Initially don't think it will be that useful. It might improve in the future. Home cameras from Apple if launched, should work well along with this rumoured device. As for the price, expecting it to be a minimum $199. Will be good if it comes in various colours. But very probable that it might be limited to silver and black only.
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Apple's Smart Home Command Center: What We Know So Far
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Ok so I will pay premium price for an Apple Remote control that will be in one room when I have the functions on my phone my watch my iPad wherever I am included outside my home?!!!! Euhhhhh is this going to be release on April fool ?
We need a soundbar first and foremost please, a super aTV for better gaming experience in par with the competition, a mobile HomePod to carry around, a camera with better integration with HomeKit and Siri when it will be intelligent to help me around like Alexa … thank you …
We need a soundbar first and foremost please, a super aTV for better gaming experience in par with the competition, a mobile HomePod to carry around, a camera with better integration with HomeKit and Siri when it will be intelligent to help me around like Alexa … thank you …
How about fixing HomePod bugs first. I can no longer connect to my HomePods via iPads.
I don’t need or want this. Just make Siri work well. I already have several HomePods around the place so Siri is always in hearing range. There’s nothing I want to do that cannot be done with voice. That’s assuming Siri actually had a brain and Apple delivers on their promise of a contextually aware and genuinely useful voice assistant.
Just hoping Apple doesnt forget that the main competition for a home controller is the phone.
The one thing that in my opinion will be killer would be wheels, a moveable cam & a speaker/mic.
Basically an iPad on wheels. iSentry
The one thing that in my opinion will be killer would be wheels, a moveable cam & a speaker/mic.
Basically an iPad on wheels. iSentry
Most if not all "leaks" are likely intentional; simply another component of Apple marketing. Keeping users interested, testing the waters, etc.
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Expect a $trillion dollar company to present all kinds of products with varying degrees of sales success. Each new product is a learning experience on a path to maintaining the world's largest tech company. Many new products will not be short term sales successes.
Maybe the product is just not for you. This is the first Apple product I’ve been excited about in a long time, maybe since the first AirPod pro and it would be a day 1 buy for me (provided it doesn’t only come in those colors in the render here).
Just build a front end for Zigbee.
Hubitat is years ahead of Apple in functionality, Apple need to make it easier for the masses. But Zigbee is the way to go.
hey maybe some apple employees will finally run homekit and realize how bad the experience can be and fix it again again
zwave doesnt use 2.4, zigbee does
hubitat is good and integrates with homekit. a hubitat and homebridge are def the way to go.
not a bad way to use homekit UI and zigbee/zwave devices in a simple/stable setup
as for matter? it still doesnt matter.
dont bother - avoid. trust me
👆This. If Apple made this reasonably priced at $100-$200, this would definitely be a use scenario. I've been trying to train my parents to look at the doorbell camera before opening the door, and then my father just went and opened the door today. 🤦♂️
And, while I don't disagree with the people saying that their iPhone is a natural device to interact with HomeKit, how many people walk around with their phones all the time at home? I leave usually leave my phone lying around. Apple watch would be a slightly different story, but the interface is too small, especially for older people.
I do think Apple needs a device that has a visual interface and is at an affordable price point in order to break into the home market. I initially thought that HomeKit devices would create demand, but as I added smart devices, I realized that it needed to have an "interface". Siri with its verbal commands worked for me (even with its shortcomings), but it has been difficult to get buy in from other family members. So, a visual interface which can take verbal commands would seem the logical evolution. But, price is major issue because people would need to buy one for almost every room of their home. (And, Apple, you need to work on having the devices negotiate which is the "primary" device! I find it absolutely frustrating to speak to Siri on my iPhone and have the HomePod mini respond. This problem will get much worse if/when we have many of these interface devices at home.)
It is a no win situation for Cook. While I don't disagree with your assessment of him "playing it safe", when he has pushed for something innovative like the Apple Vision Pro or Apple Car, he faces criticism for going in a direction that people aren't interested in.
I personally have no problems with Apple trying to push the envelope into new areas, and sometimes it works, but usually it fails. I do think Vision Pro is innovative for all of the technology that it does incorporate, but it faces limitations of what technology can do at this point in time. I also think that we Apple fans/loyalists remain stuck on the "showmanship" of Jobs, and Cook delivers the innovation in smaller increments, which in the real world balances the wants/needs of customers with those of shareholders better.
HomeKit has been around with so many things to improve and relatively few compatible devices. Can't even do a delayed switching.
Cameras pan and tilt isn't supported yet. Light strips are limited to solid colors instead of gradients or dynamic effects, ironic since we all know just how much Apple loves 🌈😁
I wouldn't spend another home gadget specifically for HomeKit until things improved.
