SofaBatonUpdate X1S Universal Remote Control with Hub and App, All-in-One Smart Universal Remote Control with Customize Activities, Works with Bluetooth/WiFi Devices/Alexa/Google Assistant

Been using the SofaBaton X1S for a couple weeks now, and it’s honestly pretty damn good. Finally ditched the stack of remotes on my table, and I’m not mad about it.Setup Was Fine. Box came in, and the remote looks decent—simple, feels solid, got a little screen that’s handy enough. The hub’s small, so I just tossed it behind my Samsung TV. Setup wasn’t a big deal. The app (on Android) ain’t the prettiest, but it got my Samsung TV, Fire TV, air con, fan, blinds, and even a Samsung tablet I use for media late at night linked up in like 50 minutes. Found all my stuff in their list no problem. Set up a “Watch” button and a “Night” one—works every time without me fiddling too much.It’s straight-up easy to use. One press, and everything kicks in—Samsung TV’s on, Fire TV’s rolling, air con’s humming, fan’s spinning, blinds adjust, tablet’s ready if I’m up late. Buttons light up when I grab it, which is nice at night. Battery’s still going—I haven’t plugged it in yet. The hub’s got good reach; I hid it and it still controls everything fine. Bluetooth for the Fire TV’s quick too. Hooked it to Alexa, and telling it “Turn On” from the couch works most times.App’s basic, but it’s not a dealbreaker. Remote feels premium, and my setup’s less of a mess now. It’s a premium price but you do get a premium device. Buddies saw it and thought it was cool, but I ain’t hyping it up that much.Bottom Line...SofaBaton X1S gets a 5 from me. Does what it says, keeps things simple, and I don’t hafta juggle remotes anymore. If you’re tired of the chaos, it’s worth a shot. Good stuff.

I've had a Harmony One for the past 10 years and this is better in nearly every way but be aware that this remote will take some effort in setting up just as all the Smart Remotes or Universal Remotes do - It won't be 5 minutes and you're done.I have 9 separate devices (projector, screen, laserdisc, AV processor, games consoles etc) plus 15 activities, it all works well but it took me about 5 hours in total to get all the devices and activites working seemlessly. If you're not willing to put a bit of effort in for great functionality then this is not the remote for you. However, if you are willing to learn and want a deeply customisable macro capable multifunction smart remote then this is the best I have used.Not all of my devices were in the device database but there are comunity generated profiles available for quite a lot of devices and it's VERY simple to teach the Sofabaton remote commands from your original equipment remotes.The app lacks a little polish but everthing is there and functional and it's all done through a tablet or phone which works well most of the time.One issue I do have is that when adding functions, devices or activities the hub will sync with the remote automatically and it takes around 20 secs to complete. There needs to be a setting in the app to disable auto sync and only sync when instructed. It works pretty well with auto sync but I got frustrated with the remote trying to sync everytime I did anything in the app, the app is still usable during the sync process but my hub got confused a couple of times because I changed things so quickly in the app.Overall definite upgrade to the discontinued Logitech Harmony range of Smart/Universal remotes.

Not a bad universal remote and it works well for my devices (Nvidia Shield, smart TV, soundbar, Virgin TiVo). Programming the remote is a little tedious but that was expected and once done, it doesn't require dealing with again until a new device is added to the mix. However, it is too expensive for what it is even when on sale. Its main competitor is the (discontinued) Logitech Harmony series which remains excellent. Sadly, though, my Harmony remote - after many years of use - has become flaky; buttons have become spongy and inconsistent. The X1S is no upgrade. If anything it's the opposite. It misses many features that exist on Harmony and have for years: screen is basic and under-utilised; no touchscreen; no number pad potential (although there are workarounds but would require using the scroll wheel and would be a major annoyance); no charging cradle; companion app is fairly rudimentary; Google Home integration is very poor. That said, I rarely used the numpad screen on my Harmony remote; battery life on the X1S far exceeds Harmony (because of the unsophisticated screen, no doubt) so a charging cradle is unnecessary; I only used the Harmony companion app when the remote ran out of battery; Google Home isn't that great to begin with. The X1S is well built and for what it does, it is OK. It is a shame that they didn't opt for an OLED screen, especially given its price, but perhaps that's a bit risky given the static nature of what it displays; burn in after just a short time would be unacceptable.To sum up, the Sofabaton X1S is over-priced and average. If Logitech still supported Harmony and were producing new models, I would never have considered this. I don't regret the purchase but only because alternatives in the same price range, similar feature set, and have continued support just don't exist.