The first products that support Apple’s HomeKit have arrived
A year after Apple first announced HomeKit, you can finally buy products based on the standard from Lutron and Insteon. Other manufacturers have also revealed new products coming soon: Elgato has sensors that can detect inputs like air pressure and energy consumption, Ecobee launched a smart thermostat and iHome unveiled a smart power outlet. Apple originally promised that HomeKit devices would be able talk to each other, and of course, you can control the whole works via your iPhone, iPad or Watch. Voice control, meanwhile, is done via Siri.
Lutron’s Caséta Wireless Smart Bridge will let users control lights, shades and other devices in specific rooms by barking commands at Siri or using a Watch or an iOS app. You can also set up geofencing so that lights flick on in a room as soon as you enter it, control them remotely (or program them) to come on while you’re away to discourage thieves. The Wireless Lighting Starter Kit is available today for $230, and you can add remote dimmer kits for $60.
Insteon is offering a bit broader solution with a full-on smart home hub that can control its current family of products (pricing is yet to come). Those include cameras, alarms, smart bulbs and other products that work across WiFi and RF standards. Elgato, meanwhile, brings its range of Eve sensors (above) that can detect temperature, humidity, energy use, motion and even weather quality. If you’re looking for a smart thermostat, Ecobee has you covered there with its $249 Ecobee3 model that’s coming in July.
It’s a modest start, and new as the products are, it remains to be seen if everything works as smoothly as Apple promised. It’s also likely we’ll hear more news soon (and possibly see more products), as it’s rumored that Apple will be revealing more HomeKit news during its WWDC developer’s conference next week.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Household, Apple
Source: Lutron
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