First wave of HomeKit devices from Insteon, Lutron, others drop ahead of WWDC

Just under one year after HomeKit was announced and less than a week before Apple's midsummer developers conference, the first devices certified for compatibility with the iPhone maker's new home automation framework have begun to hit shelves from companies like Insteon, Lutron, and iHome.

Insteon, which makes a wide range of smart home devices, is now shipping the Insteon Hub, a $149 device that adds HomeKit support to the company's existing lineup. A new HomeKit-enabled version of the Insteon+ control app is also on the way.

Lutron, another well-known home automation company, has updated its Caseta wireless lighting systems with HomeKit support. New users can pick up a starter kit from Apple Stores for $230, while existing Caseta users can add HomeKit capability by replacing just the bridge for $119.

iHome added a new SmartPlug,Â which will be available for preorder next week. The SmartPlug can control any appliance — Â even "dumb" appliances, like lamps — via HomeKit.

Elgato, meanwhile, unveiled the the Eve lineup of environmental sensors. Eve — Â which starts at $79.99 — lets users collect data on air quality, temperature, humidity, air pressure, and energy consumption in their home. Additional sensors can monitor the status of doors and windows.

Ecobee is also in on the party, announcing that its flagship smart thermostat will gain HomeKit support later this summer. General Electric will join the fray in the future with its own line of smart bulbs.

The launches come after Apple promised that the first HomeKit-enabled products would begin shipping this month, following speculation that software problems had caused delays.

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37 Comments

notcreative

said about 8 years ago

Hmmm... interesting.... On elgato's site... "Controlling HomeKit-enabled accessories away from home requires an Apple TV (3rd generation or later) with Apple TV software 7.0 or later and an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch with iOS 8.1 or later."

douglas bailey

said about 8 years ago

My guess: Apple wanted them to wait so it could show off how they are all interconnected at the Keynote. There better be a way for us to tell Siri what we want to name each device so we can get her/him to turn these devices in and off.

ericthehalfbee

said about 8 years ago

Great timing. Now Apple can demo real devices at WWDC and developers can start coming up with new ways to utilize HomeKit. Now I wonder, who will be first developer with the killer App that will let you control devices from multiple manufacturers all seamlessly from a single App? Or perhaps Apple will show this?

gatorguy

said about 8 years ago

TechCrunch has a more detailed article of what to expect and who's doing what with HomeKit-enabled devices. http://techcrunch.com/2015/06/02/here-are-the-first-connected-home-devices-for-apples-homekit/

douglas bailey

said about 8 years ago

[quote name="EricTheHalfBee" url="/t/186533/first-wave-of-homekit-devices-from-insteon-lutron-others-drop-ahead-of-wwdc#post_2729774"]Now I wonder, who will be first developer with the killer App that will let you control devices from multiple manufacturers all seamlessly from a single App? Or perhaps Apple will show this?[/quote] Eric, Apple HAS to do that - that's the whole point of HomeKit - a single language. Maybe other developers can give it a go too but if we want to have Siri control our apps, Apple is going to want to control that experience I reckon.

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