We’ve seen many brands of smart plugs in the market and they usually cost upwards of S$25. Near Singapore, which is known for the smart lighting products (light strip, bulb), have made another step into the smart world with their new Smart Plug. The Near Smart Plug retails for S$14.90, much cheaper than its competitors.
Why get a smart plug?
A smart plug is able to work with voice assistants such as Google Assistant. This means that you can turn on the plug via voice command, turning any normal appliance into a “smart” one. If you do not use a voice assistant at home, the accompanying smartphone app usually features other “smart” settings such as scenarios and automation. For example, you can set the smart plug to turn on when it is 6.00pm.
Tech specs
| Power Input | 230V – 240V (50/60Hz) |
| Wi-Fi | 802.11 b/g/n 2.4GHz (Does not support 5GHz network) |
| Maximum load / Electrical Output | 13A (16A Maximum) |
| Dimensions (LxWxH) | 57mm x 57mm x 31mm |
| Weight | Approximately 90g |
| Compatibility | Android 4.0+, iOS 8.0+ |
| Integrations | Alexa, Google Assistant |
| Certification | CE, IMDA, ROHS, CB, TUV |
Design and build quality
The Near Smart Plug has a very simple and compact design. It is a square-shaped looking plug that measures (57mm * 57mm * 31mm), making it very similar to the D-Link DSP-W118 (S$27.90) in size. The compact size is definitely a plus point because if you are attaching this to a power extension cord, it will not take up too much space. The plug is made from plastic but feels well built, and the single on/off button on the left of the plug is tactile and responsive.
The Near Smart Plug doesn’t allow you to plug in 2-pin plugs directly without an adapter. It would have been nice to see that feature.
App features
Once you have successfully setup the Near Smart Plug, you can change the name of the plug to whatever you like it to be. By default, the icon that represents the Smart Plug is the image of the plug itself. You can change it to a custom photo from your photo gallery or take a picture on the spot. This is helpful for identifying quickly what devices the smart plugged is plugged to if you own more than one of these.
On the ‘Home’ page of the app, you will be able to switch the Smart Plug on/off. Going into the Smart Plug page, there is a button which you can tap to turn on/off the plug, much like a remote control. Check out the video demo below:
You can also set a timer unique to each Smart Plug that you may have. There are two types of timer – (1) Countdown, (2) Schedule.
The countdown timer, as it name suggests, will perform the opposite action of its current status once the countdown timer ends. Meaning if the Near Smart Plug is currently turned off, it will turn on. The Schedule function allows you to preset certain times of a day you want the Smart Plug to either be switched on or off. This particularly useful when you have certain devices you want to turn on atomically based on a schedule. You can set more than one and specify different days as well.
There are also other features in the app that allow for more flexible smart settings that you will benefit from if you own more than one Near product. This is because the following features allows you to turn on or control more than one Near product with a single scenario setting.
Tap-to-Run sequence
“Tap-to-Run” allows you to create macros and save them as a shortcut, where once you tap on that shortcut, the app will carry out what you have listed in your instruction sequence. Under the ‘Task’ tab, you can select more than one Smart Plug or other Near device, and set the action you want it to do.
For example, you can configure a “Tap-to-Run” action to turn on the smart plug to your fan and turn on dim the brightness of your Near Smart Bulb. Once you are done setting up the “Tap-to-Run” action, it can show up on the iPhone widgets area. You can even add the “Tap-to-Run” action to Siri Shortcuts as well. Alternatively, the “Tap-to-Run” action can also be found on the Near app’s ‘Home’ or ‘Smart’ tab.
Automation
The Automation feature is basically an “If this happens, then do that” configuration. For example, you can programme the smart plug to switch on if the weather is raining, or if the temperature is lower than 30°C, and so on. The condition can also be based on a device, such as, “if the Smart Light Bulb is turned on, then turn off the Smart Plug”. You can also set the automated action to only run during a specified period of time, for example only during weekdays.
It would have been nice to an automation feature in the Near App to be location based, such that if you leave home the smart plugs can be turned off automatically.
Google Assistant / Amazon Alexa capable
Another great feature of the Near ecosystem of products is the ability to integrate with Smart Assistants such as Alexa, Google Assistant. Google Assistant is able to perform simple turn on/off of the Near Smart Plug. To activate your “Tap-to-Run” actions, I found that as long as you say “activate [name of action]”, Google Assistant should be able to perform it.
Unfortunately, the Near Smart Plug is not supported in IFTTT so even though the Smart Light Strip is supported in IFTTT (via Smart Life).
Conclusion
The biggest attraction of the Near Smart Plug is its price. At $14.90, it is much cheaper than the available competition. The app works well and has many useful functions to make your non-smart appliances smarter. And if you are already using Google Assistant at home, then this smart plug presents much added value to your smart home.
If you ever wanted to turn on/off your household appliances remotely when you’re not at home, the Near Smart Plug offers you at that functionality an affordable price, and one stop closer to making your home smarter.