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CES 2022: Nanoleaf Announces Plans to Support All Thread Over HomeKit Products

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Nanoleaf today announced that it plans to open up Thread support to all Thread over HomeKit products, expanding the Thread ecosystem for improved connectivity and reliability of HomeKit devices.

nanoleaf-lines-dual.jpg

With an update coming in the first quarter of 2022, Nanoleaf will enable its Thread Border Routers, which includes the Nanoleaf Shapes, Elements, and Lines, to work with all Thread over HomeKit devices. Some Thread over HomeKit devices include the Nanoleaf Essentials Bulb and Lightstrip, the Apple TV 4K, and various Thread-enabled Eve products.

Nanoleaf says that it will be the first company after Apple to open up Thread Border Routing to all Thread over HomeKit devices, paving the way for a faster and more reliable smart home. Thread technology creates a low latency mesh network between devices to cut down on dropped connections and to improve connection speeds and responsiveness. Every device that supports Thread in a smart home setup strengthens the Thread ecosystem.

The update will also allow Nanoleaf to prepare for the Matter over Thread devices that are set to launch later this year. Matter is a new connectivity standard that's meant to improve smart home device interoperability, and it is supported by Apple, Amazon, Google, Samsung, and others.

Nanoleaf says that it is working with the Connectivity Standards Alliance to build Matter support into both current and future product lineups. Nanoleaf's first Matter-compatible devices will launch in late 2022.

Article Link: CES 2022: Nanoleaf Announces Plans to Support All Thread Over HomeKit Products
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2022/01/05/nanoleaf-homekit-thread-support/
Awesome. Love my Nanoleaf A19 lights. They work perfectly with my HomePod mini. Instant response via Siri.
 
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Think|Different said:
Good to hear BUT – I don't buy smart home items on plans/is coming/in development – only real firmware updates and shipped features.
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The Essentials added Nanoleaf Thread Border Routers support via a firmware release back in June. A new firmware version 1.6.35 just dropped yesterday. Though there are no release notes yet, it may already be adding many of these features.
 
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Very happy with Nanoleaf. Got 2 essentials bulbs earlier this year and they work wonderfully and respond instantly with my Apple TV 4K as a border router. I will definitely get 2 or 3 Nanoleaf lightstrips light in the next few months to build up my Thread network. After being convinced by how good the tech is, I will (mostly) only purchase smart home products with Thread/Matter support from now on.
 
I don't have a Thread Border Router. Only 3 A19s and a light strip. Does this affect me in any way?

I've been considering whether or not to get a Thread Border Router recently. Haven't decided if I'll upgrade to the newer Apple TV 4K, get a HomePod mini, or upgrade my Eero router. But I haven't purchased anything because I'm not sure if the cost of any of those is worth faster HomeKit responsiveness because that's all I'd be getting out of the upgrade.
 
Macintosh TV said:
Awesome. Love my Nanoleaf A19 lights. They work perfectly with my HomePod mini. Instant response via Siri.
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Wait - You just made me realize Nanoleaf has A19 bulbs. Do they require a hub ? I want them to work with HomeKit.

I just bought a Philips Hue Starter Kit for my parents - maybe they could get away with cheaper Nanoleaf ?
 
RoboCop001 said:
I don't have a Thread Border Router. Only 3 A19s and a light strip. Does this affect me in any way?

I've been considering whether or not to get a Thread Border Router recently. Haven't decided if I'll upgrade to the newer Apple TV 4K, get a HomePod mini, or upgrade my Eero router. But I haven't purchased anything because I'm not sure if the cost of any of those is worth faster HomeKit responsiveness because that's all I'd be getting out of the upgrade.
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The nanoleaf light strip is a thread border router. Download the eve app and you can see your thread network devices. You will also need an ATV or Homepod mini in your network.
 
Think|Different said:
Good to hear BUT – I don't buy smart home items on plans/is coming/in development – only real firmware updates and shipped features.
Click to expand...
Obviously, you have no idea what you're doing here. Best keep it simple with regular light for you. This has already started automatically through updates over the past year. They are just making it better.
 
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ececlv said:
The nanoleaf light strip is a thread border router. Download the eve app and you can see your thread network devices. You will also need an ATV or Homepod mini in your network.
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No the light strips are NOT thread border routers, the Lines,Shapes and Elements are tho.
 
