Why doesn't the wifi version support basic wifi / Bluetooth devices? And why isn't that stated anywhere!?
the C8/C8 Pro support wifi and the c7 supports wifi with a dongle. This is clearly stated in the manual. During set up of the c8/c8 pro it asks if you want to use wifi. Wifi setup is also included in the quickstart booklet in the box.
Neither contain a bluetooth radio and nothing is mentioned about supporting bluetooth on the box, ad work, or manual.
With any device, if you don't see the Blue Tooth Symbol, it probably doesn't support bluetooth.
Hubitat supports z-wave, z-wave LR, zigbee, Matter, WIFI/LAN.
As far as supporting wifi/lan devices, Hubitat does indeed support them. Typically as long as their API is local and available Hubitat will write an integration (Lifx, Nanoleaf etc come to mind). For the most part they leave cloud based integrations to the community. Now that said, in order to write any reliable integration an open API is needed. If the product doesn't have an open API then it is extremely difficult to write for and in some cases when reverse engineered things can change and those integrations are broken. (Such as My Q integration)
Hubitat mission is to keep everything local and not rely on the cloud.
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That is kinda helpful, but maybe I just expected more.
Nearly every device I currently have works with the Smarthome app and I think that uses the Tuya protocol (I don't know if I'm saying that correctly). I can't find anything that would make all of this work and further it seems like the wifi simply joins another existing network. I'm confused to say the least as I thought this would be super easy and it seems to be extremely complicated.
They're all wifi and cloud based. They won't connect directly to hubitat (they aren't even in the Hubitat compatibility list). That said there is a beta tuya integration in Hubitat package manager. Also here
No, wifi devices stay on the network that you put them on. The issue with Tuya wifi is that it sucks. I do have a lot of Tuya devices but they're all zigbee and thanks to @kkossev they work very well on Hubitat.
The way Tuya Wifi works is phone>>cloud>>reverse tunnel to device.
The way hubitat works with anything wifi that uses a local API is
Command from whereever>>device
The tuya integration I pointed out above uses
Hubitat>>cloud>>reverse tunnel to device
Sadly a lot of crap like Tuya wifi is foisted on the public.
Now, one thing you could do is if you have google/alexa/apple (homepod/homepod mini or Apple tv) is to attach your tuya account to those then use the built in Hubitat integration with virtual switches to control the tuya wifi device.
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Compatible devices are specifically stated in the compatible device list:
This includes many Wi-Fi devices, as mentioned above. Whether or not the hub has Wi-Fi is not relevant, as Wi-Fi devices communicate to your hub over your network (whether that connection is wired or wireless). In other words, the hub is not an access point that communicates directly with the devices; it's just like any other device on your network.
Incidentally, there is nothing meaningful about the phrase "basic Wi-Fi device," as Wi-Fi is simply a network communication protocol that tells you nothing about device functionality. This one of the problem that Matter (Matter over Wi-Fi in this case, though Wi-Fi is only one "physical" layer Matter can use) aims to solve. Otherwise, you need a specific app or driver for the device, given that there is no standard. This is best done with a public, documented, and ideally local API from the device manufacturer -- which Hubitat can use if available but can't create if it doesn't exist.
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A better presentation than mine..
So... you may have helped me solve my problem (I do use GoogleHome currently but it's what I'd like to get away from)
I guess I need to link my google account with the app and then, remember I'm new to this so please don't beat me up too quickly, I then need to create devices inside that app? Do I need to reconnect them I guess I wouldn't have to do anything like that?
I have to admit this is much more complicated than I thought it would be. In essence if I just start to buy matter enabled devices do I even need hubitat? I suppose this could be my hub for those but wow. And yes, foisted is a generous and nice term for what is sold.
I have something like 50 light bulbs not to mention light strips Etc all Wi-Fi and all that use that protocol. Womp
When I bought this Tuya was listed as a compatible product type. I will admit that it has been a little bit of time since I purchased this because I haven't had time to set it up
Many manufacturers (incl Tuya) make devices in various protocols (wifi, ZB, ZW, Matter, etc).
In the Compatible Devices listing, the Tuya devices mentioned there are all additionally identified as Zigbee, not LAN/Wifi. There's never been a Tuya Wifi device on that compatibility list.
