@Riley_S 

 

Those switches being described as "w/Matter"... 

 

Does that imply that existing devices might not receive a firmware update that implements Matter?
Or are those just new model numbers for devices that will ship with Matter-capable firmware, and maybe some industrial design tweaks?

  @Riley_S 

 

I don't see any details about the KS240 on the tp-link ces site.   Do you have more information.  Been waiting for this for quite a while. 

@Riley_S I was looking at everything on the CES page for KASA/TAPO and wondering if the KS and TAPO lines will merge and become a single offering, as it appears that both the KS200 and 205 may be the same as the TAPO S505. As I plan to ensure the future-proofing of my home, I also want to ensure that both MATTER interoperability and issue resolution are there. Thanks,

From a customer perspective, I think there would be a lot of benefit to a Kasa / Tapo mashup - or at least, interoperability within a single app, that keeps the most advanced features of either line.

 

I've got a bunch of Kasa switches and bulbs that I haven't installed yet. Most of it purchased because it was on sale at the time, and I bought into the marketing materials I'd seem up to that point. In the testing I've done in one space so far -- a relatively simple affair with a few lights and two motion switches, grouped -- it feels like they were a bit oversold, and in any event are not currently up to what feels like a fairly straightforward use case. 

That said, given this forum and some relatively active feedback from the company, I'm willing to wait it out for a bit with the hope that more functionality is forthcoming.
 

In that case, I'm also looking at the TP-Link camera offerings. My current cameras have had functionality stripped away due to "upgrades" since they were purchased, and other promised (or at least strongly implied) features have yet to see the light of day within a couple of years. Despite Kasa being what seems like the more mature brand, though, it looks like Tapo cameras are the ones getting new updates and models (and, they appear to support RTSP). 

 

But if I go the TP-Link route with this, I really don't want to just swap my current camera app with another one, plus manage yet another integration in Google Assistant and Alexa. It would be a lot easier to handle the lighting and cameras in the same app, and using a single voice skill/action.

 

Then there's the question of, how do I find out which TP-Link lighting products bring the most to my home, or provide the feature set most likely to satisfy my needs? Do I, or should I, really have to invest in two brands from the same company, for the same product types, in order to find this out?

 

I can't see how the user base for Tapo should really be any different that the base for Kasa, given the nature of the products. And it certainly feels like it would make things easier for us customers, in addition to being easier to market and sell to us customers.

Page has a photo here - https://www.tp-link.com/us/home-networking/smart-switch/ks240/

 

Looks really slick!

  @Riley_S two questions in regards to the KS240;

Will this switch require a neutral wire? Also, can we expect to see this released before the end of Q2? Trying to time a renovation and I would much prefer to use these switches instead of two KS220's per fan.