Apple HomeKit Updates

 

Right now in San Francisco, California Apple is holding their annual World Wide Developer Conference (WWDC ’15) . As an engineer at Smart Homes of Lansing, MI it’s like chocolate for my brain. That said – the conference does generate some difficulties for us each year. For instance – we need to find the time to continue with our regularly scheduled work, such as website development and designing home theater & home audio solutions.

The conference is continuing to play in my headphones but I wanted to stop for a quick second to update everyone on what’s new with HomeKit.

So what is HomeKit, anyway?

According to Apple:

“HomeKit is a framework for communicating with and controlling connected accessories in a user’s home. You can enable users to discover HomeKit accessories in their home and configure them, or you can create actions to control those devices. Users can group actions together and trigger them using Siri.”

 

Why do we need HomeKit? Doesn’t home automation accessories already work with the iPhone using third-party apps?

Many do, but without HomeKit, those accessories had to build custom solutions that were often incompatible with their brethren, with varying degrees of security. This means that your smart lights can’t talk to your thermostat, nor can both of them hook up to a unified service that controls everything at once — you have to jump around and change them each manually in-app. HomeKit accessories will not only be able to talk to each other, but you’ll be able to communicate with all of them using Siri.

 

More manufacturers are adapting Apple HomeKit

Apple will now support other products like motion sensors, carbon dioxide monitors, window shades, thermostats and security systems. Philips told Mashable that it will bring its existing Hue smart lighting system with HomeKit starting this fall.

 

Although Apple didn’t give a timeline detailing when more HomeKit-enabled devices will launch, the Health app will likely get a refresh along with the rest of iOS this fall.

 

This is what we know so far! Keep checking back for updates.

 

Apple HomeKit Logo

Apple HomeKit Logo

 

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