Among the many new products and features Apple showcased at WWDC22 came news of a revamped Home app for the HomeKit smart-home platform.
Arriving with iOS 16 later this year, the app is rebuilt from the ground up. Apple said it will be more efficient and reliable, especially for homes with many accessories. And it will support the new Matter smart-home technology standard.
Working to automate your smart home with better security? Aqara recently updated its Motion Sensor for HomeKit, renaming it the Motion Sensor P1 and adding sensitivity modes and longer battery life — up to five years.
The release date for the Matter standard has been pushed back to fall of 2022. Previously, Apple and the rest of the Connectivity Standards Alliance had hoped to launch the cross-platform home-automation standard much earlier in the year.
A primary goal is interoperability, allowing accessories to connect to HomeKit, Alexa, Google Home, etc. Matter might finally make smart homes more common… even mainstream.
There is a lot to get HomeKit fans excited at this year’s CES tech showcase in Las Vegas. Quite a few companies announced products that will support Apple’s home-automation system, including lights, door cameras and more.
Glitzy projects like concept cars get more attention, but HomeKit accessories are more likely to make people’s lives better.
At CES 2022, Nanoleaf said an upcoming firmware update will make its lighting products the first third-party border routers for HomeKit-over-Thread devices available now and coming out in the future.
The firmware update, due to roll out in the first quarter of 2022, will broaden Nanoleaf products’ support for Thread, improving devices’ connectivity and reliability over home networks.
Belkin unveiled the Wemo Smart Video Doorbell that uses Apple’s HomeKit Secure Video. It’s built around a 4MP, wide-angle lens.
Also at CES 2022, Belkin announced redesigned smart plugs and lighting solutions with support for Matter over Thread, which means they’ll also support HomeKit.
Plus, the wraps came off Belkin SoundForm Immerse noise cancelling earbuds with support for Apple’s Find My system.
The soon-to-launch Schlage Encode Plus smart lock could be the first to support Apple Home Key, according to various leaked documents. And, in another “first,” the smart lock looks likely to offer Thread support for HomeKit.
HomeKit Authority reported on the Schlage Encode Plus recently, citing a since-removed Home Depot listing, Schlage’s own installation guide as well as a Federal Communications Commission filing.
The rollout of Matter, the standard expected to help smart-home systems like Apple HomeKit, Google Nest and Amazon Alexa Smart Home use devices in common, is delayed again.
Apple is a leading member of a new organization creating a standard for home automation devices. A primary goal is interoperability, allowing accessories to connect to HomeKit, Alexa, Google Home, etc.
Previously, it was up to the makers of smart home products to make devices that worked with more than one voice control system. Many chose to support just one.
