I am being very general and vague here as I really am unsure what the HomeKit has to offer. Ideally, I would like thermostat, doorbell/video, and have no idea what else it might be able to do.
Would an old iPad be a good home for the "hub?"...If so how far back can I go on iPad model? I also have an ATV available but would it be able to run headless? Any help would be appreciated. Again I know I am being vague but really would appreciate input from those who have a set up and can make recommendations.
cheers
Michael
Technically, you don't need a hub to use the Apple Home app, but it opens up some possibilities and gives you remote access if you're not home. It all depends on what you want to do, and there are lots of options out there.
On your iPhone, iPad, or Mac, you have a Home app. In this app, you can link a variety of smart home products that support Apple Home. You can buy Philips Hue Light Bulbs and control them from the Apple Home app instead of using the Hue app. This comes in handy when you have multiple products from different companies. Maybe you have Hue bulbs but you buy an LED light strip from NanoLeaf. You can control both of them in the Home app.
In my use case, I have a video doorbell, smart lock, smart bulbs, LED light strips and smart switches all linked to the Apple Home app.
Having an Apple Home Hub, either an Apple TV or a HomePod, allows you to set up various scenes. From there, you can start setting up automations, schedules, etc. I had a motion sensor set to turn on a specific light strip when motion was detected. I also have a few Wemo Stage controllers, which is basically, a three button remote control that looks like a light switch. You can program those three buttons to control any device or scene. At Christmas, one button turns on the Christmas tree smart plug as well as a variety of other decorative items hooked up to smart plugs. You can get really creative with it.
Having said all of that, if you just want a video doorbell and a smart thermostat, you can use them without using Apple Home.
I found the Tapo doorbell is a great option, as it has local storage so you don't have to pay a monthly subscription fee. Everything is saved to a local SD card.
For a thermostat, I really like the Ecobee. I use mine through the Ecobee app, but I can also control it from the Apple Home app.
Hope that helps a little bit.