Cameras pan and tilt isn't supported yet. Light strips are limited to solid colors instead of gradients or dynamic effects, ironic since we all know just how much Apple loves 🌈😁
I wouldn't spend another home gadget specifically for HomeKit until things improved.
Just one thing, maybe. It would be a Thread "Border Router".
A thread router, practically speaking has to be stationary and not mobile. There is actually no requirement that it remain at a fixed location. But in practice, it must not be moving around.
So using an iPad would not work will. you need a cheaper device that is wall mounted or fixed to a table top with an AC power cord. iPads will be moved. or worse taken out of the house.
So this thing should be cheap. It has no battery and can use a low-end processor. It will be VERY hard for Apple to compete with a $99 Amazon device.
If they were cheap enough, I would replace all my wall switches with a 6" LCD touchscreen. I have one now made my a Chinese no-name brand. I use it as a light switch. One thing it does is turn off ALL the upstairs lights, and bathroom fans, and heaters with one tap.
I could use an iPad or iPhone for this but they are not AC-powered and cost too much. I don't want a $400 light switch. And I don't want a battery-powered switch or even a cord to a charger. Switches need to be powered by the power inside the junction box The screen I use costs about $60 and mounts to a standard electrical box.
An iPad has a nice screen but is not a good fit for this use case.
This is what I use. It is a $40 device with a touch screen and two physical buttons and is AC-powered from the wall. I reflash the firmware with custom software from the Home Assistant project. This is not something most consumers could do but it does show that the hardware can be made for a good price. https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256805135121168.html
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Works for me all the time, What the issue? It was certainly shaky on older watches.
If Apple makes a video doorbell as an accessory for this then I'm so in.
IMHO, this could be an amazing success as a project or another Apple flop.
And it's 99% down to how they price it.
Sadly we know that those inside Apple obviously have a very different view on "Affordable" and what people are willing to pay for an Apple product, and that's been mostly distorted in their minds by iPhone sales.
If they price it well then it could be the next home thing hundreds of millions want.
If they price it stupidly then it will sit alongside the Vison Pro in a few homes only.
It has to be priced a LOT lower than the lowest iPad, otherwise the "why not just buy an iPad" and "This iPad is a whole computer/device" argument will be the main part of all the reviews upon launch.
$199 and it might stand a chance.
$249 perhaps.
Higher than that I fear is too steep for just an additional device people don't really need.
And it's 99% down to how they price it.
Sadly we know that those inside Apple obviously have a very different view on "Affordable" and what people are willing to pay for an Apple product, and that's been mostly distorted in their minds by iPhone sales.
If they price it well then it could be the next home thing hundreds of millions want.
If they price it stupidly then it will sit alongside the Vison Pro in a few homes only.
It has to be priced a LOT lower than the lowest iPad, otherwise the "why not just buy an iPad" and "This iPad is a whole computer/device" argument will be the main part of all the reviews upon launch.
$199 and it might stand a chance.
$249 perhaps.
Higher than that I fear is too steep for just an additional device people don't really need.
I like it. With face recog it will be secure - mostly.
Apple is working on a new Home accessory that is designed to serve as a central hub or "Command Center" for smart home management. The Apple TV and the HomePod are already home hubs and almost all Apple devices can control a HomeKit setup, but Apple is designing an all-in-one home management product to make control even easier.
This guide aggregates everything that we know about Apple's smart home hub.
Design
Apple's upcoming smart home product will somewhat resemble an iPad, and it will have an all-display design. It is expected to be square rather than rectangular, and it will measure in at six inches with thick bezels around the edges.
In terms of size, it will look similar to two iPhones that are side-by-side, and it will be small and lightweight to allow it to be moved from room to room. The device will support touch input for opening apps and controlling connected devices.
It will be able to be mounted on a wall, but Apple is also designing a dock that it can slot into that will let it sit on a table or desk. The desktop base could include additional speakers for playing music.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has suggested that the smart home device will have a hemispherical base similar to the iMac G4, with the small screen positioned at an angle on the base.
The original iMac G4
Built-in speakers will be included, and it will have a camera on the front for FaceTime and video calls, along with a rechargeable battery. Apple is planning two colors, including silver and black.
Sensors
The smart home hub will be able to determine how close a person is standing to it, adjusting features from there. When no one is nearby, for example, it might show the temperature, but as someone approaches, it could shift to an interface for adjusting the thermostat.
Person detection will likely allow it to be used in smart home automations for doing things like turning on the lights when someone enters a room. The sensor might be able to tell one person from another, and it could recognize hand gestures for longer range control.
