http://appleinsider.com/articles/18...orbell-category-from-homekit-accessories-page
I'm a huge Apple fan, but I have a lot of home automation gear and I've pretty much given up all hope that Apple will have any leadership role in this market segment.
While various lighting solutions have good HomeKit support, there's limited product in just about every other segment. Disappointing, since it's so nice how HK brings different manufacturers together under one interface.
I just moved in to a 4800 sq ft house. I equipped it with Amazon Echo Shows and Spots, Lutron lighting and Nest gear for the rest -- two thermostats, Nest outdoor cameras, Nest Protect smoke/CO detectors, Nest Hello doorbell, Nest/Yale door locks and Nest Secure security w/ Brinks monitoring, plus a couple of Google Home minis for verbal Nest Hello announcements and a Bond ceiling fan controller. It all works seamlessly together -- no Apple HomeKit required.
I didn't have to worry about Apple dropping support for something at their whim or waiting for eventual Ring camera support. Had Ring at my old house and grew tired of waiting. Good thing too, since it now looks like it's not coming. I presume at least in part it's because Amazon bought Ring but surprised that August support has also been dropped.
Alexa gives me verbal control over all the lights, ceiling fans and thermostats, and I can ask to see video feeds on the Shows & Spots strategically placed around the house. Also doubles as a home intercom and does decent duty for music since there's basically one in each room. Lutron handles programmed light scheduling and the Nest presence detection will automatically randomize the Lutron lights (and cut the HVAC) when no one is home, automatically returning to the previous state when we arrive back. The Nest/Yale door locks will disable the security system when I unlock the door, and the system will remind us to set the alarm when the last person leaves the house, if not already set. Stringify will briefly turn on certain lights at night if the outside cameras detect a person.
Unfortunately it's one less thing keeping me in the Apple camp. Apple's doing a good job of diminishing their lock-in, to their detriment. My Macs, iPhone, iPad and Apple TVs still play better together than anything Microsoft/Google/Amazon can do, but for the rest, Apple has pretty much lost it, IMHO.
Shame.
I'm a huge Apple fan, but I have a lot of home automation gear and I've pretty much given up all hope that Apple will have any leadership role in this market segment.
While various lighting solutions have good HomeKit support, there's limited product in just about every other segment. Disappointing, since it's so nice how HK brings different manufacturers together under one interface.
I just moved in to a 4800 sq ft house. I equipped it with Amazon Echo Shows and Spots, Lutron lighting and Nest gear for the rest -- two thermostats, Nest outdoor cameras, Nest Protect smoke/CO detectors, Nest Hello doorbell, Nest/Yale door locks and Nest Secure security w/ Brinks monitoring, plus a couple of Google Home minis for verbal Nest Hello announcements and a Bond ceiling fan controller. It all works seamlessly together -- no Apple HomeKit required.
I didn't have to worry about Apple dropping support for something at their whim or waiting for eventual Ring camera support. Had Ring at my old house and grew tired of waiting. Good thing too, since it now looks like it's not coming. I presume at least in part it's because Amazon bought Ring but surprised that August support has also been dropped.
Alexa gives me verbal control over all the lights, ceiling fans and thermostats, and I can ask to see video feeds on the Shows & Spots strategically placed around the house. Also doubles as a home intercom and does decent duty for music since there's basically one in each room. Lutron handles programmed light scheduling and the Nest presence detection will automatically randomize the Lutron lights (and cut the HVAC) when no one is home, automatically returning to the previous state when we arrive back. The Nest/Yale door locks will disable the security system when I unlock the door, and the system will remind us to set the alarm when the last person leaves the house, if not already set. Stringify will briefly turn on certain lights at night if the outside cameras detect a person.
Unfortunately it's one less thing keeping me in the Apple camp. Apple's doing a good job of diminishing their lock-in, to their detriment. My Macs, iPhone, iPad and Apple TVs still play better together than anything Microsoft/Google/Amazon can do, but for the rest, Apple has pretty much lost it, IMHO.
Shame.
