Hunter Fan Company Releases First HomeKit-Enabled Ceiling Fan

[MacRumors]

Hunter Fan Company has announced that Signal, the first ceiling fan with HomeKit support, is now available for $379 through its website, Amazon, Build.com, Home Depot, Lowe's, Menards, and in lighting showrooms throughout the United States. The Symphony, a cheaper version with white blades, will launch in the fall for $329.

Hunter Fan Company first introduced the Signal and Symphony at CES 2016 earlier this year. The smart ceiling fans connect to a home's Wi-Fi network and, through HomeKit, the fans are able to be controlled using Siri voice commands. Using Scenes and Triggers, the fans can interface with other HomeKit products like lights and thermostats for a full connected home experience.

Article Link: Hunter Fan Company Releases First HomeKit-Enabled Ceiling Fan

 

[2457282]

Well this may be interesting as I begin to move into my new place. It is now on my list of fans to consider for the upstair bedrooms.

 

[SandboxGeneral]

the fans are able to be controlled using Siri voice commands.

Okay, that's cool. "Hey Siri, turn the fan on medium".

 

[TurboPGT!]

$379 for 3 spinning blades and a light.

Or buy any other perfectly good Hunter fan for $60.

That doesn't compute.

 

[sevimli]

$379 for 3 spinning blades and a light.

Or buy any other perfectly good Hunter fan for $60.

That doesn't compute.

This! hate when things get "smart" in front just to jack up the prices...

 

[aardwolf]

I ALREADY control my fan using SIRI a smart light switch... And the switch was $50. Heck, I could buy the $150 hub (if I didn't already have one) and a switch for $200 and just use my existing fans...

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

$379 for 3 spinning blades and a light.

Or buy any other perfectly good Hunter fan for $60.

That doesn't compute.

Homekit seems to be like that. Check anything: the non-homekit version will be about half the price or less. I wonder how much of anything "homekit enabled" Apple demands? I suspect it's something odd like 2X retail instead of just some flat licensing fee.

 

[TurboPGT!]

Homekit seems to be like that. Check anything: the non-homekit version will be about half the price or less. I wonder how much of anything "homekit enabled" Apple demands? I suspect it's something odd like 2X retail instead of just some flat licensing fee.

I dunno, I have Hue Lights and I enjoy them quite a bit, the bulbs will last a really long time, and the HomeKit control is great. The value is there.

This...is just a fan. Not better than their $60 fans, except HomeKit. So HomeKit alone justifies that massive price difference. I don't see it.

Give it a year, they will be adding HomeKit to their lower priced fans.

Edit: I realize they have expensive fans and cheap fans, but everyone knows that no one buys the expensive fans. This is just Hunter's way of trying to drive sales of those products.

 

[adamjackson]

Check anything: the non-homekit version will be about half the price or less.

It's pretty well-known that Apple's customers are in a higher earning bracket. I honestly believe that Apple 3PP from HomeKit to HealthKit to Apps and even cases are going to cost 30% more than the Android / PC equivalent simply because these companies know we can afford it.

Could you see your normal Free Android Phone customer spending $49 on a leather case and's mostly just made of plastic? No, they grab a case for a buck on amazon or at those mall kiosk that are just as good.

 

[mgworek]

A $100 fan and a $60 Insteon device and I am set. Alexa and my Harmony remote can even control it.

 

[CarpalMac]

Okay, that's cool.

 

[Carlanga]

$379 for 3 spinning blades and a light.

Or buy any other perfectly good Hunter fan for $60.

That doesn't compute.

There is no hunter fan for $60? You are thinking Hampton bay or some other cheaper brand.

---------

This model looks very similar to the one they sell atm at Costco w led light regular price $130. When on special $100. So $250 extra for HomeKit support AND only 3 blades so less wind.... Not worth it.

 

[Zirel]

$379 for 3 spinning blades and a light.

Or buy any other perfectly good Hunter fan for $60.

That doesn't compute.

An Hunter fan doesn't cost $60.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

Hunter Oakhurst 52 in. Indoor Flushmount White Ceiling Fan Model #52012 is just under $60 on the Home Depot website right now.

 

[UnfetteredMind]

I wonder if they'll release a module (much like the current module they have to enable handheld remote control or like the Insteon FanLinc) that will enable HomeKit? Then you could use it with any of their fans.

 

[TurboPGT!]

An Hunter fan doesn't cost $60.

There is no hunter fan for $60? You are thinking Hampton bay or some other cheaper brand.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Hunter-Oakhurst-52-in-Indoor-Flushmount-White-Ceiling-Fan-52012/203806342

 

[chiefsilverback]

$379 for 3 spinning blades and a light.

Or buy any other perfectly good Hunter fan for $60.

That doesn't compute.

I think the same comments were posted in response to the article reporting their announcement 6 months ago. Personally I don't think <$400 for a fan is excessive. In our last house we had $400+ Casablanca fans, they were near silent on low and could spin up a hurricane on high and not be too much louder (except the sound of rushing air). Compared to the cheap, rattling things I've experienced elsewhere I'd take the Casablanca's any day!

 

[zhang96]

Can I use it as a Drone?

 

[rdlink]

$379 for 3 spinning blades and a light.

Or buy any other perfectly good Hunter fan for $60.

That doesn't compute.

Here's a solution for you: Don't buy one.

I don't buy $60 ceiling fans, because they're usually loud, wobbly, ugly and burn up in a couple of years. The last three ceiling fans that I bought cost over $300, and they didn't have HomeKit on them.