Apple is also considering extra sensors that would plug into outlets throughout the home to interface with the hub, but it is not clear if these will be manufactured.
Chip
Apple's upcoming smart home accessory is expected to use an A18 chip for Apple Intelligence support. Given that Apple Intelligence requires 8GB RAM minimum, it will have at least 8GB RAM.
Interface
Apple does not plan to create a dedicated App Store for the home hub, but it will come with several apps pre-installed. The main view will be a customizable home screen with widgets that can show the weather, important home controls, photo slideshows, upcoming events, and more.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has described the interface as a mix between watchOS and the iPhone's StandBy mode. A software-based dock will be available for launching various apps, and it will support Siri.
Apple is planning to integrate Siri with Apple Intelligence for accessing and performing tasks in apps. By the time the device launches, the smarter version of Siri will be available, and will be able to control apps and tasks.
There will be a focus on controlling smart home products and also security, with Apple providing alerts and camera footage from connected smart home cameras.
Apps
Several Apple apps will be installed even though there won't be a dedicated App Store. Apps that are rumored:
- Safari
- Apple News
- Apple Music
- Notes
- Calendar
- Photos
- Home
Intercom
More than one of the devices can be used throughout the home, and two or more can serve as room-to-room intercoms.
AirPlay
With its built-in speakers, the device will support music playback and it will be able to work as an AirPlay receiver.
Future Smart Home Accessories
Apple is reportedly considering creating its own line of smart home accessories like an indoor security camera, but the company wants to see how the hub device does first. If that's successful, Apple could prioritize smart home products.
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo thinks Apple is already working on a smart home camera that will be manufactured starting in 2026. Kuo says that Apple will sell "tens of millions" of these devices over the long term, with wireless connectivity and deep integration with Siri and Apple Intelligence planned.
Apple could have an edge with security cameras because of its focus on privacy. Privacy would be a focus, providing an alternative to cameras from companies like Ring and Nest.
Pricing
It's not clear what Apple will price the device at, but Amazon's similarly sized Echo Show costs $90. By keeping the display size small at six inches, Apple may be able to keep the price low and competitive with similar products.
Competition
An Apple-designed smart home management product with an integrated display would compete with other smart home devices from companies like Facebook, Amazon, and Google. Facebook, for example, makes the Meta Portal, a device that can control Alexa-based products and that allows for video calls with friends and family.
Amazon makes the Echo Show, a smart display with a speaker that comes in sizes up to 21 inches. It can be used for controlling smart home products, watching video, making calls, and more. Google offers the Nest Hub Max for streaming content, listening to music, and controlling products that integrate with the Google smart home system.
With almost all of Apple's major competitors offering an in-home device that is designed to serve as a hub for controlling smart home products and making calls, it's not hard to imagine a similar device from Apple.
Launch Date
Apple's upcoming iPad-like smart home accessory could be released as soon as early 2025.
Article Link: Apple's Smart Home Command Center: What We Know So Far
I think it could (if pricing is appropriate - maybe quantity discounts) do well in like, airport gate waiting areas, motels, even at diner booths. Charge for 30 minutes FaceTime with the boss while you and honey bunny case the joint. The thing will need to accommodate a bicycle lock LOL.
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If Apple doesn’t intend to create a dedicated home command hub app store (say that ten times fast), this implies new apps for it may be downloaded using the current App Store, in which case these apps might also run on iPhones and iPads, which would be nice and maybe the most sensible thing from the user’s perspective.
But Apple might see this as eating into the new hub’s sales, so maybe they intend the only apps to be available for it will be those they include at launch and which they add later with updates to the hub's OS, justifying it in the name of security—in other words, no third-party apps as we think of them, making it locked down like the first year of the original iPhone. During that year, to keep greater control of the iPhone, Jobs wanted all third-party apps to take the form of Safari-based web apps, hosted on the internet and not downloadable or installed directly on the iPhone. I don’t know how well that would work for a home command hub, but it sounds even more hinky now than it did then, so that seems doubtful.
But Apple might see this as eating into the new hub’s sales, so maybe they intend the only apps to be available for it will be those they include at launch and which they add later with updates to the hub's OS, justifying it in the name of security—in other words, no third-party apps as we think of them, making it locked down like the first year of the original iPhone. During that year, to keep greater control of the iPhone, Jobs wanted all third-party apps to take the form of Safari-based web apps, hosted on the internet and not downloadable or installed directly on the iPhone. I don’t know how well that would work for a home command hub, but it sounds even more hinky now than it did then, so that seems doubtful.
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Everybody I know that works in tech avoids this stuff like the plague. So much of it over promises and under delivers.