Meros has announced a new version of its MS600 presence sensor that is now battery powered, so installation isn’t limited to places where you can hide a power cord.
A single CR123A battery powers the new MS605 presence sensor for up to three years. Battery life may be reduced in high traffic areas if the sensor is activated more frequently. It’s now available for preorder through Meros’ online store and is discounted to $34.99 for a limited time.
The switch to battery power is made possible by another new feature: support for Matter over low-power thread protocols. The MS605’s years-old predecessor was also Miter-compatible, but over Wi-Fi. You’ll need to make sure you have a Thread-enabled hub somewhere in your home to use the MS605 with Google Home, Apple Home, or Alexa, but it doesn’t have to be a Meros hub.
The MS605 has a similar design to the older MS600 and features its articulated mounting plate, allowing the sensor to be angled up to 90 degrees and rotated 360 degrees. It has been upgraded with IP67 waterproof rating so that it can now be used outdoors as well. It also offers the same combination of light, passive infrared (PIR), and 24GHz mmWave radar sensors that are used to detect people moving or standing still and to distinguish inanimate moving objects like window curtains from humans. The only real downside to the battery is that the MS605’s range is reduced to 6 meters (from 12) for motion and 4 meters (from 6) for presence detection.