smart home

With the holiday season in full swing and gift-giving deadlines approaching, Aqara has a fantastic sale with huge discounts on a bunch of the company’s smart home devices. These devices work with Apple HomeKit and the Home app, so you can easily integrate them into your existing setup (or start a whole new thing).

It’s the perfect time for last-minute shoppers looking to spruce up their living spaces before the holidays or surprise tech-savvy friends with a cool gift.

The sale runs through December 22 and offers savings of up to 48% on everything from smart locks to security cameras. Don’t miss out on this amazing opportunity to upgrade your smart home for less.

As new details on Apple’s smart home hub leak out, the device is shaping up to be something that’ll attract plenty of customers.  On Thursday, it was revealed that the device will have a front-facing camera with Center Stage, making it ideal for making FaceTime calls.

Previous reports indicate that it’s designed to be the centerpiece of a smart home, not only controlling smart accessories but also displaying shared calendars and answering questions, thanks to the improved version of Siri now in development.

This could be a flagship product in a fresh push by Apple into smart home technology.

If you’re still living with a clunky, dial-twisting home thermostat, it’s time for an upgrade to a smart model like the Google Nest Learning Thermostat. It learns how you like your home to feel, then takes over the temperature changes for you, delivering a delightful mix of comfort and savings.

Even better, this refurbished third-gen Google Nest Learning Thermostat costs just $99.99, making it one of the easiest and smartest home upgrades you can make.

In fact, this deal drops the price below Amazon’s current discount on the same model.

Apple will build its upcoming smart home products in Vietnam to diversify its manufacturing away from China. This includes indoor security cameras, a smart display and a tabletop robot. 

A $350 smart display will be the first to launch in spring 2026. 

Plenty of Apple households consider robot vacuums essential smart home devices, but they’ve always had one major limitation: stairs. If you live in a multi-story home, you’ve either had to carry your robot vacuum between floors or invest in multiple units. What a drag. But the innovative new Eufy MarsWalker for robot vacuums, set to launch in spring 2026, promises to eliminate the problem entirely. The company just introduced it at IFA Berlin.

As Apple seeks to establish a stronger foothold in the connected-home market, it works on an ambitious lineup of home security devices that include smart cameras and a facial-recognition doorbell that can unlock doors, according to new report Wednesday.

Aqara’s new G410 Doorbell Camera Hub delivers a compelling package for Apple ecosystem users who want comprehensive smart home integration without recurring subscription fees. Priced at $129.99, this battery-powered video doorbell stands out as one of the few devices on the market to offer full HomeKit Secure Video support alongside extensive Matter smart-home standard compatibility, the company said Thursday.

The launch of a device that will be the centerpiece of Apple’s next foray into smart home technology reportedly got put on hold. The delay in the launch of the wall-mounted iPad-like computer is a result of Apple’s problems finishing work on an AI-enhanced version of the Siri voice assistant, according to a reliable source.

Robots may become Apple’s next big thing. The company is looking for a completely new product category to grow its business, and robots might be the answer, according to an unconfirmed report from an analyst.

While Apple designers’ work on robots remains in the proof-of-concept stage, products could be just a few years away from reaching customers.

Apple reportedly picked the companies to supply the display for a screen-equipped HomePod scheduled to reach the market later in 2025.

Previous reports say the device will put more emphasis on functioning as a hub for a smart home than current HomePod models do.

Apple’s 7-inch smart home hub may not arrive this quarter as initially rumored. A new report indicates the device will launch later in 2025 due to a key iOS 18 feature not being ready for release. For the latest apple homepod news and updates on Apple’s smart home ecosystem, stay tuned.

Apple’s significant expansion of its smart home lineup in 2025 should include new HomePod and HomePod mini models. The company plans to introduce both a display-equipped HomePod and a refreshed HomePod mini amid a renewed focus on the smart home market.

As usual, you can expect Apple to emphasize quality audio as well as airtight security. Here’s what to expect from HomePod and HomePod mini in 2025.

Apple is reportedly working on a smart doorbell with Face ID-like facial recognition.

