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HorstBockman

macrumors regular
Apr 8, 2022
244
521
This change should reduce the incidence of people inadvertently disabling home automation by powering off their iPad or taking it off premises.
 

TallManNY

macrumors 601
Nov 5, 2007
4,748
1,598
Was always weird to use the iPad as a Home Hub. Doubt there are too many people that don't have at least one of those hubs in their house and are interested in the home hub features.
 

spcopsmac21

macrumors 6502a
Nov 9, 2009
891
936
It’s time for Apple to finally release an AppleTV Console Edition, along with a proper strategy a la AppleTV+ for AAA gaming, they have the silicon and the war chest to take on Sony & Microsoft.

The higher-end M1 configs have PS5 level graphics and they could unite from iPhone to Mac to TV the ecosystem.
The higher end M1s in a small device would cost way more than a PS5 and have a garbage eco system for at least an entire generation. No thanks
 

ian87w

macrumors G3
Feb 22, 2020
8,704
12,636
Indonesia
The question is WHY. C´mon, Apple, don´t make people buy Apple TV´s or Homepods just for greed.
Money is what make Tim Cook smile. You want Tim to smile, don't you?
PWd1XYY0zZAay6k95TrjomFCk4cYBo0PcErtsjwZUQ8.jpg
 

nebo1ss

macrumors 68030
Jun 2, 2010
2,906
1,696
Its always amusing to see those that come on here to defend any decision that Apple make. Personally, i have no dog in this fight. While i am sure this statement will upset a few people i replaced my iPad with a MacBook air many years ago and believe the iPad is a device that has outlived its usefulness with larger phones and smaller computers. I am a big apple user with a Mac mini, MacBook Air an iPhone 13Pro and use CarPlay and AirTags.
 

EntropyQ3

macrumors 6502a
Mar 20, 2009
709
796
what a stupid analogy lol. Music was one of the three orginal purposes for the iPhone, The number of people using Homekit with an iPad as their only home hub has to be less then .5% of iPad owners.
With cell phones and tablets being ubiquitous, the concept of a stationary "home hub", just as having a device dedicated to portable audio alone, is redundant. The phones and tablets use the same hardware and software as the tethered devices, only more capable. Removing the functionality from iPads is not motivated by technology, so the assumption that the purpose is to direct people to buying more-stuff-they-don’t-need seems like a reasonable one.
 
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DaveMcM76

macrumors 6502
Mar 13, 2012
440
397
Scottish Highlands
iPad was never an ideal home hub given it is both battery powered and portable so its battery going flat (or being powered down) or it leaving the house instantly breaks the home hub functionality, but at the time this was introduced AppleTV numbers were still pretty low and the HomePod didn't exist so the iPad was a compromise to get the functionality working for more people.

I would imagine that Apples usage data now suggests that with the increase in sales of Apple TV and HomePod among people who actually use the Home hub functionality cases where an iPad being the sole home hub in a household is now low enough that the compromise is no longer seen as a requirement.
 

Oscar_440

macrumors regular
Mar 1, 2017
198
303
The truth of the matter is, iPad was never reliable as a HomeKit hub. Yes, there are probably few exceptions, but it is often flaky and unresponsive. $99 for HomePod mini or $179 for Apple TV 4K (2nd gen) gets you far more dependable and capable HomeKit hub, with support for Thread.
I won’t spend at least $99 for a “hub”. I already have an alternative to an Apple TV (not better but pretty decent) and a way better sound system than a HomePod.
Maybe using an iPad as a hub it’s not the best option, but surely more than acceptable. Apple should reconsider this…
 

eilavid

macrumors regular
Oct 25, 2021
112
846
Won't be updating the iPad then. The family iPad is always at home and it works great for remote Home access. I have no interest in a HomePod or ATV.
 

