ADT partnership: ST-ADT touchscreen hub and devices (discussion thread)


$550 kit at BestBuy

Looks like there are several new ADT/SmartThings branded devices too that say “Requires an ADT security hub” on box… contact, motion, keychain remote, smoke, CO and leak

For ADT response you have to use these new devices (encrypted?). Other devices/sensors can still be used but won’t trigger ADT call.

Details on hub (7" touchscreen, siren, battery and cell backup, pro monitoring by ADT optional):


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Ring announced a security system today too.

https://ring.com/protect

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Very interesting! Can’t see a lot of details yet, but it looks like this comes a lot closer to what I would expect for a security system in this price range:

Post updated 30 October 2017 now that more details are available

Unfortunately, the system as released has several significant missing features which means I don’t think it can compete with other low-cost security systems.

Specifically, assuming the dashboard is not also a keypad, and amazingly communication with the monitoring center requires active Wi-Fi, which means if the power goes out, the battery back up kicks in, but the system has no way of notifying either ADT monitoring or even sending a message to your cell phone.

Exit delay, built-in siren, keyfob/app disarm, status Light ( assumption from the picture), battery back up (don’t know for how long), optional integration with pro system (yes, but it’s one of the more expensive), all check, but with the Wi-Fi requirement caveat noted above.

It’s unclear if there is tight integration with a camera, how the smart lock integration would work. But no optional cellular communications.:disappointed_relieved:

The description says “cellular data backup” but I don’t know what that means Since the support documents in the SmartThings knowledge base say specifically specifically that the system cannot send security notifications if the WiFi is out (which the regular SmartThings hub also cannot do).

Looking at the launch date details, I’m actually surprised that ADT would put their name on this given that Wi-Fi is required for the notifications.

Note that the pro monitoring will only apply to a specific set of special sensors that you buy, not the regular Z wave or zigbee sensors you might already have. And if you happen to have existing ADT sensors, they don’t work with this system either.

Every device offered in the starter kit functions with 900 MHz dual-encryption wireless technology and is built to the same standards as ADT’s professionally installed products. To be monitored by ADT, you must use these specially encrypted devices, which you can also purchase as additional accessories. The 900 MHz system was designed exclusively for this effort. SmartThings and ADT say this encryption will help to safeguard against false alarms that often cost consumers hundreds of dollars in municipal fines.

Can’t tell yet if the pro monitoring service could call the fire department. If they can, that would be a huge advantage over competitors at this low-end, most of whom are only authorized to call police, not fire. They are offering a smoke detector in the group of ADT – specific devices, so I’m actually hopeful about that. But we’ll have to wait-and-see. Many people are not aware that this issue exists, but it’s one of the advantages that the primary ADT product retains against low-end competitors.

I know there are many existing SmartThings customers who will be disappointed that they can’t use their current sensors for the security piece, but I understand the technical reasons for that decision.

@Tyler

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So this thing got an exit delay? Why again can’t we get an entry/exit delay on regular Smart Home Monitor?

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Wondering if the new Ring Protect Keypad will work with SmartThings:


https://ring.com/protect-base-station

The new Ring Protect Base Station claims to work with Z-Wave, Zigbee, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, so maybe there’s a chance this could just work straight out of the box for those looking for a keypad for their existing SmartThings setups?

Maybe because this thing has been in the works for better part of a year and offering an entrance/exit delay on the V2 hub would put the $99 hub in much more direct competition with the ADT hub. Just my theory based on no factual evidence whatsoever :wink:

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I mentioned this on another discussion of this product, but… I know ST has to be profitable, and selling a $50 hub isn’t going to accomplish that. These partnerships are great, and I’m sure they are helping to make the business unit profitable, but my concern is that the sections of smartthings they partner on will have their native functionality ignored.

We already have that problem with geofencing - when the location reporting on the ST app became so unreliable as to be worthless for me on my family’s phones, the immediate response from ST support was essentially ‘Geofencing is hard, and we don’t do a good job at it - you should totally try the Life 360 app instead!’

It’s probably safe to assume we won’t see the SHM functionality expanded to cover some of the use cases many of us have wanted, such as entry and exit delays now that they have two home security partners.

I’d really rather pay a $5/mo fee and have the platform grow than to see it evolve the way it has so far.

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I agree this is probably the most likely explanation.

Disappointing as hell, since a security system that doesn’t have keypads and entry/exit delays just generally fails to meet the standard of pretty much every system that’s been designed in the last 20-30 years.

