LightwaveRF Unveils New HomeKit-Enabled Accessories With UK Compatibility

[MacRumors]

U.K. smart home solutions provider LightwaveRF announced on Monday that its forthcoming product range, which includes a light dimmer and smart socket, will be fully compatible with Apple's HomeKit platform.

On October 3, LightwaveRF will launch its new Generation 2 Link Plus smart hub, Smart Dimmers, Smart Sockets, and a Smart Radiator Valve. The Link Plus connects to a Wi-Fi router and controls the LightwaveRF smart home system for lighting, heating, power and security.

"This is a further exciting development for LightwaveRF," said chief executive officer Andrew Pearson. "We look forward to working with Apple as a HomeKit technical partner and a supplier to its retail outlets. The exposure and awareness from this partnership should enhance our market visibility and greatly benefit our customers via easier management of their smart home solutions. We look forward to expanding our relationship with Apple as we launch further HomeKit compatible devices for both the UK and international markets."

The new LightwaveRF range is said to be the result of a two-year research and development program, with new features of the system including built-in energy monitoring, color-changing LEDs to indicate status, and wire-free two-way switching.

The new range will be sold in the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates through Apple retail stores, online via Apple.com, and other chosen retail outlets.

Article Link: LightwaveRF Unveils New HomeKit-Enabled Accessories With UK Compatibility

 

[rikscha]

Awesome ! Finally a HomeKit switch.

 

[Vado]

Really looking forward to these products. I was going to invest in LightwaveRF products a few years ago and now glad I held off for compatibility.

The UK has been lagging behind the US in HomeKit product availability and these products definitely fill in some gaps.

 

[GaryMumford]

Great, but way too expensive.
£40 for a 2 gang plug socket.
£55 for a single radiator valve
£45 for a 1 gang dimmer
£70 for a 2 gang dimmer switch
£130 for a 4 gang dimmer switch

 

[OllyW]

Great, but way too expensive.

I guessed as much as soon as I read...

The new range will be sold in the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates through Apple retail stores, online via Apple.com, and other chosen retail outlets.

 

[Vado]

Great, but way too expensive.
£40 for a 2 gang plug socket.
£55 for a single radiator valve
£45 for a 1 gang dimmer
£70 for a 2 gang dimmer switch
£130 for a 4 gang dimmer switch

£40 for a 2 gang socket I think would be fairly reasonable actually, considering the Elgato Eve Energy HomeKit plug adapter is £45 and that's just for a single socket. I'd happily outfit my home going room by room when funds allow.

 

[Urbanpixels]

£40 for a 2 gang socket I think would be fairly reasonable actually, considering the Elgato Eve Energy HomeKit plug adapter is £45 and that's just for a single socket. I'd happily outfit my home going room by room when funds allow.

I've had lightwave in my house for a while now. The system is very good and it's much cheaper than other alternatives.

The wall sockets and switches look just like normal switches without ugly plug in units or even more upmarket like Lutron. Im very happy with it.

The v2 is going to be interesting with Feedback, thats one let down of the v1 but it's not much of a problem. I hope the new link is compatible with older units! that way Siri can control the older units.

 

[Vado]

I've had lightwave in my house for a while now. The system is very good and it's much cheaper than other alternatives.

The wall sockets and switches look just like normal switches without ugly plug in units or even more upmarket like Lutron. Im very happy with it.

The v2 is going to be interesting with Feedback, thats one let down of the v1 but it's not much of a problem. I hope the new link is compatible with older units! that way Siri can control the older units.

Sorry to deliver bad news but unfortunately the older Switches and Sockets aren't HomeKit compatible. While the older Radiator Valves are.

The new hub can control the older non-HomeKit equipment and they'll work through Lightwaves own app they just won't work within the Apple Home app or have Siri control.

 

[Urbanpixels]

Sorry to deliver bad news but unfortunately the older Switches and Sockets aren't HomeKit compatible. While the older Radiator Valves are.

The new hub can control the older non-HomeKit equipment and they'll work through Lightwaves own app they just won't work within the Apple Home app or have Siri control.

Thats a shame, you'd expect the new Link to pass commands onto the switches which it can already control. That sounds like a bad effort.

 

[lellis2k]

Sorry to deliver bad news but unfortunately the older Switches and Sockets aren't HomeKit compatible. While the older Radiator Valves are.

The new hub can control the older non-HomeKit equipment and they'll work through Lightwaves own app they just won't work within the Apple Home app or have Siri control.

This doesn't seem to make sense, if the new hub can control the old equipment, and it can talk to HomeKit, why wouldn't we be able to talk to the hub via HomeKit and it then pass the control message onto the equipment?

 

[m11rphy]

This doesn't seem to make sense, if the new hub can control the old equipment, and it can talk to HomeKit, why wouldn't we be able to talk to the hub via HomeKit and it then pass the control message onto the equipment?

My understanding is that's the old light wave switches only supports one way communication, so the hub can turn on the switch, but the switch can't let the hub know that it's on. The new switches support to way communication

 

[d4zza]

This comes literally a week after I ditched my LightwaveRF kit for being slow to develop products.

The app, whilst having many more functions than other home automation systems, does look horrendous though. They'd maybe have kept me if it'd been made more aesthetically pleasing.

 

[CarpalMac]

I invested in a lot of Lrf on/off sockets over two years ago. If I could summarise them in one word it would be: disappointed.

The apps (android + iOS) until very recently have had a terribly complicated, buggy UI and would be incredibly unreliable during day to day use. When I pressed on/off it was a lotto as to whether or not it would work. Over time I've reduced down to three plugs now which have had timers setup, which I don't touch for fear breaking the setup. The new app is better but very far from being intuitive.

Hopefully things will continue to improve, if they fail then all the devices will stop working I'd expect. The biggest Achilles heel of all this devices for me is the reliance on 3rd party servers.

 

[prowlmedia]

I invested in a lot of Lrf on/off sockets over two years ago. If I could summarise them in one word it would be: disappointed.

The apps (android + iOS) until very recently have had a terribly complicated, buggy UI and would be incredibly unreliable during day to day use. When I pressed on/off it was a lotto as to whether or not it would work. Over time I've reduced down to three plugs now which have had timers setup, which I don't touch for fear breaking the setup. The new app is better but very far from being intuitive.

Hopefully things will continue to improve, if they fail then all the devices will stop working I'd expect. The biggest Achilles heel of all this devices for me is the reliance on 3rd party servers.

With HomeKit support you shouldn't have to install another app at all... these should be just installed and seen by HomeKit.

My issue is LightwaveRF is it's own standard and not compatible with open systems like Zigbee or z-wave so can't be used with smart things etc.

As it stands HomeKit Doesn't have enough 'Automation' - it's more home control.

 

[efp1]

I just spoke with a salesperson at lightwaverf. The starter kit which includes the hub and a 2 gang socket is priced at £185. A separate 2 gang socket (no hub) is priced at £60. Seems crazy that they're pricing the hub at £125?