What to Expect from Z-Wave 700-Series

As you may recall last week, the 2GIG STZ-1 Smart Thermostat became one of the first 700-Series Z-Wave devices available on the Alarm Grid website. We figured we would explore the Z-Wave 700-Series and see what it brings to the table, as it appears more products will be available soon.

We were a bit surprised with the release of the 2GIG STZ-1 Smart Thermostat, as there just aren't many controllers or hubs that take full advantage of 700-Series Z-Wave technology quite yet. Like prior generations of Z-Wave, the 700-Series devices should be compatible with older controllers and hubs. But you won't be able to take full advantage of these devices unless you use them with true Z-Wave 700-Series Controllers. And while we haven't seen many 700-Series Hubs available become available, we are sure they will be arriving soon.

It should come as no surprise that extended wireless range and longer battery life will become a mainstay with Z-Wave 700-Series. We have heard that the 700-Series devices will consume 64% less power for wireless communication, and the technology allows for resting when the device is not being used. Thanks to this more efficient performance, it's likely that you will see many 700-Series devices go up to ten (10) years between battery changes. Furthermore, the 700-Series is expected to allow for communication that is 250% further than the Z-Wave Plus 500-Series. This translates into roughly 200 feet between signal hops!

But perhaps the biggest surprise with the 700-Series is its improvements in security. While the 500-Series devices introduced optional S2 Security, SmartStart capabilities, 128-bit AES encryption, Elliptic-curve Diffie-Hellman (ECDH) protocol technology, and Man-In-The-Middle (MITM) protection. These features will become mandatory in the 700-Series for any device to receive certification from the Z-Wave Alliance. In other words, a device will only be able to list itself as having 700-Series Certification if it uses some of the most advanced wireless protection capabilities ever seen in home automation.

While the 700-Series technically made its public debut in April of 2019, we still haven't seen its usage become widespread. We expect that the pandemic played a large part in slowing the rollout of this latest smart home technology. But the recent release from Nortek and 2GIG is certainly a good sign. Of course, we'll also need security manufacturers to step up and build systems with 700-Series support. With any luck, maybe we'll see 700-Series support from the Qolsys IQ Hub later this year!

If you have any questions about the 700-Series of Z-Wave or about home automation in general, please email us at support@alarmgrid.com. We will be happy to discuss automation possibilities for your home or business and provide you with as much detail as we know about the exciting up-coming technology. We check our email from 9am to 8pm ET M-F. We look forward to hearing from you soon!