I first became interested in ST because of how remarkably well this community was able to supplement the built in features of ST with custom device handlers and smartapps. Thankfully that’s still the case, or I would have ditched it long ago.

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I think the good thing here though it that it sounds like the ADT hub runs some form of the ST system on the back end. So I think they will definitely continue to develop on the back end. In reality I’ve been waiting to heat the announcement at some point that the new fancy dancy V3 hub is coming out. These type of products tend to have shorter life cycles and 18-24 months seems to me to be on the tail end of that. I wouldn’t be surprised AT ALL if the new version of the hub integrates a touchscreen similar to this ADT hub and has a price tag in the $250-400 range.

It’s funny you mention the geofencing issues you’ve had, while I have had a couple myself until iOS11 issue I was running rock solid for months. This is with 4 family members, a guest presence sensor and in some aspect new phones rotated out a couple times a year. one of my teens seems to drop stuff a lot :wink: The other decided to ‘launder’ his be leaving it in his back pocket before washing those jeans. You’ve never seen something so funny as a iPhone 6 tumbling around in a front load washer with the camera light on, but yet be so horrifying at the same time. Anywho, I’m not sure what type of phones you use but in the beginning reliability was spotty until I opened up the geofence size just a little and it solved pretty much all my problems. This is probably best on another topic though :wink:

Does anybody know what the monthly fee will look like?

From press release:
Monthly monitoring is available starting at $14.99 for life safety and $24.99 for security services. For more, visit www.smartthings.com/ADT.

Website says:

ADT Home Security Monitoring
24/7 professional monitoring for intrusion detection and panic alerts.
Only $24.99/month

ADT Home & Life Safety Monitoring
24/7 professional monitoring for smoke, fire, carbon monoxide, and water leaks.
Only $14.99/month

ADT Total Security Bundle
ADT Security Monitoring + ADT Home and Life Safety Monitoring services.
Only $34.99/month
Save $5/month.

Wondering if their arrangement with Scout will be over now that ADT is on board, or if these will both be offered.

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Note the difference in function:

The $15/month monitoring for “life safety” is for fire, carbon monoxide, and leaks only.

The $25 a month monitoring for “home security” is for intrusion alerts (contact and motion sensors) and the panic button.

The $35 a month “total security” package is for those two things together. So it’s five dollars a month off.

Note that in all cases the only sensors that will be monitored are the new special security ones with extra encryption. You can’t include any of your existing Devices. Also, it looks like the special security ones are all running local on a proprietary protocol. So that part is good.

This is considerably more than most competing systems in this price range, which are typically $10 a month or $15 a month, but if they can call the fire department, which most of the competitors cannot, that would be a big plus. Most of the competitors are only authorized to call the police department. (This is because of the number of false alarms on automatic systems and the relative scarcity of fire equipment.) anyway, it’s an interesting price structure if it does include fire department calls.

Wait so is this yet another ST hub that you have to migrate your stuff to? :slight_smile:

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Yes. :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye: Same with the new Nvidia shield.

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It would be “funny” if you had to have like 8 hubs in the same location if you wanted to partake in all of this.

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They have a tool on the website now to put together a package of devices based on your number of doors/windows, smoke/CO, motion detectors etc.

I just put my numbers in. It would cost me about $1600 just to upgrade the hub and devices.

Hilarious.

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Good for NEW users who do not already have their homes blanketed in sensors. Will be pricey to replace everything for those already invested in SmartThings to suddenly hop onto ADT with SmartThings.

Hoping Scout or other moniting services will continue to be offered to current SmartThings users looking to keep their current services.

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Yeah I think it’s obviously a good thing for new people that don’t currently have anything, or have very few devices tied into their setup and don’t mind basically “starting over.” And of course it’s good for ADT and SmartThings, since it nets them new customers.

It should be an easy sell for people looking for a modular system, so they can start small and add stuff later, and the ADT name will undoubtedly make people consider it over some of the “newer” entries in the market.

With that said, it’s another example of us old folks being left behind to rot… :slight_smile:

I really don’t understand the magnitude of the value of “encrypted sensors”… Isn’t ZigBee already encrypted?

There’s obvious value in cellular backup and a secure arm/disarm & communication panel, but… A custom sensors?

This is done to the standard required by security sensors. It is different than zigbee home automation, which is single encryption. ZHA is generally fine for home automation, but dual encryption is appropriate for a security system.