The device, still in its early development stages, seems unlikely to reach the market before late 2025 at the earliest. This timeline presumes Apple encounters no significant obstacles during development.

The HomePod with a built-in 6- to 7-inch display that’s been the subject of previous rumors will launch after Apple’s developer conference in June, according to a report on Wednesday from a reliable source.

It will supposedly be part of Apple’s drive to offer more smart home products.

Apple is reportedly developing a “command center” for smart homes. It’ll supposedly be an inexpensive, wall-mounted, tablet-like computer used to control smart devices and make video calls. The device also would serve as an access point for the upcoming AI-powered Siri.

This is not much like anything the company offers now, though it does mix in some of the features of an iPad and a HomePod.

The smart home industry’s universal technology standard, Matter, will get a significant update that could make it easier for Apple users to integrate non-Apple devices into their smart home setups, according to a new report. The new Matter 1.4 update introduces several key improvements, some long-awaited — including enhanced multi-admin capabilities and expanded device support.

The new lever-based Smart Lock U300 brings Apple Home Key functionality to a wider range of doors you might want to unlock with your iPhone or Apple Watch, including those without traditional deadbolts, Aqara said Thursday. It previewed the lock back at CES in January. Now it’s finally on sale — with a nice launch discount (see below).

Apple might launch a new smart display running a new operating system called homeOS early next year. The device could feature FaceTime integration and act as a smart home controller.

The low-end smart display, code-named J490, seemingly will act as a companion to a long-rumored, more-expensive tabletop iPad on a robotic arm.

The new unveiled Lockly Zeno smart locks are its first ones to work with Apple Home and Home Key for use with iPhone and Apple Watch, the company said Thursday. Lockly Visage, with advanced facial recognition access technology, and Lockly Vision, with an integrated 2K video doorbell with intercom, are the two flagships.

“As technology progresses, so do customer expectations. We’ve made it our mission to always go above and beyond the cutting edge to set a new standard for the smart home industry,” said Frank Polidoro, Lockly CRO. “We are extremely excited to partner up with The Home Depot to bring our latest innovation to homeowners and the professional market.”

Aqara’s new Presence Sensor FP1E monitors smart-home spaces for human activity and helps launch automations via HomeKit and other platforms, the company said recently. To get the most out of it, though, you need an Aqara Matter bridge.

Apple plans to expand its Adaptive Lighting feature to Matter-compatible smart lights with the release of iOS 18, which will significantly increase the number of smart lights that can use the popular feature in the Apple Home ecosystem. And among the first to work on it is Nanoleaf, according to a new report.

The new Thread- and Matter-enabled Aqara Motion and Light Sensor P2 came out Tuesday for use with HomeKit and other smart-home platforms, the company said.

“In the rapidly expanding global market for Passive Infrared (PIR) sensors, Aqara has achieved remarkable success, distributing over 100,000 units last year,” noted Cathy You, Aqara’s senior VP of Global Business and Strategy.

“The launch of the Motion and Light Sensor P2, which combines our renowned sensor technology with the latest in connectivity protocols and standards, encapsulates our forward-thinking approach and our commitment to delivering smart home solutions that are ready for tomorrow’s advancement,” she added.

Aqara launched a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign Tuesday for its new Smart Lock U200. Built on the Thread networking protocol and native to the Matter standard, the lock will integrate with many smart home devices. But its compatibility with smart-home platforms like HomeKit — and its support for Home Key in particular — will come from future software updates.

Aqara highlighted new HomeKit-enabled smart-home devices at CES 2024 Monday in Las Vegas — the new Hub M3, Border Router Plug and Smart Lock U300 — plus an AI chatbot interface for the Aqara Home App.

The devices support both Matter and Thread networking standards. And the hub may help you control your whole smart home.

Eve Systems introduced the first Matter-over-Thread smart electrical outlet along with a Matter-enabled smart light switch and window blinds on Monday, the company said.

Eve Energy Outlet, Eve Blinds Collection and Eve Light Switch all work with HomeKit. The outlet and blinds go on sale in early February 2024 and the light switch arrives a bit later.