Cantata
A massive hole was left by Logitech when itexited the universal remote business , which it had long dominated with its Harmony line of smart learning remotes . Several fellowship have hear to pick up from where Logitech bequeath off , from the budget - tending SofaBaton , to the high-priced Control4 Neeo , but none have been able to gain the center and mind of couch surfers .
French / Amerindic / Chinese startupCantatahopes to change that with its first product — the Haptique RS90 — a sleek , angled chunk of Al that looks a small like someone take away a Motorola RAZR phone and turned it into a remote control .
Cantata
The RS90 and its upgraded sibling , the RS90X , come with charging base and are beingcrowdfunded on Kickstarter until July 19 . While early backers may be able to get a Haptique RS90 for as lilliputian as 240 euros ( about $ 260 ) , Cantata anticipate the RS90 will sell for 600 euros ( about $ 645 ) and the RS90X will go for 750 euro ( about $ 806 ) once ( if ? ) the twist make it to regular retail outlets . We ’d also like to prompt you thatcrowdfunding can be a notoriously unreliable room to buy a product , and since this is Cantata ’s first rush at the can , the risk of infection are much high than with a well - known mark .
Still , the Haptique RS90 call to intermix a touchscreen interface with dedicated physical ( and backlit ) release , in a rechargeable remote control that can speak to virtually any twist in your rest home . Cantata says it can emit infrared ( IR ) , link via Bluetooth , and interact with a variety of hub - based and hubless ZigBee smart home ecosystems . Cantata plans to betray two color selection : light silver and gunmetal gray — very Apple - esque — and says it will back the Haptique with a three - class warranty .
As you choose different action , e.g. listening to Spotify , streaming Netflix , etc . , the ramp up - in 3.1 - inch display will show customized interfaces with additional controls and features for each activity .
When the drive cease and backers ( hopefully ) take in their remote in August 2024 , the scheme is bear to support :
By the end of the yr , that list is scheduled to flourish to let in :
Finally , Cantata says that Samsung SmartThings will also be supported , but has n’t offered a timeline on it .
As with Logitech ’s now - discontinued argumentation of Elite remotes , programming of the Haptique remotes is done via a mobile app for Android or iOS , which can also playact as a backup remote in event the Haptique stops working or need a recharge .
Both the RS90 and RS90X share the same canonical design , but you may expect to get more from the RS90X. It sport more memory , more storage , a faster processor , an OLED display ( the RS90 used LCD ) , an IR receiver , Bluetooth 5.0 ( versus 4.2 on the RS90 ) and even a fingerprint reader . The X variant also uses a more up - to - date Android 12 operating system , while the veritable example is base on Android 8.1 .
Both remote also include a microphone , but it ’s not yet clear whether you ’ll be able to issue voice command directly to your devices . Cantata state it ’s cultivate on Siri integration for Apple TV , with Amazon ’s Fire tv set and Android television voice support to come subsequently . Voice integration proved to be the one sphere that Logitech ’s Harmony remotes never master , and as vocalism - based devices like Apple TV , Fire TV , Roku , and impertinent TV became more democratic , Harmony remotes simply could n’t keep pace . Logitech essay very briefly ( and unsuccessfully ) with theAlexa - powered Harmony Express . We ’ll see if Cantata ’s Haptique is more successful at bridging that break .
It ’s deserving noting that in 2023 , a very similar Kickstarter labor wrap up and began shipping product to backers : theYio Remote Two(now renamed as theUnfolded Circle Remote Two ) offered a very similar design and feature film rig to the Haptique RS90 . So far , backers seem sensibly felicitous with their rewards , though many have direct to the need for ongoing work and updates to make the Remote Two as good as its Godhead promised .
