Apple devices have been a firm favorite amongst a vast amount of people for a long time now; many of them die-hard fans.
And as we’ve progressed into the future, there has been a considerable increase in people taking up home automation. But here’s the thing:
Apple was notoriously slow at jumping on the home automation train. They only introduced HomeKit back in 2014.
Two years earlier than that, Samsung SmartThings was already up and running. In the end, this has meant HomeKit products can be pretty hard to find, although this is about to change.
But first…
What Do We Mean By ‘Apple Compatible Devices’?
So what does “Apple compatible devices mean”? It’s basically a device that can work with either Apple HomeKit, Airplay, or Siri.
It really is as simple as that.
If you’re looking to automate your home, you should look out for the following symbols:
But here’s the thing:
Just because a device doesn’t have the symbol on the box doesn’t mean it’s not always compatible. It just means Apple hasn’t registered it as compatible. That being said, some of these devices you probably should stay away from.
As mentioned before, Apple started off pretty slowly in the home automation sector, but they’ve been making up for lost time.
Here are a few things you can expect:
As you can see, they now host a whole selection of home automation ranges; let’s check some out:
Home Automation Ideas
Apple has a massive number of compatible devices that span across every smart home category. This section will take a look at some of the favorite categories and the devices that go with them.
Control Devices
For an Apple-compatible smart home, you’re going to need a control center. This is what will communicate with your Apple device.
Here’s a quick rundown of a few of these devices:
HomePod
The HomePod is Apple’s answer to products like Google Home and Amazon Alexa. The smart speaker is easy to set up and offers excellent audio.
The speaker uses long-range microphones, which helps Siri pick up your commands from a distance.
One of the biggest downfalls is the speaker is only set up for Apple Music, which means it doesn’t support Spotify. But if you’re looking for sound quality, this speaker far outperforms its competitors.
Apple TV
If spending $300+ on a speaker seems too much money for access to Apple HomeKit, you have another option.
Apple TV can act as a smart center for all your Apple devices while giving you the ability to stream videos to your TV.
The most popular version of Apple TV is the new 4K versions, which provide stunning audio and visuals to your TV screen.
Lighting
Lighting is the entry point for many smart home enthusiasts all around the world. Smart lighting offers a simple way to control your lighting remotely.
Many smart lights are Apple compatible; here’s a few of the best:
Philips Hue
Philips Hue lights are renowned for being the best smart lights on the market with a vast range of bulbs. The bulbs can be controlled using the mobile app or set with scenes.
They also work with voice assistants, so you don’t even have to move if you want to turn the light off.
The bulbs come in two styles, the white ambient that focuses on providing warm white lights. Then you have the color ambient bulbs, which features over 16 million colors.
The colors can easily be changed using the app, ensuring you always have the shade you like.
LIFX
The LIFX bulb is another popular smart bulb and is the main competitor of Philips Hue. The bulbs have a great selection of colors and can be controlled with your voice/remotely.
The most significant benefit of the LIFX bulb is the brightness and low energy consumption. Another bonus is the app; it’s probably the best on the market.
Home Security Cameras
At one point, the only people with home security cameras where the rich and famous. But with the introduction of smart security cameras, that all changed.
Now you have no issues finding security cameras to protect your home and are Apple compatible.
You can take a look at a couple of them here:
Arlo
They are one of the top home security cameras on the market that are compatible with HomeKit. They record footage in a stunning 1080p with a wide able view ensuring you never miss a thing.
The camera comes in several ranges, each one offering slightly different things.
The security cameras use motion sensors to let the camera know it’s time to start recording. If any movements are picked up, the camera will send a notification to your smartphone.
Any footage that’s captured will be stored on cloud storage for 30-days, or if you have the Arlo base station, they can be stored locally.
Logitech
They’ve been a key camera for many people’s computers, but now they’re looking to explore the home security world.
One downside to these cameras is they usually need to be hardwired instead of using a rechargeable battery. But for some, that may not be such a bad thing.
The Circle 2 model record all footage in 1080p and was a whopping field of view at 180°
Temperature Control
Keeping the climate of your home steady can be a pretty challenging task, and more worryingly, an expensive one.
This is why people have turned to smart thermostats to lower their energy bills and manage their heating.
There’s a massive range of thermostats compatible with HomeKit, but these two are the best by far:
Ecoobee 4
The ecobee 4 smart thermostat is the most popular among Apple HomeKit users. The device has a sleek and clean look that seems to be inspired by the iPhone.
The thermostat can be set to schedules using your mobile phone or Siri. It can also be combined with IFTTT, which allows for further integrations.
This thermostat can be linked with multiple sensors to ensure you have no hot or cold spots in your home.
Honeywell Lyric T6 Pro
The Honeywell T6 might not look like the smartest thermostat, but it certainly holds up against the competition.
It has all the major features you might look for in a smart thermostat including, learning abilities, geofencing, and much more.
Wrapping Up
Finding Apple compatible devices isn’t nearly as hard as it used to be. Now you have a great range of products you can use to jazz up your smart home.
If you’re looking for some more home automation ideas, check out-
https://automatedoutlet.com/home-automation-ideas/
…they have a great list of devices that can be used with Apple.
