privacy concerns, they can use SD cards to record videos. There is no less functionality, as happens with some of our competitors “.
Sensors, lights, sockets
In addition to cameras, the solutions are really many. Starting with sockets like the It became P300a ‘power strip’ with three shuko sockets that you can activate individually, but also a fourth intelligent zone with USB-C and double USB-A socket. Also manageable with Google Home, Alexa o Apple HomeKit.
The lights like Became L530E they ensure LED lights that can be easily controlled via the app and adjusted as you see fit, and there is also a light strip Became L930-5. And there is even the smart dimmer It became P115a battery operated button that you can program to switch on more than one light and adjust it in intensity.
Finally, there are also many sensors. To assess the quality of the air like Tapo T315 (with e-ink screen) e Became T300 (without screen). Or the window opening sensor Became T110which you can connect to the alarm or to the smart thermostat Kasa KE100 adjust the heaters if you open the window.
“These products allow you to enable the smart home and are all easily managed with the Tapo app. Our goal is to enable these intelligent services, also thanks to the stable connection of our Mesh lines. And to allow users to use these technologies with the utmost simplicity and with a great value for money ”.
Many of the products presented by TP-Link a IFA 2022 will arrive by the end of the year, and some have already entered the Italian market. You can find more information on the official website.