Smart panels are awesome. They turn a boring wall switch into an interactive hub/automation centre and add a modern vibe to any smart home. There is a problem… no smart panel is perfect and ITEAD’s NSPanel release record isn’t exactly stellar. They have sent me a new NSPanel Pro 120 – have they learned the lessons from previous launches, or will the latest Sonoff smart panel will leave much to be desired at launch?
Let’s find out.
Like NSPanel Pro, but squashed
After Sonoff NSPanel, Sonoff NSPanel Pro, this is the third iteration of smart panels from ITEAD. On the surface, the Sonoff NSPanel Pro 120 shares the same touch-only interface as the square older brother: the NSPanel Pro.
The device shares the same back plate configuration requiring live and neutral to be powered on but not offering any built-in relays to control switches. You will need a separate Sonoff MninZB or similar.
New is the form factor, and the vertical LCD (4.7″, 750×1334) brings a much slimmer footprint to your walls. The reduction in overall width translates to a different layout of mounting screws. While the back of the switch still fits into 45mm x 45mm x 25mm, the bracket is more rectangular.
Inside NSPanel Pro 120
To understand the smart panel better, let’s peek inside Sonoff NSPanel Pro 120. It’s been nearly 2 years since the release of the original smart panel, so I expected to see a different hardware. At heart, we have a RockChip CPU but this time it’s RK3326-S. It’s faster and more capable of rendering videos (Quad-core ARM Cortex-A35 CPU). It’s paired with 2GB RAM and 8GB eMMC storage.
Connectivity-wise, it uses 2,4GHz WiFi, Bluetooth and ZigBee 3.0 (EFR32 MG21) which handles hub functions. The smart panel comes with speakers, light sensor and microphones.
NSPanel Pro 86 vs NSPanelPro 120
The most obvious difference between the smart panels is the form factor. It’s down to your preference which one you like more, but that’s not the only difference. While designed in a manner and functionality similar to NSPanel Pro, the new smart panel feels significantly snappier when used.
Thanks to the new hardware inside, Sonoff NSPanel Pro 120 menus interact better with your fingertips and going between screens feels more responsive.
If you are still confused about the numbers associated with each product, they stand for smart panel height in mm.
Is the new panel worth it?
After being let down by the launch of the original NSPanel Pro, I shelved mine for months. I wouldn’t blame you for doing the same. It’s time to answer the question from the title of this article: is this the smart panel we all waited for?
The short answer is: there is no short answer.
While the hardware powering Sonoff NSPanel Pro 120 is new, there are very minimal differences between both smart panels. The launch of the new form factor gave me the motivation to dig out the original NSPanel Pro and compare it with the latest release. If you are quick, you can get the panel at a promotional price of $65.90, which is expected to increase to over $100. Considering the changes, the current pricing could be very attractive especially since an additional discount is available when buying more than one smart panel.
As I pointed out in my initial review of the NSPanel Pro, there wasn’t anything wrong with the device itself (other than missing internal relays), I took issue with promised features that were not there at launch. We are finally here. Sonoff NSPanel Pro 120 brings the features that the original panel missed at launch. If anything, the release of the 120mm version of the smart screen introduced me again to the new Sonoff NSPanel Pro firmware – available on both devices!
You don’t have to buy Sonoff NSPanel Pro 120 to enjoy the features, just take the original NSPanel Pro and update to enjoy all the benefits that are available now. The only major difference would be a support for Matter which wasn’t enabled on the older model.
From Cast to Rubic – what’s new
Rubic is the new name for the framework created to customise your NSPanel Pro. It’s “Cast” in disguise! Just as the name suggests, Rubic is a framework that manages screens and tiles within the screens. You can set these in the eWeLink app and manage what goes on each screen.
It’s a very customisable way of setting up your NSPanel Pro and works quite well regardless of how many devices you have in your ecosystem. You can access screens displayed in your preferred order with swipes to the left and right. These screens can be customised (9-section grid) or selected from pre-defined layouts (energy screen, thermostat, cameras etc.
