Violet SmartSwitch lite review: The Smartest on the Market

The Violet SmartSwitch lite box

Today we are going to talk about the Violet SmartSwitch lite. Your first reaction might be why the lite version? Well for now they have only released a lite version. Maybe a premium version will be on the market later as the product is still quite new. In the second quarter of this year, people were able to pre-order the Violet SmartSwitch lite and they began to ship at the end of the second quarter to the start of the third. I have ordered mine a couple of days ago and it got delivered surprisingly fast within a day. So let’s dive into the Violet SmartSwitch lite review.

To be clear, I do not get paid for this review. I did have a coupon for some discount but I ordered it myself. Everything you will read in this post is my own honest opinion.

The packaging

As you might have seen in the picture above the packing of the Violet SmartSwitch lite looks really high-end. This does also reflect the price as it’s not cheap. At the time of writing, the Violet SmartSwitch lite costs about £180.50 for the UK (squared backbox) version or €212,00 (£177.87) for the European version (rounded backbox). After opening the box you are welcomed by a card with a QR code for the instructions manual. Just below the card, you will see some protection material together with the Violet SmartSwitch lite. While opening the package, it really felt like I was opening a new Smartphone 😊.

After removing the switch from its packaging you will see a couple of things. First of all the backbox, which is needed to power the switch while mounted in the wall. As stated before, the backbox will differ depending on the version you have. On the bottom, you will see a micro USB port, a small button, and a MicroSD slot. The button can be used to reboot the switch. You can use the micro USB port as an alternative power supply. This is especially handy to set up your device. Last but (possibly) not least we have the MicroSD slot. There is no use case for this slot at the moment of writing. I’m really excited about what the future is going to bring us with this slot.

What is a Violet SmartSwitch lite

The Violet SmartSwitch lite is not your ordinary light switch. First of all, because it only works with smart lights. But that’s not all. It’s a smart switch with a display. The 86 x 86 millimeter Violet SmartSwitch Lite replaces a single light switch on the wall and requires its own power supply. This means a neutral wire or other power source is required. The lamp that you previously used to switch on or off will now be permanently wired while being controlled by the smart switch. This is the reason why the Violet SmartSwitch lite only works with smart lights. For now, the only supported smart light setup is Philips Hue.

How to setup Philips Hue

Setting up Philips Hue is easier than you might think. After setting up your WiFi connection, your device might reboot to install the latest updates. Now go into your settings again and select Philips Hue. Your switch will automatically search for Hue Bridges on the WiFi network. After the search is complete you will see a list of IP addresses of bridges within your house. If you can’t find your bridge, you can enter the IP address manually, in my other guide I explained how to find your bridge’s IP. Now select the preferred bridge and you will be directed to another screen. The next screen is used to define in which room the Violet SmartSwitch Lite is used.

Now all you have to do is select your favorite lighting scenes and you are done! But remember, the scenes will appear on your switch in the order you have selected them. If you click on one of the buttons it will directly switch to that scene. The On/Off button is always shown to directly turn on or off the password. Another really well though trough feature is the option to turn off the lights without enabling the display. If you tap the screen shortly, it will toggle the lights in the selected room without enabling the display.

How to setup Sonos

If I should believe the website, setting up the Sonos connection would happen automatically. As I don’t have a Sonos system myself I went to my work office to check out this feature. To say the least, I am amazed. After booting the device and connecting to the office WiFi I got direct control over the Sonos system. The touch screen allows you to easily change between rooms and play your favorite songs or radio stations. As I don’t have a Sonos system myself I hope that new audio systems are added soon. After setting up Sonos, you just have to click on the little equalizer icon at the bottom of the home screen to access the Sonos player.

Quick support

During the process of setting up my Violet SmartSwitch, I ran into a problem while selecting my dutch postal code. The device kept telling me it was unable to find my location. I decided to email the support team with my issue. Within an hour I got a response telling me it will be fixed within the next release and that I can use my hometown for now. After typing in my hometown everything worked fine and the temperature was shown. Big compliments to the quickness of support teams like Violet’s.

New features in version 1.5.0

At the time of writing this story, I received an email from Violet that version 1.5.0 is now entering the Beta testing stage. The newest version allows users to connect multiple bridges with their own scenes which would be really nice! Another feature being added is the option to hide audio control. Unfortunately, I don’t have a Sonos system in my house so disabling that button would be a nice option for me. Last but not least, the setup of the configuration options has been split out into separate parts to easily enable the user to set up multiple bridges and scenes. Become part of the MoreHue.com community to get updates about new versions.

Violet SmartSwitch lite review

The Violet SmartSwitch lite is a high-end light switch with seemingly easy connection options with your Philips Hue lights and Sonos system. If your house contains both of these systems it will be a no-brainer. But the switch does come with a price tag though. As stated before the Violet SmartSwitch lite costs about £180.50 for the UK (squared backbox) version or €212,00 (£177.87) for the European version (rounded backbox). But new updates come out quite frequently so I’m very excited for what the future development is going to bring us. Besides, that does the support team does an amazing job if you run into any problem. I’m very happy with what I’ve seen so far.

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