Thanks to a pulled page at iMore, we learn that a number of Apple HomeKit products are now available for order, with others on tap… including a new player in this realm: Elgato. Will this be enough to smooth the rough edges and finally start pushing home automation beyond the geeky fringes, into the mainstream?
Now:
- Insteon Hub ($150)
- Lutron Hub ($120)
- Elgato Eve sensors ($40-80)
Soon:
- Updated ecobee3 smart thermostat
- iHome SmartPlug
While I’ve been a big Lutron fan for years, I’m not sure I need their hub in the mix given a broad range of competing switches, their integration with other hubs, and more specifically an inability to sidemount their Serena shades on windows wider than 40″. They would have owned me with a more flexible window solution. Insteon, on the other hand, is very appealing these given those lighted keypads — thinking through the various permutations… hm! ecobee integration could also be key – not sure *Google’s* Nest, who wants to own the ecoysytem, would ever link into HomeKit. And I really do want to dump my Nest for several reasons.
New Lutron Hub at Home Depot http://www.homedepot.com/p/Lutron-Caseta-Wireless-Smart-Bridge-with-Home-Kit-Enabled-L-BDG2-WH/206148281
Looks like it’s shipping next week.
Dave, the great thing about HomeKit will be the fact that you can mix/match all these systems together instead of being tied to one hub to rule them all. :-)
Thanks… my search skills are failing, I hadn’t been able to find it. Added the link above.
Regarding Hubs, there’s only so many boxes I want on the shelf and only so much money growing on trees. If you use Insteon devices, you for sure need an Insteon hub in the mix. If you use Lutron devices, you have other options. Although will not tie directly into HomeKit, unless Wink or Staples Connect bring similar capabilities. With HomeKit, for anything Bluetooth or WiFi, the phone could be a/the hub…
Both the Lutron and Insteon hubs look interesting to me. I don’t know if I should jump in or wait for reviews from places I trust (like this place). I have both a Harmony Home Ultimate, Roomie Remote license, Staples Connect and an Amazon Echo on the way next week. All of them have their advantages but I want to see which one can integrate everything (lights, cameras, photos, video, music etc) together reliably through phone, television, remote and/or voice.
The AppleTV could be a great hub for HomeKit Bluetooth devices too ;-) https://twitter.com/adammiarka/status/605711965789519872
If this finally gives me the ability to use Pico remotes to control Insteon devices (and Insteon keypads to control other, third-party devices), count me in. Oh, who am I kidding? I was going to jump on this anyway.
Yes, and with more permanence Adam…
ensaburnur, it’s a bit, uh, chaotic out there right now. The best agnostic hub at the moment is Staples Connect, but one of my pals who’s had constant issues has been told by the company to use fewer connected devices. What? Harmony is getting real interesting with the linkages to some key players like Hue, Nest, and Sonos. My remaining Echo can do a lot, but I’m still not sold. Debating whether or not I flip it. I love my new Netgear Arlo cameras, but they’re currently silo-ed. As is my Kevo smartlock.
I’ve been following your experience in automation very carefully and I don’t like all the siloed devices. I know that I will have to choose an ecosystem and Apple’s Homekit seems to be the best solution for me, right now. It’s hard to imagine that Staples Connect, Logitech’s Harmony line won’t join HomeKit soon.
Although the Echo is kinda siloed, it did impress me with being able to turn on/off lights so reliably in the video demos I’ve seen on YouTube and doing it without the need of a phone or tablet at all! That is what got me to request one. My automation needs are not very complex, so I really want lights, audio/video, thermostat and door locks right now. The rest is gravy. But again, the killer feature for me is being able to control everything reliably through voice control, even without a phone, tablet or remote!
ensaburnur, iOS does support the “Hey Siri” if the device is plugged in. That would give you the hands free voice control like the Echo.
I am about to gut my kitchen and replace all of the lighting. I am going to have to jump in sooner then I wanted too but this is the time to do it. It would be nice to have the lights geofenced so they come on when I get home based upon my phone.
@Dave, Geofenceing is missing from nest which is one of my main issues. I just got the skylark app for the IPhone to set geo-fence for auto away and return home. They offer a two week free trial the app cost $5 per nest not phone I think but I am still in the trial. So far so good.
Ugh… so mad at Lutron right now. What a disappointment that the hub I spent $140 six months ago is now out dated.
Any-who, just wanted to chime in here and say that the Lutron app and Insteon app both control Nest. So, I’d be curious to know if Siri can then can control it by proxy.
