As we already announced, the first of two Thread devices from the manufacturer Onvis now goes on sale. The HomeKit door and window contact sensor CT3 is the first of these.

This puts the Onvis contact sensor with the new Thread connectivity in direct competition with the Eve contact sensor.

The compact Onvis sensor measures approximately 46 × 30 × 14.8 mm and is powered by a CR2450 coin cell battery. This should serve for up to one year for power supply.

In HomeKit, the sensor is integrated in a few seconds by the usual scan of the QR code. The Onvis Home app is not mandatory, but it is useful for getting firmware updates for the device. With the current firmware version 1.3.1 of the sensor, the closing and opening processes are not yet logged and counted up in a history.

The accuracy of the battery display is also still being refined. Onvis has assured us to follow this up with a firmware update that will be available soon. An update to Matter is not planned. However, Onvis will also join the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA) later this year, offering new Matter devices such as a smart plug.

The special feature of the new Onvis CT3 contact sensor is, of course, the new Thread connectivity in addition to the wireless connection through Bluetooth Low Energy 5.0. This ensures lower energy consumption and instant response time. The sensor transmits the current status immediately to your Apple Home.

Status queries and automations that you trigger with the contact sensor react promptly and, so to speak, directly. Even if you don’t have to take care of the Thread connection as a user, since everything is activated automatically, it is still interesting, at least for us, to be able to check on it. We are using the Eve for HomeKit app now and then for this.

The new Onvis CT3 contact sensor with Thread is available at a price of 31.99 EUR. A double pack is offered at the special price of EUR 49.99. With our exclusive SmartApfel community discount code “SMAPFLCT3”, you’ll receive an additional 10% discount on the launch of the Onvis CT3 until Jan. 12, 2023.