Apple's HomeKit accessory list updated with new Ecobee 4 thermostat, more devices shipping
Mike Wuerthele
Apple has updated its curated page of HomeKit-compatible devices, notably adding the as-yet unreleased Ecobee4 Smart Thermostat, and removing a Bluetooth extender and a Lightwave to HomeKit bridge.
The highlight of the changes on the Apple-hosted page is the addition of the Ecobee4 Smart Thermostat. Ecobee put up a teaser page on April 24 heralding the impending release of the product containing no actual details about it, other than a blue LED light on the top of the case.
An assortment of products from Koogeek have been added to the list, with most of them repurposed devices for markets outside of the U.S. However, also listed is the Koogeek P2 Smartplug, which appears to be a new design of the older product — if not yet announced formally by the company.
Notable for its absence on Apple's list is the ConnectSense Bluetooth Extender. Announced in January, the device bridges shorter-ranged Bluetooth Low Energy connections to a wi-fi network, allowing for remote control of those devices. It is not clear why the product has been removed, and it is still listed as "coming soon" on the ConnectSense website.
Also stricken from the list is the LightwaveRF Link 2. There is little actual information about the product, but on April 18, the company said on Facebook that HomeKit integration was "currently in development" and it was "contractually obliged not to release any more information" on the the product.
Other changes include the availability of the Leviton Decora series of dimmer switches, and the iLuv Rainbow8 smart bulbs.
Introduced in 2014, HomeKit allows users to connect to a variety of compatible so-called "internet of things" devices through the iOS Home app in conjunction with each other, as opposed to a series of disconnected interfaces. The addition of Siri control to HomeKit allows for complicated sequences of events to be induced from an iOS device or a Mac running Sierra.
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12 Comments
Wonder if this will change since Ecobee now has competitor Amazon Echo built in for voice command.
ConnectSense has zero customer support. I emailed them several times about their units losing connectivity and I never got a reply. The chances of a unit working is about 20% at this time.
The Tado homekit compatible hub is still not shipping to customers, Q2 2017 was the latest date from Tado. It's been "awaiting Apple approval" for as long as I can remember.