First Alert Alexa Smoke/CO Detector (2-Pk)

The reviews on this product are pretty skimpy and only covered setup, so I thought I'd write one up here so that it's clear what the value of this device is. I have 6 of these and have been using them for a few months, so I'm very familiar with them. Here are the benefits in the order that I value them (I'll go into detail below the list): 1. They're AirPlay 2 speakers, so you get whole-home audio if you're an Apple iPhone, HomePod, or AppleTV user. 2. They have built-in rechargeable batteries, so you'll never have to replace a 9v backup battery again. 3. They are HomeKit compatible, so you can monitor and control them from your iPhone's Home app. 4. They have a multi-color LED night-light that you can control or even automate via your iPhone's Home app. 5. They're trivial to install. 6. Oh, yea, they're a smoke & C02 detector. 1. AirPlay 2 First I'll focus on what I get the most benefit from - these are AirPlay 2 speakers that take advantage of the fact your home has power wired to all of your smoke detector locations, which means every bedroom and most public spaces. Smart smoke detectors are boring, right? Yes, they are. But this is not just a smart smoke detector. It's a key part of an Apple-based-ecosystem whole-home audio solution. If that sounds interesting to you, you'll love these. You can play music to one or all of your Onelink Safe & Sound from your iPhone or from any HomePod or AppleTV. They sync perfectly. So if you always wished you had a whole-home audio system but didn't have pre-wiring in your ceilings, now you do... since every home built after 1986 has AC power wired to every smoke detector. The audio quality is surprisingly good and the devices work great. I have 6 of these in my home which I just in conjunction with some HomePods, and it's super nice to have music fill the home with one verbal request to Siri. (Pro tip: if you tell your HomePod to play music everywhere, it will play on all of your Onelinks.) Even my wife uses them occasionally by playing audiobooks from her iPhone to the Onelinks so that she can listen to her books throughout the home without carrying around her phone. 2. Batteries I don't need to go into this too much--tracking down a beeping smoke detector in the middle of the night is awful. These have built-in rechargeable batteries and you'll never have to get on a ladder to replace a battery again. 3. HomeKit These devices are Apple HomeKit-compatible, which means they appear in the Apple Home app and you can control them with Siri. 4. Night Light The night lights are helpful - they light hallways and stairwells. I use HomeKit's automation feature to change the color and brightness of the lights at different times of the day, so at sunset they glow orange and when I go to sleep the one in my bedroom dims to a very faint red, etc. 5. Install With a ladder and a screwdriver, you can replace your existing wired smoke detector in about 3 minutes. Considering what you get in 1-4 above, that's pretty awesome. It's kind of genius to take advantage of the AC power in the ceiling to reduce clutter and give you whole home audio for 5-minutes per room? 6. Smoke & C02 Honestly, I have no idea... I've never had a fire in my house so they've never gone off! It's First Alert so we can assume they're at least as good as the smoke detectors I had before. That's not really why I bought them... if you just want a smoke detector that doesn't do anything else you can get a Nest. 7. Stuff I barely use, but works fine I'm an Apple guy, so I don't use the Amazon features very frequently. I do occasionally use the built-in Alexa capability to turn off smart lights, etc. and it works. But I don't use Amazon music, etc. If you prefer Alexa/Amazon Music, I can say that it works - I've tried it and I've used it. But as an Apple person, I typically use them for the AirPlay 2.