Hi Sonoff!
Very good initiative for insider’s testing - hope to be part of it!.
My current setup is over 100 devices gathered through last few years. 95% of them are ZigBee, and a few Wi-Fi. Most of the devices are Sonoff branded, still there are some of “eWeLink compatible” and some are even made for Tuya. The devices varies from sensors (window/door, temperatore, motion and presence) - around 15, through switches ZBMiniR2, ZBMiniL2, ZB2GS, USB Micro, few Sockects - around 40 to Thermostats. Plus several compatible switches, buttons and led drivers. And NSPanelPro.
For Sonoff devices I use ZBBridge-U that’s additionally connected via Matter to Moes Zigbee-Matter bridge (Tuya) + NSPanelPro. All of this to achieve interoperability between ecosystems (especially if one of them is missing specific device types) without the cloud.
For few years now I’ve used Google Assistant as an cloud integration - mainly for voice commands and few automations. Most automations (dozens, 50+ at least), however, are obtained via ZBBridge-U - for fast and network independent actions. For me, automation is the most common way of controlling the devices. I still, however, use mainly app to control devices and scenes when I’m away. And a dashboards for quick overview of the devices on the bigger screen (still would be nice to have it on smaller as well 
I’m currently trying to incorporate HomeAssistant for additional features, that are missing when connecting different brands of devices.
From a perfect bridge I would expect beside the others:
- Superior stability with large number of devices. Especially during restarts and firmware updates the bridge should quickly become fully operational with all devices available
- Wide range of features available for given device class (even not sonoff branded)
- Quick responses together with rich and fully-local automation processing (even calling other scenes)
- Ability to use same device as trigger and action
- Top of the class Matter support (stable connection even after restarts and upgrades, providing user-defined device names and not just type to other Matter hubs, etc.)
I’d be happy to join the testing to make the devices even more usefull.
Good morning everyone,
I own two Sonoff iHosts with approximately 80 devices connected to each. I started five years ago with the first P-bridge and ended up with two iHosts and two more U-bridges. Like some others here, I believed in the iHost right from the start, even when it was first launched, even when it was purchased as a test device, and it was little more than a decorative item at first. Now it’s a mature, reliable system that doesn’t crash and supports many products, even those from competitors.
A new Zigbee/Matter bridge, in my opinion, should have built-in Wi-Fi support to have, like the Zigbee network, a dedicated Wi-Fi network, so as to make interconnection between devices much faster (sometimes the lag between Wi-Fi and Zigbee is annoying). OTA updates should be easier and possible for every device. Then, for each device, all its configurations should be available, which is not the case now (PIR sensitivity control, MINI relay function control, etc.). It would also be useful to have simplified graphical control of the bridge: a tablet-like touch panel? Where you can interface with the bridge quickly and easily (having to turn on your laptop to install a new PIR light and quickly create a new scene seems a bit convoluted to me). I imagine a tablet-like bridge, where it would be possible to advancedly customize each compatible platform device (Matter, Bluetooth, Thread, etc.). It would also be easy to use for basic operations, capable of “hitting” large-scale retail outlets, easily connected to local assistants (or better yet, integrated with them), and capable of supporting cameras, alarm systems, advanced thermoregulation (radiant systems), VMC (air treatment machines), door controls with automatic locks, etc. As you can see, the applications in various fields are practically endless, as could artificial intelligence to create new scenarios and usage possibilities.
At this point, I’m eagerly awaiting the arrival of the new Sonoff bridge, to learn all its new capabilities.
Best regards to Sonoff and all the community members.
Giuliano
Thank you all for your interest and for sharing your experiences with us.
The first batch of beta testers has now been confirmed. Congratulations to the following users! Please check your personal message and fill in the shipping information form so we can send the test device to you.
@Jojkoba
@debreczeni1996
@jag.pinho
@Tamer_Salah
@demonizator
@Derex
@michelangelo.cimino
@Meehow24
@Unnamedi
Due to the limited number of testing spots, some enthusiastic users were unable to participate in this beta test. We sincerely apologize for this and truly appreciate your understanding.
We will have more tests for new products and features in the future, and if there is a suitable opportunity, we will be happy to reach out to you again.
Regardless of whether you were selected this time, thank you again for your support!
Hi, I’m very happy to be among the privileged few who will receive this bridge early. I just sent the signed NDA. Please let me know when you’ll ship it.
Thank you.
Thank you @Archarr and SONOFF Team for the opportunity!
I have signed the NDA and submitted the shipping form. Looking forward to getting started!
Thank you @Archarr and the SONOFF team for this opportunity.
I’ve completed the NDA and submitted the shipping form, and I’m excited to begin testing once the device received .
Thank you for the opportunity to properly test a new product in real conditions.
Thanks SONOFF team for this opportunity. I’m eager to try what you’ve cooked 
Hi, I’d like to know when the new bridge will be shipped for beta testing.
Thanks.