Apple says HomeKit is on track for June launch

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Apple announced HomeKit to developers at WWDC last year.
Apple announced HomeKit to developers at WWDC last year. Photo: Apple
Photo: Apple

It’s been nearly a year since Apple unveiled the HomeKit platform, and we’re still waiting on an official launch. A report earlier today claimed that Apple is delaying the launch of its home-automation platform until August or September, but an Apple spokesperson has refuted the report, saying everything is ontrack for the June launch.

In a statement given to the Wall Street Journal, Apple spokeswoman Trudy Muller confirmed that HomeKit products will be hitting the market next month.

“HomeKit [hardware certification] has been available for just a few months and we already have dozens of partners who have committed to bringing HomeKit accessories to market and we’re looking forward to the first ones coming next month.” said Muller.

According to an earlier report from Fortune, Apple has having a hard time paring down the software to work well with battery-powered devices. That could still be true, but Apple plans to get the first wave of HomeKit devices out soon.

An official launch date for HomeKit was never officially announced by Apple, however, third-party manufacturers at CES hinted that some products would be ready to launch this summer. Apple’s HomeKit hardware certification program was announced in November and already has dozens of partners. Smartthings already announced that it plans to support HomeKit, and communications firm Broadcomm announced yesterday that it is the first company to offer full support for HomeKit with it’s Internet of Things platform.

Information on HomeKit has been scare since its unveiling last year, with most information on the platform coming through leaks from third-parties. A bigger HomeKit reveal is expected to come next month at WWDC where the company is also might announce a new Apple TV that can double as a hub for all the smart devices in your home.

Source: Wall Street Journal

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