So after seeing these sensors go on sale pretty often for about $7-$8, I decided to order one of each and give them a try. I heard a lot of complaints about pairing issues and could barely find any info on the Aqara sensors.
http://www.gearbest.com/smart-light-bulb/pp_257677.html
http://www.gearbest.com/access-control/pp_626703.html
I finally got them in the mail, and here’s what I found: They’re the same…
Aside from some aesthetic differences, they both work exactly the same. They paired almost exactly the same, they use the same device handler, and they report open and closed the same with the same distance between the sensor and magnet.
I personally prefer the look of the Aqara flavor, it was only at $6.99 at the time, and it was slightly easier to work with just because it has a button on the bottom instead of a pinhole for pairing purposes… but either way, they both seem to work just fine.
EDIT: The Aqara sensor did recognize as a “Thing” when pairing! Sorry I skimmed right over that. Another bonus for the Aqara sensor.
Here are some side-by-side comparison pictures, Original Xiaomi on the left, Aqara on the right:
Sensors & magnets:
Sensors:
Magnets:
Pinhole vs button:
I just paired them today and got them working with no issues whatsoever thanks to the device handler from @a4refillpad & a simple post from @Pbrain that describes the pairing process almost stupid easy!
Bottom line, these are totally worth every penny and I’ll be buying more!
FYI: These do not report battery status right away. I will update here with what mine do. The Aqara sensor is currently reporting 0%, the original is still showing –
Update1: The original sensor is displaying battery, and the Aqara sensor dropped offline. I popped the front off of the sensor to take it to the hub and pair it again, after going into pairing mode on hub and sensor, it came back online.
Update 2: The Aqara sensor hasn’t dropped offline again, but still reporting 0% battery. The original xiaomi seems to be working fine and reporting 92% battery.