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Apple Said to Be Developing Smart Home Products for HomeKit Integration

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Following a report from The Information yesterday claiming that Apple is building hardware to work with the new HomeKit home automation standard announced for iOS 8, a follow-up report from 9to5Mac is making similar claims.

Details on the devices under consideration are scant, although the company is said to be beyond the exploratory stage of product development. Apple already sells one household product in the form of the Apple TV, which Macworld's Chris Breen argues is the logical hub for HomeKit, but Apple's smart home ambitions allegedly extend beyond the living room.
The sources say that Apple is unlikely to move forward with devices to compete directly with Google's Nest as the Cupertino-company feels it can build products that can gain usage wider than that of thermostats and smoke detectors. It is likely that Apple is building advanced speaker systems or control panels for homes, the sources say. It is possible that Apple's recent acquisition of Beats Electronics and the audio company's existing speaker systems play into this vision.
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While Apple is expected to expand its product lineup with the iWatch, perhaps a 12-inch Retina MacBook Air and possibly a revamped Apple TV this year, the company's HomeKit-integrated hardware is thought to be further down the roadmap in Apple's future product lineup.

Article Link: Apple Said to Be Developing Smart Home Products for HomeKit Integration
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2014/06/26/apple-smart-home-hardware/
Populism

Populism

macrumors regular
Jun 11, 2014
193
3,080
Will I be able to integrate the Homekits technology in to my Palm Pilot?
 
I

ineedamac

macrumors 6502
Jul 10, 2008
478
157
I will be interested in seeing what comes out of this. I would like to see some home automation that I can integrate with iOS.
 
Rogifan

Rogifan

macrumors Penryn
Nov 14, 2011
24,142
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iPhone is too big a % of Apple's revenues right now. Makes sense that Apple would be looking to diversify into wearables and home automation. I figured HomeKit had to be more than an API for 3rd party developers. There has to be more to Apple's strategy than just increasing iPhone sales.
 
clukas

clukas

macrumors 6502a
May 3, 2010
990
401
This is why apple should have bought Nest instead of letting Google purchase them. It will be interesting whether apple will stick to software and develop API's or produce actual hardware. My house is definitely ready.
 
Topfry

Topfry

macrumors regular
Apr 19, 2011
220
122
clukas said:
This is why apple should have bought Nest instead of letting Google purchase them. It will be interesting whether apple will stick to software and develop API's or produce actual hardware. My house is definitely ready.
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not at that price! look at the teething troubles their nest protect has been having, too; false alarms, 'wavegate' The product looks great and I was almost about to buy one, but based on many buyer reviews I subsequently discovered, I don't think I'm ready to trust the well being of my family on it.
I hope Apple does make some connected home hardware; security and or smoke alarms would definitely appeal to me, at least.
 
HappyDude20

HappyDude20

macrumors 68040
Jul 13, 2008
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Rogifan said:
iPhone is too big a % of Apple's revenues right now. Makes sense that Apple would be looking to diversify into wearables and home automation. I figured HomeKit had to be more than an API for 3rd party developers. There has to be more to Apple's strategy than just increasing iPhone sales.
Click to expand...

This is true. Apple has to get more into the home, especially with google as a competitor with having bought Nest. Schiller did say this year Apple has the best product announcements ever.

Dare I say it?

WIRELESS CHARGING. :eek:
 
Rogifan

Rogifan

macrumors Penryn
Nov 14, 2011
24,142
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clukas said:
This is why apple should have bought Nest instead of letting Google purchase them. It will be interesting whether apple will stick to software and develop API's or produce actual hardware. My house is definitely ready.
Click to expand...

Buying Nest would have meant buying Tony Fadell. Apple is no longer a divisional company, it's completely functional. Where would Tony Fadell fit in Apple's current organization? I'm sure Apple thinks it can do its own hardware as well as anything Nest does.
 
Quu

Quu

macrumors 68040
Apr 2, 2007
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I find it really hard to see Apple making any product where it's hard to use and installing panels in your walls, thermostats, alarm systems, CCTV cameras etc these aren't easy to do and you may even need a professional technician to do the installation.

I'm not saying they won't do it just that it would be unusual, it doesn't fit their current mantra of making everything easy for the end user to setup themselves.

I think it's much more likely that they will devise the software and the API's to empower other OEM's to make the actual products.
 
bacaramac

bacaramac

macrumors 65816
Dec 29, 2007
1,424
100
I'm really hoping for some awesome hardware, but think Apple should leave it to companies like Nest to do awesome hardware and just make them all work together flawlessly through HomeKit. Focus on software that hides the technology from the consumer.

I love the Nest Integration via IFTTT. I put my Nest on Away and it turns all the Hue lights off at home. I think this could be done a lot more slick then what is currently available.
 
TsunamiTheClown

TsunamiTheClown

macrumors 6502a
Apr 28, 2011
571
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Fiery+Cross+Reef
Rogifan said:
iPhone is too big a % of Apple's revenues right now. Makes sense that Apple would be looking to diversify into wearables and home automation. I figured HomeKit had to be more than an API for 3rd party developers. There has to be more to Apple's strategy than just increasing iPhone sales.
Click to expand...

This is a good point. I feel that this same fact (except for Google the main revenue is Search) is what is driving the constant Google Hobby Machine to come up with new ideas every week.

I think that Apple has a longer attention span than Google does, so hopefully this will go places.
 
A

akatsuki

macrumors regular
Sep 3, 2010
193
25
Great, so now we bring balkanization to our home products - is it Android compatible, is it Apple compatible?

Nest is owned by Google, so we shall see. Frankly I won't buy any of these products without an open API (and more than a Steve Jobs's promise to open the API which he reneged on for FaceTime)
 
Rogifan

Rogifan

macrumors Penryn
Nov 14, 2011
24,142
31,195
bacaramac said:
I'm really hoping for some awesome hardware, but think Apple should leave it to companies like Nest to do awesome hardware and just make them all work together flawlessly through HomeKit. Focus on software that hides the technology from the consumer.

I love the Nest Integration via IFTTT. I put my Nest on Away and it turns all the Hue lights off at home. I think this could be done a lot more slick then what is currently available.
Click to expand...

But how does that increase Apple revenue and profits? Does Apple make any money off a 3rd party using their HomeKit APIs? I think it's dangerous for Apple to put all it's eggs in the iPhone basket.
 
B

Benjamins

macrumors 6502a
Jul 15, 2010
668
137
of course they are working on some home automation hardware.

I like the new more inclusive Apple.
 
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