Meross just cut the cord on smart home presence detection. The company's new MS605 sensor ditches power cables entirely, running on a single battery for up to three years while adding Matter-over-Thread support and outdoor weatherproofing. At $34.99 on preorder, it's targeting the growing wireless smart home market where installation flexibility trumps always-on power.
Meross just solved one of smart home's biggest installation headaches. The company's new MS605 presence sensor runs entirely on battery power, eliminating the need to run power cables or find nearby outlets that plagued its predecessor.
A single CR123A battery powers the device for up to three years, though high-traffic areas may drain it faster due to increased activation frequency. The sensor is available for preorder now at a discounted $34.99 through Meross's online store.
The wireless leap is enabled by Matter-over-Thread protocol support, a significant upgrade from the MS600's Wi-Fi connectivity. Thread's low-power mesh networking allows the MS605 to sip battery while maintaining reliable smart home integration with Google Home, Apple Home, and Alexa. You'll need a Thread-capable hub in your home, but it doesn't have to be a Meross-branded one.
This reflects the broader smart home industry's shift toward Thread adoption. Major players like Apple and Google have been pushing Thread as the backbone for Matter devices, promising more reliable mesh networks that don't bog down home Wi-Fi. The MS605 joins a growing roster of Thread-enabled sensors that prioritize installation flexibility over always-on connectivity.
The MS605 maintains the articulated mounting design that made its predecessor popular among smart home enthusiasts. The sensor can angle up to 90 degrees and rotate 360 degrees, crucial for fine-tuning detection zones in complex room layouts. But Meross added a major upgrade: IP67 waterproof rating that enables outdoor installation for the first time.
The original MS600 garnered attention for combining multiple detection methods in an affordable package. The MS605 carries forward that same sensor array: passive infrared (PIR), ambient light detection, and 24GHz mmWave radar. This combination lets it detect both moving and stationary people while filtering out false positives from pets or moving curtains.
The battery design does come with trade-offs. Detection range drops to 6 meters for motion and 4 meters for presence detection, down from the wired MS600's 12-meter and 6-meter ranges respectively. For most residential applications, this reduced range shouldn't be limiting, but larger rooms may require multiple sensors.
