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Shelly announced the Presence Gen4, a camera-free mmWave radar sensor that can detect up to 10 people and support separate detection zones. It is available from Shelly for $84.99 and works with several smart-home platforms, though the reported specifications and compatibility details come from the product announcement.
Shelly has launched the Presence Gen4, a smart-home sensor that uses mmWave radar rather than a camera to detect people, movement and activity, with support for tracking up to 10 people at once. The device is available through Shelly’s online store for $84.99 and is designed to trigger automations such as lighting or climate control when people enter or leave a space.
The sensor can be placed on a shelf or table using its built-in stand, or mounted on a wall. Shelly says its 140-degree horizontal field of view can cover spaces up to 650 square feet. It requires a nearby power source for its USB-C cable, so it is not a battery-powered device that can be placed anywhere without regard to wiring access.
The Presence Gen4 supports Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee and Matter, and the report says it can be integrated with Google Home, Apple Home, Amazon Alexa, Samsung SmartThings and Home Assistant. Shelly also says users can configure up to 10 independently customizable detection zones, allowing automations to respond to activity in a particular area rather than across the entire room.
Examples include switching on a lamp when someone sits at a desk or powering a home theater when someone occupies a sofa. The sensor can also be configured to include pets in detection or to ignore low-lying objects, a setting intended to reduce unwanted triggers from devices such as robot vacuums. These are product capabilities described in the source report; independent performance testing was not provided.
Radar-Based Room Automations
The Presence Gen4 offers a way to build occupancy-based smart-home routines without relying on camera footage. That distinction may matter to people who want lights, heating, cooling or music to respond to activity but prefer not to install a camera in a living space. Radar sensing can report presence and movement without producing conventional video, although the announcement alone does not establish how all sensor data is processed or stored.
Its reported ability to detect multiple people and divide a room into separate zones could also make automations more specific. Instead of switching on a whole room’s equipment whenever any movement is detected, a user could configure a routine around a desk, seating area or other defined zone. Whether that level of control works reliably in different room layouts will depend on setup and real-world performance, details not established by the report.
The $84.99 price and support for several smart-home standards position the sensor as an accessory for people already using connected-home systems. Its USB-C power requirement remains a practical limitation: installation needs access to an outlet or another suitable power source, even where wireless communication is supported.
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Shelly’s Smart-Home Rollout
The Presence Gen4 follows Shelly’s launch of a $50 subscription-free security camera the previous month, according to The Verge. The new accessory serves a different purpose: the camera is a security product, while the Presence Gen4 is presented as a sensor for detecting occupancy and controlling smart-home devices.
The product’s mix of radar sensing and smart-home connectivity reflects the broader role of presence detection in home automation. Motion sensors commonly trigger routines when movement occurs, while a presence sensor is intended to help systems respond to whether people remain in a space. The source report describes the Presence Gen4 as detecting presence, motion and activity, but does not provide comparative testing against other sensors or explain how its detection performs in challenging conditions.
The Verge reported that the sensor was available through Shelly’s online store at launch and was expected to arrive at other retailers, including Amazon and Best Buy. That retailer availability was an expectation in the report, not confirmation that those stores had begun selling it.
“The sensor uses “mmWave radar technology instead of a camera” to detect “the presence, motions, and activities of people and pets.””
— The Verge’s report on the Shelly Presence Gen4
Performance and Data Handling
The source report does not provide independent test results for the claims that the sensor can detect up to 10 people or cover spaces as large as 650 square feet. It is also unclear how accuracy changes with room shape, obstacles, distance, or multiple people moving at once. Shelly’s listed capabilities should not be treated as independently verified performance measurements.
The report does not explain what data the sensor records, whether detection information is processed locally or in the cloud, or how long any data is retained. Radar sensing avoids conventional camera video, but that fact by itself does not answer every privacy question. The exact setup process and any platform-specific limitations are also not detailed.
Although the report says the sensor works with several platforms and supports Matter, it does not spell out which features are available through each integration or whether all listed connections work simultaneously. Broader retail availability was expected, but the report did not confirm a date for Amazon or Best Buy sales.
Retail Availability and Testing
The next reported step is the Presence Gen4’s arrival at additional retailers, including Amazon and Best Buy; no specific date was provided. Buyers can check Shelly’s store for the reported launch price of $84.99, while availability elsewhere remains subject to retailer listings.
More detail may emerge through product documentation, retailer pages and independent reviews. Those sources could clarify platform-by-platform features, installation requirements, radar performance in different spaces, and how the product handles detection data. Until then, the reported range, multi-person detection and integration claims remain product specifications rather than independently assessed results.
Key Questions
What is the Shelly Presence Gen4?
It is a smart-home presence sensor that uses mmWave radar, rather than a camera, to detect people, movement and activity and trigger automations.
How many people can it detect?
The report says the sensor can detect up to 10 people at once. It does not include independent testing of that specification.
How much does the Presence Gen4 cost?
The reported launch price is $84.99 through Shelly’s online store. The report said Amazon and Best Buy sales were expected, but did not give a date.
Does the sensor need to be plugged in?
Yes. The report says it uses a USB-C cable connected to a power source. It can sit on a shelf or table or be mounted on a wall, but its placement needs to account for power access.
Which smart-home systems does it support?
The report lists Google Home, Apple Home, Amazon Alexa, Samsung SmartThings and Home Assistant, along with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee and Matter support. It does not specify whether every feature is available through each platform.
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