SwitchBot Universal Remote Control with Customizable APP, All-in-one Smart Remote Control, Control IR/Bluetooth Devices, Compatible with AC/Apple TV/Fire TV/SwitchBots and More, Black

The software and workflow for this device are terrible. I consider myself to be very experienced in advanced home technology and found the set up process to be the most complicated, unstable and convoluted I have seen. It often didn’t perform the same function consistently minute to minute and on several occasions lost binding of buttons to functions. It couldn’t learn many IR codes and simply isn’t fit for purpose. It’s a shame as the black remote looks good , it just isn’t reliable or fun to set up.

As an owner of lots of Switchbot products which I really like, I was really excited to see they were releasing a Universal Remote. I saw some of the average reviews but decided to take a punt as working around a few gremlins is a typical part of having a smart home, but unfortunately, this product disappointed and I ended up returning it.PROS:- Integrates well on the Switchbot app, quite easy to add IR devices if you already have a hub (see the con for this below though).- Feels fairly well-built, but not 'premium'.CONS:- The remote goes to sleep when you leave it for a few minutes. It will wake up if you pick it up, but I commonly just leave my remote where it is on the arm of the sofa when I press play/pause. It would wake up after a button press, but this press wasn't remembered so it would often take 2 or 3 presses before the pause actually happens, which equated to a couple of seconds and was very annoying. Play/Pause should be instant, but it isn't.- I could feel slightly more latency when using with with an Apple TV than the actual Apple TV remote.- Press-and-hold on the central button did not trigger the 'Edit Home Screen' context menu on the Apple TV home screen. Therefore, if I wanted to move apps around, I had to reach for the original remote...- No dedicated Play/Pause button - for most profiles, it's mapped to one of the 4 universal buttons under the screen. It's position wasn't always editable, so in one case I had the same functions in two different locations for my Apple TV and my Blu-Ray player. It's also a bit of a stretch when holding the remote in the hand. It's a remote...... surely a dedicated Play/Pause button is a must?- Setup was a little troublesome, with the remote taking a few attempts before it updated it's firmware, and the bluetooth connection (to an iPhone 14) was a bit intermittent.- It's a shame you need the hub to train it. I knew this going in, but my hub was in a different room, so carting that to the room with the remote just to train a few devices was a bit of a faff.Overall, a disappointing misstep from a brand that is usually pretty infallible. Perhaps the Mk2 product might be better (if they haven't killed demand with this attempt)?