Wink is getting ready to launch their new hub…It’s a beast and has everything people complained about over the years…Ethernet, 5GHz support, Bluetooth LE, migration tool, Local control for Schedules and Robots (Routines)…
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Looks promising. Of course, it’s not going to provide the openness that Smartthings provides which is the main reason I haven’t switched yet 
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In addition to openness… what other limitations and issues will exist off the bat?
No extensive rule engine?
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No zigbee HA support
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If they can really do this:
Hub-to-hub transfer process: We’ve built a brand new infrastructure that will allow current Wink Hub owners to transfer over their smart products, automations, and personal settings to Wink Hub 2. It all occurs effortlessly within the Wink app in a matter of minutes.
I’m assuming existing Lutron and ZHA devices will still require a physical reset on each device to join to the new controller but even so, this will be a big deal if it works. 
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Another story:
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Based on what I am reading, I can’t see how v2 is going to do any better in the typical consumer world than v1 did.
“What we’re really trying to do here is make the first hub that appeals to mainstream consumers, that you don’t have to be a hobbyist or enthusiast to get going with,” Smith says.
What would appeal to an average consumer about v2 that v1 didn’t? They added a few more radio’s, ethernet port, but I can’t see that making a huge difference.
“We’ve made it a lot more complicated for ourselves, but it makes it a lot easier for consumers. They never have to think about what’s happening locally, and what’s happening remote,”
Your typical average consumer isn’t going to really understand or care about this.
Speed of action! They are saying that robots will run locally, that means no more lag.
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This is interesting. In particular, it will be interesting to see what devices can actually be added. If it’s just Bluetooth lightbulbs like the FEIT line, that’s one thing. They’ll probably add the August lock and maybe some of the other Bluetooth locks eventually. If it includes buttons like the Flic and sensors like the Elgato Eve line, they’ll be considerably ahead of anybody else.
(Company spokespeople have been saying that they think Bluetooth and WiFi Will be two of the most important home automation protocols in the future, probably a nod towards HomeKit, but we’ll see.)
The following is a bad sign for SmartThings users considering a switch . They’re going to limit zigbee to A few predefined devices, my guess is pretty much the ones that already work with wink one. Plus ZLL. No way to add additional sensors. no zigbee motion sensors, no accelerometers, no VOC sensors, No lux sensors, no zigbee temperature sensors, no acoustic sensors. No zigbee locks.
It will be interesting to see if the new Hue motion sensor can be used to trigger actions with the new Wink platform.
I understand why: Z wave devices identify themselves by device class, while zigbee devices have a unique fingerprint. Getting that fingerprint into the system makes the process more complex for the end-user. If you don’t allow users to work with the device type handlers, they have to wait for the company to add each new zigbee device to the platform.
It’s also interesting that the partnership is with Walmart and that both companies are emphasizing marketing of simple use cases, not the devices. “don’t come home to a dark house.” “Don’t come home to a cold house.” And then “these are the four devices you need to solve that problem.”
In spite of the mention of “more protocols than any other hub” I think it’s possible that this will be marketed as a limited feature home automation system. A less expensive HomeKit competitor that also works with android phones. That would certainly fit the Walmart placement. But we’ll see. 
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If you ask the average consumer about local processing, remote processing, robots, they will look at you like you have 20 heads. I am meeting with my neighbor tonight to discuss his home automation/security needs, so this will be a good test 
I will ask him if he cares about local or remote processing. I will bet his answer will be “What is the difference?”.
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If they get it right and will turn this into a fast response plug and play device, they will own the market. I think the average 12 devices users care more for the lights to come on when programmed than doing tricks with their system that sometimes work, but oftentimes don’t.
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It’s not that they will know. It’s that wink is selling the new hub as “reliable” and “fast.”
The typical consumer doesn’t care about remote versus local, but will care about those two words, particularly if they read any user reviews about the Wink one hub.
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If HomeKit adds an open/close sensor and a motion sensor that can trigger other events, I think the limited feature market will split between HomeKit and Wink. They’ll have some of the same devices, particularly the Phillips hue bridge and Lutron switches, but wink will also have less expensive locks and sensors. And of course wink will work with android, which HomeKit will not.
It’s certainly going to be interesting.
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I think the Wink 2 looks very strong and will consider getting one to replace my gen 1 Wink hub. The primary weakness of Wink, however, seems to remain - lack of device (ie, sensor) availability. They have no multisensor support, no other sensors for light, humidity, and vibration, and only limited temp support (GoControl motion sensor and Leaksmart). If they resolve that issue, they could have a hit. I think they do need a stronger rules engine, however.
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Yeah, but that’s just marketing. They could have made v1 reliable and fast too as local processing is available in V1.
I asked the Wink spokeswoman about the process and specifically, if it was necessary to touch any device and she said “No, it is all done over the air.”
As a Wink 1 owner, I think this is a solid upgrade for me if for no other reason some of the integrations (such as Lutron) and the ability to run them locally. I think ST is still a stronger platform overall due to the openness and community support, however.
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She was wrong. That’s only true for Z wave devices. The instructions for doing the transfer specifically say that you will have to touch the Lutron switches in order to make the transfer. I’m not sure about Zigbee.
After the transfer is completed, Wink will prompt you to connect each of your lutron products with one tap in the Wink app, and one quick physical interaction on each product. The reason for this is that Lutron’s proprietary radio does not allow for direct product transfer.
( i’m usually highly tolerant of people who haven’t yet learned the details of a process or device, but that tolerance level goes way down for people in positions of expertise who give incorrect information to others. It’s an engineering thing. 
)
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Good catch - I wonder if I should PM her.
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