The Battle of Vietnamese Smart Home Brands: Rạng Đông, FPT SmartHome, and Lumi – Which One Shines Brightest?

When it comes to building a new home or purchasing appliances for an apartment, tech enthusiasts and modernists alike turn to smart home devices. In the early stages of development, the smart home market was dominated by big names such as Google (Google Homes), Amazon (Alexa), Xiaomi (light bulbs, air purifiers, switches…), and Tuya (mini control devices).

 However, as this technology evolved, Vietnamese brands emerged and began to offer products made with the brains and hands of Vietnamese people, delivering quality that rivals imported goods while offering additional advantages.

Why Choose Vietnamese Smart Home Devices?

Unlike highly competitive high-tech markets such as smartphones or laptops, Vietnam’s home appliance manufacturing industry has produced several well-known brands, not only domestically but also internationally.

 Take the company Rang Dong, for example, which started manufacturing light bulbs and thermoses in 1961 and has now been in the market for 63 years. FPT, established in 1988 and in business for 36 years, has also entered the smart home market with FPT Smarthome. These brands have established themselves in hardware and software production, so choosing to buy smart home products from these Vietnamese brands instead of international ones is not unusual.

Purchasing products from Vietnamese brands also offers some advantages in terms of shopping and after-sales service. Vietnamese smart home brands are competing on price with foreign products, aiming for the popularization of smart homes rather than targeting the premium market. Buying one or two items may not yield significant savings, but when it comes to replacing a dozen light bulbs in your home with smart ones, the difference becomes much more substantial.

 Building a smart home is not just a matter of “buying and installing”; if users lack knowledge in this area, they can call for advice or even receive in-home support from larger companies. This is entirely absent when purchasing smart home components from abroad, as most people would have to figure out how to use them on their own.

For Vietnamese products, the software interface and voice control features are optimized for the Vietnamese language. This is a significant advantage for those who are not proficient in English or are elderly. After all, smart homes are meant to provide convenience, and if one has to use a different language to control the devices, it defeats the purpose.

Lastly, if smart home devices encounter problems, the warranty process for domestic brands is much more straightforward. Instead of having to send the faulty item abroad or through a third-party retailer, one can directly contact the nationwide sales and warranty system of Rang Dong, FPT, Lumi, etc., which is far more convenient.

So, which brands are worth considering when choosing components to build a smart home?

Rang Dong: Still Producing Light Bulbs, But More Modern!

When it comes to Rang Dong, one immediately thinks of lighting, and since 1961, this brand has been in the business of manufacturing light bulbs! The difference now is that they have developed a smart home system called RalliSmart, with smart lighting as its flagship product, offering lighting solutions that are more modern. 

 The brand offers a range of lights such as Downlight, recessed, Tracklight, and LED wall lights. These lights can be controlled via smartphone, voice commands, or timers, and they can also be combined with presence sensors to automatically turn on and off when someone enters the room.

 One feature we appreciate is the ability to automatically adjust the intensity and color of the light to match the user’s biological clock. For example, during the day, the lights operate at full power with white light to keep people alert for work and study; but as night falls, the intensity gradually decreases, and the light turns to a warm, eye-friendly orange, gently guiding the user to sleep.

Smart Switches and Sensors from Lumi

Lumi is a smart home brand founded by three members of the Robocon team from Hanoi University of Science and Technology, and it has since built a diverse collection of products and expanded to four countries besides Vietnam: India, Thailand, Israel, and Cambodia. 

 The brand is notable for its Luto touch switch series, which uses premium materials such as diamond-cut aluminum and convex and concave glass to ensure both smart functionality and aesthetic appeal. Lumi also offers a comprehensive range of smart sensors: presence sensors (for turning lights on and off in a room), smoke sensors, door sensors for automating room functions, and motion sensors for security purposes.

FPT Smarthome: Providing Security Solutions

FPT offers a comprehensive smart home system, but they are best known for their “Made in Vietnam” security cameras. Their latest product is the FPT Camera Play 3, a compact security camera that connects via Wi-Fi and is reasonably priced. 

 A standout feature of this camera is its AI integration, which detects human presence and can alert the homeowner if someone is attempting to break in. Additionally, it can be used for two-way communication between people inside and outside the house, thanks to its built-in microphone and speaker.

 Which Brand is the Best Bet?

That being said, Vietnamese smart home brands do have some limitations compared to their foreign counterparts. In terms of software deployment scale and ecosystem diversity, brands like Rang Dong, FPT Smarthome, and Lumi cannot compete with tech giants like Google, Xiaomi, and Amazon.

To reach international standards and compete on a more level playing field, Vietnamese brands need to enhance their product portfolios. They should take a leaf out of Xiaomi’s book and launch a diverse range of home appliances, creating an extensive ecosystem where “everything is available”! Only then will a smart home system function harmoniously, providing maximum convenience to users.

“The proof of the pudding is in the eating”, and the success of each brand ultimately depends on the support of its users, who choose to incorporate their smart home products into their daily lives. The most important measure of a smart home brand’s success lies in the feedback and satisfaction of its customers!