Neato, Nanoleaf, Abode, more announce Apple HomeKit integration in smart home products
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In June, Apple announced improvements to its home automation platform, HomeKit, along with improvements to Siri Shortcuts. But for users to take advantage of the new features and changes, there has to be products that support the new features.
On Thursday, several companies announced plans to support the new features, most of which will come later this year.
Nanoleaf Canvas will use each square on a Canvas to trigger a HomeKit scene, such as turning off the lights and locking the door. Each square on Canvas acts as a button to trigger a different action.
LIFX announced a new candle bulb that will work with HomeKit. LIFX will also release a light strip with RGBW lights to go around the back of your TV. The bulbs will cost $45 each, while the ZTV light strip will cost $60. Both products are expected to ship in Oct.
Neato is updating its robot vacuum line this fall to work with Siri Shortcuts, making it possible to tell Siri to have the vacuum start or stop cleaning, as well as clean a specific spot in your house. Siri Shortcuts will work with the Neato D3, D4, D5, D6 and D7.
If being able to tell Siri to turn on your shower is something you want, well good news -- U by Moen now supports HomeKit and Siri commands. The smart shower starts at $1,200 for two outlet valves and the controller.
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Abode also announced that it's Iota DIY home security solution will work with HomeKit soon. Abode's Iota kit includes a gateway, camera, and integrates with Z-Wave, ZigBee, and RF connections to support other smart home accessories, acting as a hub for all of your devices. HomeKit joins Amazon Echo, Google Home, Nest, and Ecobee integration.
ConnectSense will launch an in-wall smart outlet this fall that works with HomeKit. The 15A or 20A outlet will allow you to control power to a device, as well as monitor usage for whatever's plugged into the outlet.
Finally, Logitech had previously announced its Circle 2 camera would work with HomeKit Secure Video, Apple's new encrypted security camera service that's expected to launch alongside iOS 13 this fall.
Almost all of today's announcements are something consumers will have to wait for, but it's reassuring to see vendors continue to integrate HomeKit after the service, arguably, got off to a slow start. As vendors begin to adopt HomeKit, consumers will have more choices within Apple's ecosystem for a wide range of products.
Along with support for HomeKit, adding support for Siri only continues to broaden the digital assistant's feature set and usefulness outside of the iPhone. Apple's HomePod relies on Siri, and more recently, Apple AirPods have integrated Hey Siri functionality, as well.