@ uhh Adam… :-)
Feel your pain. I bought the “older” hub back in December. Will probably sell on Amazon to fund purchase of the new hub. In my opinion, the Lutron app is one of the best ones out there for lighting. We all know how much of a mess the Hue app is. If Lutron requires updating the hub, I’m guessing Hue will as well.
ensaburnur, I’m not the biggest Echo fan but it’s not silo-ed and its range is growing pretty rapidly. It has basic Hue control at this point (zone on/off/brightness percent) and IFFT linkages. And thu IFFT a ton more is available, like Nest. I assume more native stuff is on the way, given things that have been said and their demonstrated rapid development clip (Google Calendar integration just popped).
My Echo is in the bedroom, but my main bank of Hue lights are in the family room. So I keep the physical Amazon Echo remote control downstairs on the couch – click the mic and say ‘dim family room to 40%’ or similar. I can’t get to my scenes (yet?) but it’s pretty cool even if always have my iPhone on the couch too…
Joe, I’ve yet to have any good geofencing experiences. Maybe it’s me.
Geofencing is a serious issue with every system I have tried. And the solution I am currently using (Staples Connect) does not even offer the ability to do it. I can not understand how a simple bluetooth prox sensor/keychain or bluetooth enabled phone cannot let the house know when I am home/away? Staples connect says it has Bluetooth 4.0 but are there any devices that even use the protocol on SC? Even easier; why can’t the Connect hub be set to home/away when it senses my phone connected/disconnected to my home network? These questions do not just apply to Staples but to all of the automation ecosystems out there. Too many questions not enough answers.
@Zach
If you’re on Android, you can set up Tasker+AutoInput to control your Staples Connect system (tutorial linked above). Tasker will let you set up location triggers using GPS or cell tower location. And, you can do standalone and complex triggers that include connectivity to WiFi networks.
For me, the WiFi connectivity isn’t very reliable though, going on and off unpredictably at home. So, I’m using GPS+network right now.
First the first time, I’m glad I waited. I wanted to buy a Insteon Hub and an Ecobee months ago, and now both are being replaced with HomeKit versions. Really have my hopes up that Apple is going to solve the balkinization of HA. Right I just have Insteon switches and an older ISY99 as a controller, looking forward to diving head first into HomeKit when things finally hit the street.
Somewhat related, MySmartBlinds are exepcted to ship towards the end of the year (because all Kickstarters are delayed). I’d really, really love to get our master bedroom and office windows controlled by a single smartphone app and, as mentioned above, Lutron’s Serena can’t do it.
http://www.mysmartblinds.com/
Adam, I’m eager to see what Siri can do in the smart home. Hopefully, they’ll show something next week at WWDC. Even though they won’t show a new TV service, I hope they’ll show some compelling smarthome demos of what’s coming soon.
Dave, I know that the Echo is not really siloed. I’m just hoping that it will integrate with my Harmony, Staples Connect, or even HomeKit. Or vice versa. I want to do what you describe with your Hue lights but what happens if another family member turns off the hue lights at the light switch on the wall? Do you lose the functionality to operate the lights with your phone or Echo remote? Have you ever used Insteon? They seem to have a good smart home solution. This will be a very exciting time for the smart home! I think we’re very close to everything (or many things) coming together.
Haven’t used Insteon during what I’d call the current epoch. Given the new hub and those lighted wall switches, I may soon be an owner. I also asked the company if we could get Adam a review loaner.
For Hue lighting (and any connected bulb really), it depends how you have it configured. My four family room BR30 Hue bulbs are recessed and I’ve been too lazy to do anything with the switch. So when the switch is off, the lights are off. When you flip the switch, the lights turn on as white. Once on, I can control via Hue app, including timers, or Echo, Logitech, etc. A Hue I (previously) had in the bedroom was not on a wall switch and always available for network control. That light was also a good example of geofencing issues – I set up a very simple rule that inconsistently fired, if I leave the house shut it off.
“Ugh… so mad at Lutron right now. What a disappointment that the hub I spent $140 six months ago is now out dated.”
I feel your outrage. You bought a bleeding edge technology, and now your wallet is bleeding from it’s eyes. It’s an outrage.
Understand that geofencing can be hit or miss. But for the Lutron app, it has worked for me. Forgot that I had enabled the geofence when leaving home and received a notification one day that one of our lights was on. Was kinda cool because I had totally forgotten that I had enabled that setting.
Home Depot has shipped the new Lutron hub which should be here Thursday. Wondering how the replacement will go with the current hub. Anyone looking to buy a 1st gen Caseta hub? :-)
Should also point out that Apple has put up a HomeKit support page
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204893
I have an Insteon setup in my house with just light switches. Not all of them but a bunch. Im just not sure it’s worth replacing my isy-994 (or what ever it’s called) hub for this. All I really do with my smart home stuff is just set timers for my lights for shabbos (Jewish sabbath) and Jewish holidays. I don’t really use it for anything else except I occasionally control the lights in my den with my phone while watching tv. I’m not sure it’s worth spending another $150 on this.