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WiFi is just a protocol for transmitting data wirelessly in an Internet Protocol (IP) network.
Hubitat’s more recent generation hubs support WiFi so that they can join your home’s Local Area Network (LAN) and connect to your router.
The router is like a traffic controller, sorting packets of information for all the devices in your LAN. Some of it stays local, some of it goes to and from the internet.
That’s no different than what any of your other devices with WiFi radios do, whether it’s a laptop, smart TV or a washing machine.
Hubitat can’t use WiFi to directly communicate with and control a smart home device.
As Rick and Robert have explained, while it is possible for Hubitat to communicate with other devices that use WiFi, that’s really not relevant to Hubitat itself using a WiFi radio to connect to the same LAN that WiFi connected smart home devices are connected to.
I’ve never seen product marketing that goes out of its way to highlight the things a product doesn’t do btw.
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You would still need a matter coordinator (which both hubitat and google are) but at this point matter is still new and there are still LOTS of problems with it. It is not the be all end all people thing it is... Maybe one day...
So what you do is create a virtual switch on hubitat (lets call one livingroom-VS)
Now you would share that virtual switch (it looks like a real switch to everything else) to google. Now in google you will see the switch. Directly connected is lets say one of your bulbs. We'll call that Livingroom. Now on the google side you will create a rule... "When living room VS turns on, turn on Livingroom"
On the hubitat side you create a rule... for instance
"When time is 4:00 and front door is closed, turn on Livingroom VR"
Now based on these conditions (you can't be as complicated on google) the virtual switch on hubitat turns on. Google sees this and turns on the bulb connected to it self. Note: This is still cloud based.
Hubitat gives you much more flexibility than Google or the others. Groupings, managing, color changes etc.
For myself I have very few bulbs. I use switches for ceiling lights and use smart bulbs for the occasional table lamp. Overall in my home I have around 200 devices (lots here have way more)
The community is here to help you. We can get you to where you want to be if you let us. Sadly it sounds like you got bit like a lot of beginner enthusiasts do by what people see as a cheap way to automate their house not realizing that they are now beholden to someone elses servers as well as slow speeds and their own internet providers and the worst part is you're now locked in with someones proprietary crap. If either Tuya's servers go down or your internet goes down you're pretty much borked. For instance. I have water sensors under each and every sink in my house as well as on the water heaters and under the washing machine. If ANY of these get wet, my water main is turned off. I would not want something that important relying on the cloud. (Funny enough almost all my water sensors are Tuya but they're all zigbee). Overall though everything is handled locally. So if my internet goes out, everything keeps on running fine.
Again we're here to help.... And hopefully help you be a little less frustrated and more happy and get you away from proprietary devices that just aren't worth it.
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I appreciate the feedback guys,
Maybe it was me misinterpreting the info I saw but I definitely misunderstood the posted information to mean that Wi-Fi control was available not that it just joined your network but as a novice to this that shouldn't surprise anyone!
I'm sure lots of people say stupid things so I'm sorry if I added to that I just became extremely frustrated after having purchased my first hubitat unit without Wi-Fi, struggling with it - and no I did not ask questions like I did this time - reading a little more information than purchasing the Wi-Fi enabled hub but being unable to return the first one.
So yeah, I now have two hubs and one device that they can control without too much work. We all make mistakes, we all learn from our mistakes, well at least I try to have that be the case.
I especially appreciate the two or three of you who have suggested work-arounds or offered meaningful, non-combative replies. Thanks to you all I am starting to grasp how this works. Now, if any of you live in DC and are willing to spend and hour or two showing me what I'm not doing right with dinner and/or beers as payment, let me know. 
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Lots of people here to help and even hand hold. Keep asking your questions!
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One of the best things about HE is the community. Never feel bad about asking any question no matter how easy you may think it is. Even those of us that have been here a while will often ask questions as we find new ideas to try. Very often someone else has already attempted it and can provide guidance.
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No such thing as stupid questions. Everyone was a beginner at some point 
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Maybe I’m misunderstanding you, but I don’t think anyone in this thread was being intentionally combative. As mentioned, this community is generally very helpful and it’s a refreshing contrast from some other Internet forums.
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