Happy New Year! 🎉
As is tradition at Local Bytes, we like to take a moment to reflect on the year that's just passed. 2025 has been a year of growth and change, and we're excited to share some of the highlights with you. Naturally, we've done the same thing in previous years, so if you want to see what we got up in previous years:
A year in numbers
As always, we like to start with some numbers. We share these to show our appreciation, and offer transparency into LocalBytes!
Throughout 2025, we shipped:
- 2000+ Orders
- 6000+ Smart Plugs
- 100+ LocalDecks!
Where have we been?
It's only right for us to acknowledge what we haven't done this year. In contrast to previous years, we haven't launched any new products in 2025, nor have we done any major updates to our existing range. Whilst we did get a few videos out on our YouTube Channel, we didn't keep up with the accompanying blog posts. We certainly didn't hit the mark we set ourselves at the start of the year, and we hope to do better in 2026.
I never expected LocalBytes to be easy, but I didn't expect it to be as hard as it has been this year.
The truth is, this business has a way of pulling you in many directions at once, and knowing where to focus your efforts is a constant challenge.
That said, we're committed to improving in 2026, and we hope to bring you more products, more content, and a generally better experience for you.
The New Office!
In a continuation of our restructuring efforts, we moved into a new office space in February! This new space has allowed us to get back to what's important - building and developing great products for our customers.
We now have a dedicated area for storing stock, as opposed to having boxes piled up in the house. Not only do we also have a desk dedicated to building and testing LocalDeck, we have an electronics workbench for prototyping new ideas. This has allowed us to get the ball rolling on some new projects, and we're excited to see where this takes us in 2026!
On the whole, the office, as part of the restructure has been a huge positive for us, and we're looking forward to making the most of it in the coming year!
What's next
Planning a year ahead is always a challenge, but we're excited to see what 2026 brings.
Admittedly, we're still figuring out what the next steps are, but we're excited to see where the journey takes us.
As we look ahead to 2026, here are a few things we're planning:
- Software updates across the existing product range:
- In the coming months, we're planning to test and release new firmware for the Plugs and Bulbs
- We're also taking a look at the LocalDeck configurator, and give it some much-needed love.
- New products:
- We have a few ideas in the pipeline, and are on the cusp of our next release. Stay tuned for more information in the coming months!
- Additionally, we're looking to add a few more options to our existing product range, so keep an eye out for those too.
- Blog/KB Restructure:
- Whilst I'm still in favour of keeping the KB's on the blog site, I admit that it's not the easiest to navigate.
- We're looking to adjust how KB's are presented, to give you a navigation pane that will give you clear paths to the information you need.
We're looking to continue improving our existing products, and we're always on the lookout for new ideas, so if you have any suggestions, please let us know!
Honorable Mentions
Local Bytes would not be where it is today without the help of a few notable individuals and organisations, without whom, we would not be able to operate:
- The Tasmota Team! For producing incredible firmware for ESP's to operate in a highly customisable manner.
- The ESPHome Team! They pack each release with a plethora of new components, and easier ways to get started building your own devices.
- All of our customers! Ultimately, as a customer-first business, you are all key to our survival!
- The Local Bytes Insiders! A small group of our customers who have been helping us to test new products and features.
- You, the reader! If you've made it this far, thank you for reading!
This has truly been a year to remember, and we're excited to see what 2026 has in store for us.
I cannot wait to see how we can expand our range, improve our products, and help you upgrade your smart home!
Adam Allport,
Founder & CEO - Local Bytes