Mr.Blacky

Cancelled
Jul 31, 2016
1,880
2,583
People are spending a hundreds or thousands of currency on smart home accessories. But 100 bucks (or even less) for a HomePod mini? No, no, no, THAT is breaking the camels back! 😆
 
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TheOldChevy

macrumors 6502
May 12, 2020
446
799
Switzerland
I don't know why but I can imagine the following reasons:
* AppleTV and HomePods are always connected to network, therefore always on (even if in sleep mode)
* AppleTV and HomePods do not move, so they remain in range to serve as hub
 

vmistery

macrumors 6502a
Apr 6, 2010
942
688
UK
Two reasons why the iPad was always an odd choice are, you ideally can’t take it out of the home and secondly it could run out of power and isn’t a great idea to leave it plugged in. I use my AppleTV for mine
 

DrRadon

macrumors 65816
Feb 14, 2008
1,035
770
Smells like a new product on the horizon. maybe time capsule or new full-size HomePod.

the main issue I see if buying the same product over and over again to get all functions. You need the iPad to get touch with your m1, you need the Mac to get macOS with your m1, you need a HomePod to have voice recognize the room, you cant just plug in the Apple TV in your stereo and use it to play Spotify/podcast/Apple Music and so one. Always something more with comparable hardware.

I got a good hifi system, why force me to put a HomePod in the same room to listen to music at lower quality instead of just putting a mike and a audio out in the Apple TV.

in terms of sustainability that’s really ******.
 

Htsi

macrumors 65816
Oct 14, 2020
1,396
1,266
My OG Homepod also doesn’t have thread. Shouldn’t be a reason to kill the iPad as a hub.
 

Htsi

macrumors 65816
Oct 14, 2020
1,396
1,266
Smells like a new product on the horizon. maybe time capsule or new full-size HomePod.

the main issue I see if buying the same product over and over again to get all functions. You need the iPad to get touch with your m1, you need the Mac to get macOS with your m1, you need a HomePod to have voice recognize the room, you cant just plug in the Apple TV in your stereo and use it to play Spotify/podcast/Apple Music and so one. Always something more with comparable hardware.

I got a good hifi system, why force me to put a HomePod in the same room to listen to music at lower quality instead of just putting a mike and a audio out in the Apple TV.

in terms of sustainability that’s really ******.
Wouldn’t e-arc work to get your music to your hi-fi receiver?
 

addamas

macrumors 65816
Apr 20, 2016
1,128
1,207
Thats why Home Assistant or other Smart Home Systems home-only-owned-by-you are only good options.

We see an Killswitch with all it’s “beauty” here.

Apple decides “your” stuff is not working after update anymore unless you buy something instead. Well done 👍

Personally I have HA on Raspberry Pi and I stay away from Xiaomi, IKEA systems (use their products but connected directly not via their clouds).
 

Htsi

macrumors 65816
Oct 14, 2020
1,396
1,266
Thats why Home Assistant or other Smart Home Systems home-only-owned-by-you are only good options.

We see an Killswitch with all it’s “beauty” here.

Apple decides “your” stuff is not working after update anymore unless you buy something instead. Well done 👍

Personally I have HA on Raspberry Pi and I stay away from Xiaomi, IKEA systems (use their products but connected directly not via their clouds).
In this case its a $50 to $99 expense for a homepod mini new or used and I wouldn’t call it too bad. Can still use iPad for controlling homekit.
However I would agree with a poster above, that if I want to use a $1000 iPad Pro as a home hub, I should have the option to, since it is way more powerful than the ATV or HPm, but this same school of thought could apply to Mac‘s
 

shutterpod

macrumors newbie
Jul 7, 2011
5
1
I know my opinion means diddly… but, I think the change stinks. But maybe, just maybe it’ll fix the control panel auto-playing of media for no reason; a few minutes after the screen goes to sleep audio just starts playing, like iPad couldn’t deal with the sound of silence…

So now I’ll have to buy a Home Pod or an Apple TV to tell Siri to turn my TV on or to change my lights - fun! not really.
 

DaveMcM76

macrumors 6502
Mar 13, 2012
440
397
Scottish Highlands
Reading through some of these comments I wonder if a lot of people actually understand what the home hub functionality does.

A home hub device allows you to control your home kit devices from another device / Siri remotely while you are away from your home network which is why having a wired device that never leaves your home network makes more sense for this than a portable device like an iPad which could be taken away. Home hub devices are not required to control homekit stuff while you are connected to the same network as those devices otherwise homekit devices would never have worked for people who only have an iPhone.

An iPad on iOS 16 will still quite happily allow you to control your HomeKit devices via siri or the home app while it is connected to your home network - as it does now - but to control devices remotely when away from the network is now going to need an Apple TV or HomePod To be present on the home network.
 
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