Ugreen Launches Local AI Smart Home Hubs with High Price Tags

Key points

• The HomeAgent platform includes three hubs: the HA100, HA100 Pro, and MasterAgent MA100, each offering increasing levels of local AI processing power.
• The flagship MasterAgent MA100 utilizes an Nvidia Jetson Thor T5000 platform, offering up to 2,070 TFLOPS of AI performance for advanced tasks like cross-camera tracking.
• The system supports Matter, Wi-Fi, Zigbee, Thread, and Bluetooth, allowing control of third-party devices from brands like Aqara and SwitchBot.
• Ugreen is also launching SynCare security cameras, a smart speaker for the Uliya assistant, and an E Ink digital photo frame that displays locally stored media.
• Pre-orders are open now with early-bird pricing, with a Kickstarter campaign launching in October and shipping expected in January 2027.

Background

Ugreen, previously known for chargers and NAS devices, is expanding into the smart home sector. This move follows similar local AI hub launches by competitors like Anker (MindBase) and aligns with a broader industry trend toward privacy-focused, on-device processing. The company's earlier archive coverage noted the initial announcement of the HA100 and the emphasis on offline processing to eliminate monthly fees.

How outlets are covering it

Outlets differ on the MasterAgent MA100's retail price. The Verge and MacRumors report a price of $9,999, while Engadget cites $20,000, noting that early-bird pricing is 50% off the MSRP. Android Central praises the hardware's user-friendly design, highlighting a setup time of under five minutes, whereas Engadget notes that complex features like voice-based rule creation were not demonstrated at the launch event. All sources agree on the core value proposition: local processing to avoid cloud subscriptions and privacy risks, though they note the high upfront cost as a barrier.

Why it matters

Ugreen's entry signals a shift in the smart home market toward local-first AI, challenging cloud-dependent giants like Amazon and Google. The high price points suggest a niche market for privacy-conscious users willing to pay a premium for on-device processing, potentially influencing the trajectory of smart home hardware in 2027.

What to watch

A Kickstarter campaign for the HomeAgent and MasterAgent hubs begins in October 2027, following the current pre-order period. Ugreen plans to ship the initial products in January 2027. The company also intends to expand device compatibility beyond the initial limited list of lights, switches, sensors, and curtains.