On another note, I bought this fan on Amazon back on June 15th, when it originally "became available." Amazon told me within an hour of buying it that it would not ship until August 31. When I click the product on my order status it takes me to a page that says it's not available and that they "don't know if or when it will be available again."

Since neither Lowes nor Home Depot show it as available on their website, and I only paid $349 for it from Amazon I'm leaving my order in place to see what happens.
[doublepost=1471362702][/doublepost]

I dunno, I have Hue Lights and I enjoy them quite a bit, the bulbs will last a really long time, and the HomeKit control is great. The value is there.

This...is just a fan. Not better than their $60 fans, except HomeKit. So HomeKit alone justifies that massive price difference. I don't see it.

Give it a year, they will be adding HomeKit to their lower priced fans.

Edit: I realize they have expensive fans and cheap fans, but everyone knows that no one buys the expensive fans. This is just Hunter's way of trying to drive sales of those products.

No, everyone doesn't "know that no one buys the expensive fans." I've bought cheap fans and expensive fans in my lifetime. Trust me, there's a huge difference. When you're lying in bed with your fan wobbling over your head and the motor humming while you're trying to sleep that $60 doesn't seem like a bargain. Especially when you're back up there next year installing another $60 fan. A good $300+ fan from Hunter or Casablanca will last for decades. They'll run smoothly and quietly. And they'll have better styling than this POS:

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Hunter-Oakhurst-52-in-Indoor-Flushmount-White-Ceiling-Fan-52012/203806342
[doublepost=1471363450][/doublepost]

Homekit seems to be like that. Check anything: the non-homekit version will be about half the price or less. I wonder how much of anything "homekit enabled" Apple demands? I suspect it's something odd like 2X retail instead of just some flat licensing fee.

Locks:

https://www.amazon.com/Schlage-Conn...id=1471362975&sr=8-1&keywords=schlage+connect

https://www.amazon.com/Schlage-Dead...&qid=1471363031&sr=1-1&keywords=schlage+sense

Light bulbs:

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Feit-Electric-60W-Equivalent-Soft-White-A19-Dimmable-HomeBrite-Bluetooth-Smart-LED-Light-Bulb-AOM800-827-LED-HBR/205881115

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Philips-60W-Equivalent-Soft-White-A19-Hue-Connected-Home-LED-Light-Bulb-455295/206633282

Thermostats:

https://www.amazon.com/Nest-Learning-Thermostat-Generation-Works/dp/B0131RG6VK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1471363176&sr=8-1&keywords=nest

https://www.amazon.com/ecobee3-Smarter-Thermostat-Remote-Generation/dp/B00ZIRV39M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1471363206&sr=8-1&keywords=ecobee+3


Ceiling fans:

https://www.amazon.com/Hunter-Fan-C...19011,p_89:Hunter+Fan+Company,p_36:1253532011

http://www.hunterfan.com/Ceiling-Fans/Signal


There goes another uninformed myth shot to Hell.

 

[rolsskk]

There is no hunter fan for $60? You are thinking Hampton bay or some other cheaper brand.
But there is:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Hunter-Oakhurst-52-in-Indoor-Flushmount-White-Ceiling-Fan-52012/203806342

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

rdlink, I don't know what you are trying to show there. Schlage locks IS one of the things I was "myth"ing about. I just went through some renovations and wanted to replace the many outside entry locks with homekit-capable locks. I needed 5 of them. While your Schlage link is showing them now at $178, they were $209 when I was shopping locks. 5 doors at $209 = > $1000.

Your counterpoint examples seem to be the most expensive lookalike locks that don't have homekit but are still "smart locks." But Schlage also makes "dumb" lookalikes that are just keypad locks for about half the homekit-version price. For example: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00N12FO0A/ref=s9_acsd_al_bw_c_x_3 at $91.80. 5 of those for $459 vs. 5 Homekit variations for $890, or $431 more for 5 door locks that unlock with a single company's phone. I'm sure if I put in a little effort more examples just like that for the other stuff would illustrate the same steep premium.

The point I was trying to make was that Homekit comes at quite the premium... myth or not... so much so I (personally) would not be inclined to pay $329-$379 for a ceiling fan when there are plenty of similar ones available (minus Homekit) for substantially less than that. Does Homekit have value? Sure. But the "cool" gimmick should wear off quickly and then you simply have a $329 (to $379) ceiling fan vs. maybe $250 still in your wallet + a ceiling fan. Yes, the guy with the money in his pocket might have to lug himself over to a switch to turn his fan on and off but that should be counterbalanced by the $250 extra cash PER FAN in a home. No doubting this is a great-looking ceiling fan but I bet a "dumb" version that looks the same would be priced at about half that price. Look at their MSRP $169 Dempsey low profile or their MSRP $149 Annesbury to see some close cousins sans HomeKit. Or look at MSRP $199 Contempo which comes with a universal remote for those that really don't want to leave the couch (perhaps in spite of Healthkit encouragement)

What I would like to see is Homekit wow without the steep premium. Of course, Apple should make something but- from my perspective anyway- this looks like a very high margin something.

 

[mangonights]

The idea of HomeKit fans is cool. But the cost is way high. A good fan is about $150. So they need to be about half their current cost.

 

[Icaras]

There needs to be more color options and a bit lower price tag for me to seriously consider this, but I'm definitely interested.

 

[NMSUballa]

Is it really that hard to flip a switch these days?

 

[nuckinfutz]

That's like a 250% markup over their typical fans. I'll pass. I'm pretty sure that It would be more cost effective to make the power switch connected to the fan smart.