Like the smart home What is a smart home? What is a smart home? We recently launched a Smart Home category on MakeUseOf, but what is a smart home? The Read More scene is set, everyone's been waiting to see what Apple's HomeKit will bring to the table, and we finally saw it during this year's Consumer Electronics Show. Here are some of the most exciting products we've seen and some tips to make sure you can use HomeKit with as many devices as possible.
A quick note before we get started:If you want to use Siri with HomeKit-enabled devices while away from your home network, you'll need Apple TV Apple TV Review and Giveaway Apple TV Review and Giveaway Apple introduced its set- the best digital media player in 2007, and is currently in its third hardware generation. Read More Inside your home, you won't need an Apple TV.
You may be wondering what a smart home hub is. Battle of the Smart Home Hubs:What's Out There and What's Next? Battle of the Smart Home Hubs:What's Out There and What's Next? Read More is at the top of the list when most HomeKit items don't need a hub, but Insteon's offering makes all of its existing products HomeKit-compatible. This means you can already equip your entire home, from plugs and sockets to thermostats and locks, with devices that will work with HomeKit. That is something that not many companies can offer..
The Insteon app, since it's based on HomeKit, can also control any other HomeKit devices you have in your house. All of this makes the Insteon Hub a killer at a price of $150 (you can order from the Insteon website).
While the Nest currently rules the smart thermostat space, Honeywell is going after it in a big way with the Lyric, which will receive HomeKit support in the near future. As with other smart thermostats, you can control it from your phone and let it learn how to control the temperature in your home for optimal energy savings.
One of the coolest features of Lyric is that Honeywell is designing it to work well with the Apple Watch Apple Reinvents The Watch, introduces the iPhone 6, offers a free U2 album, and more... [Tech News Digest] Apple Reinvents The Watch, reveals iPhone 6, offers free U2 album, and more… [Tech News Digest] Also, other non-Apple related tech news. Honest. Learn more:You'll be able to control your thermostat from your wrist, get a quick snapshot of the temperature in your home, and even use geofencing to activate Out of Town mode with a single touch when you're not home. You can buy the Lyric now for $215, and the Apple Watch will likely arrive sometime this April.
There are plenty of smart home IP cameras out there, but Withings has created one that stands out from the crowd. HomeKit HomeKit packages, environmental sensors, a 12-hour time-lapse view in the app, and the ability to send alerts to your phone advise you on what to do if there are changes in environmental quality. It even has voice control and a night vision mode.
Between the home monitoring capabilities, HomeKit compatibility, and the great aesthetics of the Withings Home, it looks like a serious contender for the title of best IP camera for your smart home. You can buy it for $200, which is not out of the standard price range for an IP camera.
Schlage is one of the big names when it comes to locks, and they seem eager to make a mark on the smart lock. Forget Keys:5 Smart Locks You Can Unlock With Your Phone Forget Keys:5 Smart Locks You Can Unlock With Your Phone Here are 5 different locks you can unlock with your phone. Read more space, too. Its first Bluetooth lock, the Sense, will be HomeKit compatible, and will also include a touchscreen keypad so you can unlock the door if you don't have your phone. However, when you do have it, you can program the Sense to unlock when you approach the door.
Siri also interacts with Sense:she'll be able to ask if her door is locked and she'll tell you, which will be great when you go to work and can't remember if she locked the door. No word on pricing or release date yet, but this is going to be a pretty good lock.
Incipio makes a wide range of products, but its newest entries in the smart home category seem to be good for starting your smart home with HomeKit. The Wireless Smart Outlet is just like other smart plugs 6 Smart Plugs That Aren't Belkin WeMo 6 Smart Plugs That Aren't Belkin WeMo Read More:You can control it from your phone. It only takes up one slot in a wall outlet, and at $25, its price is very modest. The Wireless Smart Power Strip ($60) integrates one smart plug with three standard ones, letting you power four devices and control one from your phone.
You may not think of smart home products when you think of Incipio, but its HomeKit-compatible power solutions seem to be great for smart home newcomers. Start Your Smart Home With 4 Easy Projects Start Your Smart Home With 4 Easy Projects Create a Smart home may sound like a big undertaking, and it can be hard to know where to start. But it is not as difficult as you may think! Read More They also debuted a light bulb adapter that lets you control any light bulb in your house from your phone, which is more cost-effective than buying all new smart lamps. All of these products are listed as "coming soon" on the incipio website.
If you're looking to create a smart home that works well with your Apple products, these HomeKit-enabled devices are a good way to go. It's also worth keeping in mind that while Apple is looking to make HomeKit work with many devices, there are some that won't.
Bridge products will make Z-wave and Zigbee products work with HomeKit, but products that use Wi-Fi to communicate, like the Nest Thermostat, won't be able to pair with HomeKit. Some Bluetooth controlled devices will work, but only those that don't offer control over the home, so will likely be limited to sensors.
If you want to get into HomeKit, you'd better check that the product you want is compatible. Three of the biggest names missing from the list are Nest, WeMo, and SmartThings. While Belkin has announced plans to try to make WeMo products compatible with HomeKit, we don't know of any timeline. And don't hold your breath on Nest—Apple and Google don't tend to play nice. As for SmartThings, we'll have to wait and see, although initial reports suggest it may.
Planning to use HomeKit to control your smart home? What devices are you most excited about? What are you going to buy first? Share your thoughts below!
