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Apple introduced several new features to its smart home initiative at its annual WWDC conference, including a way to unlock your front door with your iPhone through a digital key in the Wallet app.
But Apple is taking a different approach with its smart home strategy than its major platforms, such as iOS and macOS, where the company builds hardware and software control.
Instead, Apple’s smart home strategy relies heavily on encouraging third-party device makers to adopt Apple’s platform, HomeKit, which aims to simplify the process of getting gadgets from different companies to work together seamlessly.
For example, Apple did not release an Apple-branded smart lock, but it did promote a smart lock that uses Apple software and integrates tightly with the main iPhone and wallet apps. Other HomeKit-enabled gadgets include air conditioners, video cameras, motion sensors, doorbells, and lights.
For Apple, this strategy aims to position the iPhone and Apple Watch as controllers for a variety of home functions, making them more valuable to existing customers and discouraging them from switching to an Android phone when it’s time to upgrade. Apple’s smart home strategy could also boost sales of the Apple TV or HomePod, as these devices can be used as a hub for the smart home.
Hey Siri come home
Perhaps the biggest smart home announcement at WWDC for iOS 15, which will be released this fall, is that Apple said it plans to open Siri, its voice assistant, to work with third-party smart home gadgets like Ecobee’s Smart Thermostat later this year. Year. Soon, users will be able to say “Hey Siri” to non-Apple devices — matching the ability that Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa were already capable of.
“While we don’t believe that Siri is a major reason people buy Apple products, we believe that expanding Siri to third-party devices can help drive Siri use and help support Apple’s push into the smart home market,” wrote Sidney, an analyst. at Deutsche Bank in a note this week.
With a third-party supported device such as the Smart Thermostat, users will be able to connect to Siri, send messages, add reminders, and even use family members’ iPhone, Apple Watch, and HomePods as an intercom.
However, there is one problem – the feature requires HomePod or HomePod mini. Essentially, the third-party Siri gadget passes messages to the HomePod for processing.
Apple Home Key feature in the Wallet app.
an Apple
Apple will also allow users to open their front door or garage with their iPhone – if the user has a compatible smart lock installed. Although Apple didn’t announce any devices this week, it did show a slide that said major lock vendors like Schlage and Aqara would support the feature.
There have also been smaller and more incremental updates that users will appreciate. HomeKit can use Siri to schedule events, such as turning on smart lights every day at 7 a.m., and cameras can determine when a package is delivered. Users can monitor HomeKit cameras on their Apple TV in full screen mode and easily turn on lights or activate other tools in the scene.
What’s even more interesting is that Apple is starting to bundle one of the key smart home features as a paid service. Cameras are among the most important smart home gadgets, and Apple relies heavily on its own privacy to stand out from competitors such as Amazon’s Ring, noting that it stores raw footage in an encrypted and privacy method on iCloud called HomeKit Secure Video.
To make the most of this feature, users will be required to subscribe to the high-end iCloud service, which costs $9.99 per month for 2TB of storage. And unlike Amazon, Apple doesn’t make its own smart cameras, but rather relies on partners like Logitech.
For the 50 third-party device makers that support these features, HomeKit allows them to reach a generally rich group of consumers without having to do a lot of hard technical work to enable basic functionality. But it also means that they have to participate in Apple’s MFi accessories program, which means Apple can exercise some control over what they release through the program contract.
Apple said this week that it supports Matter, a standard designed to allow smart home devices to work together, and Apple said it has contributed some open source HomeKit code. Amazon, Google and Samsung also participate in the standard.
In a video session Thursday, Apple engineers said Matter’s goal is to ensure smart home devices remain compatible for years to come and facilitate the development of new tools and applications. For developers, the HomeKit code will work with Matter without requiring any changes, Apple said.
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