Updated: Apple reportedly pushes back the official HomeKit launch to August or September
Updated: Apple has refuted the original report in a statement to The Wall Street Journal:
“HomeKit [hardware certification] has been available for just a few months and we already have dozens of partners who have committed to bringing HomeKit accessories to market and we’re looking forward to the first ones coming next month,” said Apple spokeswoman Trudy Muller.
Officially announced almost a year ago, Apple is now planning to debut HomeKit in August or September. That’s according to a new report from Fortune.
A number of compatible products were unveiled back at CES in January, including the Switch from iDevices and more. Many expected a late spring or early summer debut, but those plans have been pushed back. Here’s more from the report:
Sources close to the situation say Apple is planning a smaller announcement around HomeKit in the near term, but not the official launch. Apparently, making it easy to sign in and get your devices (door locks, light blubs, et cetera) online is much harder to do than Apple anticipated. One source says the code base associated with that part of the process “blew up” and required way too much memory for smaller, battery-powered devices, so Apple is trying to shrink the code back down to size.
As you probably remember, the API was announced during the WWDC 2014 keynote. The framework, built into iOS 8, allows users to control a number of smart home accessories, like light bulbs, locks, and more. With an Apple TV acting as a hub, users can use their voice to control compatible devices with Siri.
Interestingly, Apple is widely expected to unveil the next-generation Apple TV at this year’s WWDC conference. So we may hear more about the official HomeKit plans then since the device can be used as a smart home hub.
And hopefully HomeKit will be worth the wait. Being able to control devices directly from Siri could truly help broaden the market for smart home products.
For other news today, see: Upcoming ‘Apple Music’ service will have its own social media network for artists, Rdio Select takes aim at ‘Apple Music’ and other competitors, and CallerSmart versus Number Guru: reverse lookup apps go head to head.