PsykX said:
Wait - You just made me realize Nanoleaf has A19 bulbs. Do they require a hub ? I want them to work with HomeKit.

I just bought a Philips Hue Starter Kit for my parents - maybe they could get away with cheaper Nanoleaf ?
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I've five Nanoleaf A19 bulbs and they work perfectly fine with HomePod mini.
 
PsykX said:
Wait - You just made me realize Nanoleaf has A19 bulbs. Do they require a hub ? I want them to work with HomeKit.

I just bought a Philips Hue Starter Kit for my parents - maybe they could get away with cheaper Nanoleaf ?
Click to expand...
They don't need a hub. They work via Bluetooth or Thread. I have a HomePod mini and it works great with them. Love walking into the living room in the morning and being able to just ask Siri to turn the lights on. Or do it via my phone or Apple Watch.

I went with them specifically because they don't require a separate hub.
 
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Macintosh TV said:
The Essentials added Nanoleaf Thread Border Routers support via a firmware release back in June. A new firmware version 1.6.35 just dropped yesterday. Though there are no release notes yet, it may already be adding many of these features.
Click to expand...
They did! And as soon as it was live and 'shipping' I bought a bunch! Too many unfulfilled promises in the smart home sector.
 
Think|Different said:
They did! And as soon as it was live and 'shipping' I bought a bunch! Too many unfulfilled promises in the smart home sector.
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That's true. Far too many saying they'll add HomeKit support and then never doing so.

Love my smart alarm system but they then made a v2 which they claimed they'd release a device to make older setups compatible with the new setup but never did. They do offer a discount to upgrade but still left a sour taste in the mouth. System works great but if I move and want to add more door and window sensors, etc, I'll need to upgrade to a new system.

Suppose much of that is the growing pains of new tech systems.
 
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thejoshuabradshaw said:
Obviously, you have no idea what you're doing here. Best keep it simple with regular light for you. This has already started automatically through updates over the past year. They are just making it better.
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LOL, okay? Utterly wrong. I only have smart bulbs in every single fixture and a bunch of Nanoleaf products, Hue, Meross, Logitech, the list goes on...Things happen, though, and a LOT of people have been burned by future update promises in the smart home area. You jumping to some weird conclusion and saying I "obviously" I have no idea what I am doing here is comedy if you aren't aware of broken promises in this space, despite Nanoleaf's good track record.
 
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Think|Different said:
Good to hear BUT – I don't buy smart home items on plans/is coming/in development – only real firmware updates and shipped features.
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This is actually a valid point about how you said ‘plans’. They’re two different things between actually having a manufactured product available or shortly there after, and something that may or may not happen. I don’t think some of the other posters (Including myself) caught that in a thread title like you did.
 
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ececlv said:
I have one. Shows up as a thread border router.
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Negative. You have a Thread router. In a Thread network, you have three kinds of devices. Thread border routers, routers, and endpoints. Border routers, such as a HomePod mini or ATV4K 2021, joins a Thread network to a LAN via Wi-Fi and/or Ethernet. A thread router routes data only over the Thread network. Thread endpoints connect to either a thread router or border router but it does not route any data.

The Nanoleaf Essential light strip only has Thread and Bluetooth and therefore can only route data on the thread network as a Thread router.

I could be mistaken, but a Thread network can only exist if there is an existing border router. At least this is the case when dealing with HomeKit.
 
axcess99 said:
Am I overlooking some sort of "sponsored" disclaimer? I don't get why everything this company does seems to make the front page. It was a barely interesting homekit appliance the first time.
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Cudos to the MacRumors team for all their work, but I sure hope that Nanoleaf is sponsoring because the space they get is ludicrous.
 
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matsmak said:
Cudos to the MacRumors team for all their work, but I sure hope that Nanoleaf is sponsoring because the space they get is ludicrous.
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I have no idea what you mean by ‘Space’. Nano leaf has been reported on this site for years. (Actually, at least five years if I recall correctly.) Their product branding has grown a lot, and I remember when they started at CES, they were really unheard of and now they are becoming more ‘main stream’ for customization just outside the tech circle.
 
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