So what are the specs? The faceplate is made of toughened glass, which makes sense, as it’s an all glass faceplate. While this is a 2-gang switch, it also has the ability to work in a 2-way situation, so if you have another switch controlling the same light that one of the two switches are connected to, then the G-Switch can accommodate that. I was provided with this unit by a colleague (Bing Feng Yeh), who has also had a large involvement in the development of the Bluetooth side of these products, and as such was very kind enough to fit this for me, so I’m not fully aware of how to wire up a switch, but it was, by all accounts, very easy to set up, literally taking a 2 or 3 minutes from turning off the mains power to adding the switch to HomeKit. In Taiwan there are no neutral wires in the light switches, so for me, it was great to be able to get one fitted without having to ship a whole raft of Lutron products. Still, this is not essentially a US market product, although along with Lutron, this is one of the few 110-120v smart switches out there that doesn’t require a neutral wire. The surround has the Greenbank branding, however, so if that’s something that would bother you, having the name sideways, then look elsewhere. This wouldn’t matter in one sense, as these switches themselves don’t have any distinguishing marks. These switches are primarily designed for the Taiwanese market, and while Taiwan and North America share the same dimension when it of switches, plugs and outlets, for some reason Taiwan have their switches laid out horizontally or in Landscape, compared to US switches. Greenbank makes three versions of the G-switch – 1,2 and 3 gang versions. Profile of G-Switch revealing connections This is also a Bluetooth-based device, so while you don’t need to worry about the strength of your wifi signal, you do need to be within range of a home hub, be that an Apple TV or a HomePod. The most important thing to note is that this is indeed HomeKit compatible, and comes with three instances of the HomeKit code – one on the plastic part of the packaging (hidden behind the front right cardboard panel), one with the accompanying booklet, and finally one on the switch itself, beneath the faceplate. The front of the packaging does give you all basic the information you need in small bullet points at the front, and if you were wondering where the ‘Works with Apple HomeKit’ badge is, fear not, as it’s located on the rear of the box. The top has the handle for the purposes of hanging in stores, but design-wise there’s nothing especially remarkable about it. I’m going to make short work of the packaging part today, but safe to say, these switches come in a reasonably well-protected box, with a ‘window’ to show the product, which itself is protected by a moulded, clear plastic holder. Here we have the 2-gang version of the Greenbank ‘G-Switch’, which is essentially a HomeKit compatible, wired or in-wall light switch, but let’s start with the presentation.
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