CES 2019: First Alert Previewing New HomeKit-Enabled Smoke Detector-and-Speaker With Mesh Wi-Fi and AirPlay 2

Monday January 7, 2019 6:38 AM PST by Joe Rossignol
First Alert today announced that it will be previewing a new model of its Safe & Sound smoke and carbon monoxide detector, which doubles as a speaker, at CES 2019 in Las Vegas. The new model will remain compatible with HomeKit, allowing it to be controlled in the Home app on iOS and macOS and with Siri voice commands.


The second-generation Safe & Sound features mesh Wi-Fi technology, delivering expanded and stronger Wi-Fi connectivity throughout the home, according to First Alert. And coming "soon" — that's been the case for awhile — the detector will support AirPlay 2, enabling streaming from Apple devices and multi-room audio.

The detector has a built-in speaker with noise-canceling microphones and is available with either Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant built in. Alexa users, for example, can ask to stream music from Amazon Music or Spotify, read the news, check the weather, control other smart home devices, and so forth.

As for the detector itself, an alarm alerts homeowners on their smartphones in the event of a smoke or carbon monoxide emergency, whether home or away. With exclusive voice and location technology by First Alert, the Safe & Sound alerts users to the type of danger and its location within the home.

First Alert has not revealed pricing or availability for the new Safe & Sound. The original model is currently on sale for $199.99 on Amazon in the United States, down from $249.99 regularly.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission, which helps us keep the site running.

Tags: HomeKit Guide, First Alert, AirPlay 2, CES 2019
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oneMadRssn
9 months ago
Is anyone else immediately repulsed by anything Alexa?

"Ooh a fancy fire alarm. And it's from First Alert this time, a good brand for fire alarms. HomeKit, niice. Alexa and Google Assistant... Next!"
Rating: 3 Votes
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boston04and07
9 months ago
What about airplay 2 on the Safe and Sound released this year?
Rating: 2 Votes
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nutmac
9 months ago
I am not ready to plunk down $200+ for a smoke detector that needs to be replaced every 10 years, no matter what the functionalities are.
Rating: 1 Votes
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nutmac
9 months ago

They are speakers. And built in to the home ceiling. Worth every penny.

I would agree with you if the smoke detector module can be replaced individually when it expires. But as designed, you need to replace the entire unit every 10 years, assuming smoke detector module doesn't die sooner.
Rating: 1 Votes
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MadeTheSwitch
9 months ago

I would agree with you if the smoke detector module can be replaced individually when it expires. But as designed, you need to replace the entire unit every 10 years, assuming smoke detector module doesn't die sooner.


Exactly. Replacing perfectly good speakers every decade is not only stupid but environmentally unfriendly. I think carbon monoxide sensors have an even shorter shelf life. They need to make the sensors moduler and just slide out of the side or something. There should be no reason to replace perfectly working speakers and wifi networking tech every decade which serves no purpose other than to add to cost.
Rating: 1 Votes
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nutmac
9 months ago

You do realize you should do it whether it’s $30 or $900?

Why would I want to replace perfectly functioning speaker every 10 years? It's not just the issue of money. It's also ecologically concern. Most state laws require minimum of 1 smoke detector per room plus 1 for common area. A two story 4-bedroom house would need a minimum of 6 smoke detectors. Even if you budget $1200-1500 for 6 smoke detectors, that's 6 perfectly good speakers going to waste every 10 years.

To be fair, a ceiling speaker powered by smoke detector wiring is an ingenious idea. But I would be far more supportive if the smoke detector module can be replaced independently, even if the module costs $100 a pop.
Rating: 1 Votes
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munpip214
9 months ago

('https://www.macrumors.com/2019/01/07/first-alert-new-safe-sound-homekit-smoke-detector/')


First Alert today announced ('https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190107005076/en/Onelink%C2%AE-Alert%C2%AE-Portfolio-Expansion-Opens-Unrivaled-Experiences') that it will be previewing a new model of its Safe & Sound smoke and carbon monoxide detector ('https://www.firstalert.com/product/safe-sound/'), which doubles as a speaker, at CES 2019 in Las Vegas. The new model will remain compatible with HomeKit, allowing it to be controlled in the Home app on iOS and macOS and with Siri voice commands.



The second-generation Safe & Sound features mesh Wi-Fi technology, delivering expanded and stronger Wi-Fi connectivity throughout the home, according to First Alert. And coming "soon" -- that's been the case for awhile -- the detector will support AirPlay 2, enabling streaming from Apple devices and multi-room audio.

The detector has a built-in speaker with noise-canceling microphones and is available with either Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant built in. Alexa users, for example, can ask to stream music from Amazon Music or Spotify, read the news, check the weather, control other smart home devices, and so forth.

As for the detector itself, an alarm alerts homeowners on their smartphones in the event of a smoke or carbon monoxide emergency, whether home or away. With exclusive voice and location technology by First Alert, the Safe & Sound alerts users to the type of danger and its location within the home.

First Alert has not revealed pricing or availability for the new Safe & Sound. The original model ('https://www.macrumors.com/2018/05/24/onelink-safe-sound-now-available/') is currently on sale for $199.99 on Amazon ('https://www.amazon.com/First-Alert-Onelink-Safe-Sound/dp/B077Y6CL7M/') in the United States, down from $249.99 regularly.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission, which helps us keep the site running.

Article Link: CES 2019: First Alert Previewing New HomeKit-Enabled Smoke Detector-and-Speaker With Mesh Wi-Fi and AirPlay 2 ('https://www.macrumors.com/2019/01/07/first-alert-new-safe-sound-homekit-smoke-detector/')

Now another thing you have to update yearly… first alert does make good smoke detectors, but they’re smart ones have been lacking in quality. There onelink smoke detectors cause loads of problems and even their new generation is having issues too.
Rating: 1 Votes
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