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Originally announced in 2014, HomeKit is the iOS framework of Apple for the smart home . The idea is to pair compatible devices like smart lights and smart thermostats with your phone, then automate everything using standardized controls in Apple's home app or using voice commands Siri.
the ability to move markets, but the platform is not as fast as we have seen with Alexa and Google Assistant . Part of the problem: the Apple requirement that every HomeKit compatible smart home device includes an MFi chipset in order to keep things standardized. This hardware requirement left legacy popular gadgets without the MFi chip being totally excluded from the HomeKit ecosystem, and may have discouraged smaller manufacturers from skipping too. After all, you do not need a special chip to work with Alexa or Google.
That is why Apple has traced a second route to homekit compatibility that does not require any additional hardware and allows devices to jump on board via the firmware update. After a long wait (remember, HomeKit has been a thing for four years now), this software approach is finally online with a single device, the smart switch WeMo Mini from Belkin enjoying it already. More devices will undoubtedly follow, which could stimulate the growth of the ecosystem of smart home Apple – for now, here is everything you need to know
All about the & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; Authentication
If you are a smart gadget want customers to be able to control it with, say, an Alexa voice command, the path is quite simple. Amazon offers open software tools to help developers acquire Alexa skills to synchronize their devices with the platform. Some of these software tools, such as Amazon's APIs for things like thermostats and smart locks, even offer uniform and device-specific protocols to ensure a smooth and consistent experience. It's like a public pool – no matter who can enter it.
In comparison, HomeKit looks more like an exclusive nightclub. The only devices that come into play are those that Apple has already approved – the VIPs. For this approach to work, Apple needs to check the IDs at the door, where authentication occurs.
Prior to software authentication, manufacturers were forced to republish products that did not initially include the MFi chip, or to release HomeKit Hubs as the WeMo Bridge. Both approaches irritated consumers.
Tyler Lizenby / CNET
Apple's initial approach was to require that any device that wanted to connect to HomeKit include the MFi chipset, a tiny hardware component that essentially ensures that the device operates in accordance with the standards of the company. 39; Apple. The problem with this approach is that it caused significant headaches for smart home manufacturers who had already released gadgets without it. No MFi chip, no ID, no HomeKit.
Some great names, including August and Ecobee went so far as to re-issue their flagship products in a "HomeKit-enabled" edition that included the critical MFi chipset. This was an effective way to go ahead, but it left people who had already spent hundreds on non-HomeKit versions of each product. These early adopters usually include the most loyal customers of a brand, so people were naturally agitated.
Other brands with smart gadgets left outside the HomeKit Club have instead chosen to develop new hub accessories including the MFi chip. Devices like these were introducing existing gadgets into the HomeKit ecosystem, basically saying to the bouncer "it's cool, they're with me" on the way. It worked, too, but it made brands like WeMo They proudly sold themselves as hubless platforms in a difficult place – and once again, it forced customers who had already invested in these platforms to spend more money. more money.
That's why the new approach to software authentication is a big step forward for HomeKit. Devices no longer need the MFi chipset to enter the club – they can instead align with Apple standards with a simple software update. This means that manufacturers can offer their customers HomeKit access without the need to buy new versions of their products or other concentrator accessories.
You'll always be able to pair them with your HomeKit gadgets as you did before.
Screenshots by Ry Crist / CNET
A Secure Ecosystem
One of the things we like about HomeKit is Apple's emphasis on security with stringent standards and end-to-end encryption at every turn. The new software-based authentication approach should do nothing to change that, because the authentication of a HomeKit gadget does not give it access to sensitive information like your iCloud pbadword or the credit card registered with your account. Again, authentication is the only way for Apple to ensure that the only devices you can connect to your account are those that match its standards.
There are differences, however. Each MFi chipset has its own unique identifier that acts as the key approved by Apple to let it enter the HomeKit ecosystem. A HomeKit gadget that uses the software approach for authentication will not have its own unique identifier – instead, when you pair it with your configuration, it will ask for an identifier to the servers. Apple.
Also, when you reset a HomeKit device equipped with the MFi chipset, the unique identifier will remain the same. This is not the case with the software identification method – if you reset it and reapply it with your configuration, it will receive a new Apple ID.
This is another link in the chain, perhaps, but the Apple encryption practices have a very good track record. There is also no reason to think that an authentication software approach will change the user experience – from your point of view, you will always hook up your gadget, tell it to the Home app that you are ready to pair then scan the HomeKit code with your phone to complete the connection.
Everyone on board?
The big question is whether Apple's new approach will really encourage more manufacturers to jump with HomeKit, but I think it's a pretty safe bet. The smart home ecosystem of Apple is not as attractive as that of Amazon or Google, but it still has a lot of value for manufacturers looking to give to anyone with an iPhone an additional reason to buy their product. And if someone is able to catch up and change the game, that is Apple. For example, imagine if Apple has released a much more affordable "HomePod Nano" smart speaker with improved Siri controls.
From my point of view, that's the real question here. The software authentication is likely to lead to an increase in the number of HomeKit compatible devices, and I think we'll see a lot next year at CES, but with Amazon Echoes and Google Home Minis continuing to flying away, Apple's team must also do more to win the consumers. How they try to do this remains to be seen.
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