NEW YORK – Apple HomeKit-certified home-automation products from iDevices, Schlage and Chamberlain will arrive sometime in the fall to join currently shipping or soon-to-be shipping products from Ecobee, Elgato, iHome, Insteon and Lutron.
Here’s what the trio plan:
Chamberlain: The company expects in the fall to offer a free firmware update that adds HomeKit compatibility to its existing $129 MyQ Garage Smartphone Garage Door Controller, a retrofit solution for many brands of garage-door openers dating back to 1993.
MyQ Garage consists of a Wi-Fi hub that mounts to the ceiling near the garage-door motor. The hub gets remote commands via Wi-Fi and emits RF commands to the motor over frequencies used by major garagedoor opener brands. The hub also communicates via Bluetooth LE to a gyroscope sensor that attaches to the door to monitor whether the door is open or closed.
For security reasons, a garage door cannot be part of a home-automation scene in which a door is opened when, for example, lights are turned on or off.
Also in the fall, Chamberlain plans a free HomeKit firmware update for the Chamberlain Wi-Fi Garage Door Opener with MyQ Smartphone Control. The garage-door opener features built-in Wi-Fi, eliminating the need for a hub. It also eliminates the need for a Bluetooth sensor to determine if the door is open. The garage-door opener retails from $240 to $270.
Both the MyQ hub and the Wi-Fi Garage Door Opener are also compatible with Android apps.
iDevices: The company plans Oct. 1 availability of its $49-suggested Switch Wi-Fi smart plug through Lowe’s brick-and-mortar and online stores, said iDevices marketing director Lianne Kersey. The company is also talking to other retailers, including Amazon and Home Depot, for additional distribution.
Two more HomeKit products from iDevices will arrive in the fourth quarter, with one more shipping in the first quarter of 2016, Kersey said. One new device will be a smart plug, and the other two will be in a different category, she said.
Schlage: The Bluetooth-equipped Schlage Sense door lock is due in the fall in two styles, each in two colors, at around $239 each, said Schlage brand director Ann Matheis. Amazon presales will start in September and ship soon after, she said. Other retailers will include Home Depot, Lowe’s and Build.com. The lock will be available to builders in January 2016.
The doorlock can be locked and unlocked from up to 50 feet away when users press the lock/unlock button on the Schlage app. The lock also features a traditional key slot as well as a numeric touchpad to gain entry. An Android app will be available soon after the product ships.
When the lock is controlled from a remote location via Apple TV, the Bluetooth-and Wi-Fi-equipped equipped Apple TV can be placed up to 100 feet from the lock for remote control via Bluetooth, she noted.
With iOS 9, Apple TV won’t be needed for remote HomeKit control, but Schlage declined to say how its Bluetooth lock would be controlled if an Apple TV isn’t present. Some marketers have pointed to the potential of Bluetooth dongles plugged into a home’s wireless router.