Stuff that matters
Device tiles are even more interactive now. Each Sonoff device displays the current state but also brings basic metrics to the tile and can trigger notifications. Temperature tiles have all environmental details, relays with power measurement options report basic metrics in the tile and ZigBee sensors update and alert respective tiles based on their function.
In properly configured NSPanel Pro – you can see at a glance all the important information from your room or the entire house. This feels modern and convenient.
Power Dashboard and Thermostat
Available from mobile, these dashboards are pretty cool. Now you can set up a virtual thermostat and link any of Sonoff temperature sensors as your input and add another Sonoff relay as a heating/AC controller. You can configure multiple thermostats in a single NSPanlel Pro.
The thermostat has a very modern look and comes with the usual options for setpoints, and schedules. It will work just fine with basic heating systems giving you all the smart options, but I found that the virtual thermostats created in NSPanel Pro are not available for Smart Scenes and automation as a separate device. I will feed this back to ITEAD with the feedback to include the temperature charts. It’s not a major issue as assigned to the thermostat relay can be included in automation regardless. Additional options offer temperature calibration and different units.
Power Dashboards can be fun to set up too if you have devices like Sonoff POW Elite. Each NSPanel Pro can display one power dashboard and report back the electricity use of linked devices. As you can specify what devices should contribute towards the usage data – this can be a really powerful feature. I hope they will add the ability to display the cost of used electricity with multiple tariffs and the ability to create multiple dashboards.
ZigBee 3.0, Bluetooth and more
The PRO version of the smart panel already had a ZigBee 3.0 hub included under the hood. Anyone with the new version of the firmware can define whether smart panels should act as coordinators or routers. I first cover this feature in the Aqara Hub M3 review where the Aqara ecosystem allows you to re-use older devices with built-in hubs to expand your ZigBee mesh instead of creating multiple meshes for each panel.
It’s a move that will encourage you to get more than one panel, as you can use them to propagate your ZigBee mesh.
If ZigBee isn’t enough, you can also play with Bluetooth or use eWeLink Remote protocol to interface with other devices that support it.
Webpages are the new DIY
These smart panels are Android/Linux-based and come equipped with a web browser. While adding notenoughtech.com to the list of buttons on my smart device is fun, there is a much better use of this function.
If you use NodeRED or Home Assistant, you can add the URL to your dashboard and display it as a page on your smart panel! The screen isn’t designed to work great in that mode, but you can tailor a specific dashboard that can be displayed and interacted with just for NSPanel Pro.
The second trick is to link your REST requests. Instead of going through the trouble of creating custom dashboards, you can link a REST call to your automation server triggered each time the shortcut is pressed. That’s another way to start automation on your DIY server. It could be an effective way of dealing with 3rd party API – as long as you don’t mind closing the browser after use.
Calls, microphones and speakers
Equipped with a speaker and microphone (but no camera), NSPanel Pro can make calls between other panels and act as an intercom but also displays a feed from a doorbell of an RTSP camera or Sonoff Cam and lets you talk to the person on the other side.
It won’t become a CCTV station, but NSPanel Pro can be a perfect way to answer a knock on the door and see who is there. I really appreciate the option for adding cameras from outside of the Sonoff ecosystem as ITEAD’s offering as not the strongest choice.
Shop with Sonoff
Take a look at the ZigBee and WiFi range of the devices compatible with eWeLink:
Final thoughts
NSPanel Pro 120 is finally here. It took months to get the smart panel to the point where is ready. I was against buying one when the original NSPanel Pro was released, but now, it has enough features available, that I can confidently advise you to consider it. I’m still slightly sour about how the original launch went down, but ITEAD kept working on the firmware, and I will take solace in that. Let me know what you think about the NSPanel Pro – I’m keen to hear if you prefer the 86mm or 120mm form factor. Leave your thoughts in this Reddit thread.
🆓📈 – See the transparency note for details.
