The smart home holds so much promise. It can make life more convenient with lights that turn on as you walk in a room, doors that unlock as you approach, and robots that clean your floors. It can also make your home safer, more energy efficient, and even a little more fun. (Have you tried asking Alexa to beam you up?)
But for all its benefits, the smart home can be complicated, confusing, and occasionally maddening. It’s also hard to keep up with all the changes. New gadgets are arriving daily, new features come to old products, and there are so many different ways to turn on a smart light bulb.
If you need a guide, that’s what I’m here for.
Here, I’ll be posting the latest smart home reviews, guides, news, and opinions on everything happening in the connected home. Follow this page to stay updated on what Apple, Amazon, Samsung, Google, and Home Assistant and the rest are doing with their smart home platforms. I’ll keep you in the loop on all the newest technologies — including Matter, Thread, Sidewalk, UWB — as well as the old favorites. And, of course, I’ll cover all the news on the latest gadgets and the biggest releases around tech for your home.
- Apple’s rumored HomePod with a screen could arrive with Apple Intelligence.
Apple’s smart home efforts could use both a smarter Siri and a smart display, and we may soon get both.
MacRumors has discovered code that indicates Apple is working on a new HomeAccessory 17,1 that could be powerful enough to run Apple Intelligence.
Existing HomePods seem unlikely to be able to support the AI, so new smart home hardware seems inevitable.
Jul 3
Amazon is bricking its Astro business robots less than a year after launch
The Astro for Business robot is no more. Image: AmazonFor a moment there, it seemed like Amazon might pivot its Astro home robot to enterprise by giving it a better job as a camera-equipped patrol dog. But today, it’s discontinuing the Astro for Business robot for good. On September 25th, every one of the 20-pound wheeled robots will stop working, and Amazon will automatically issue full refunds for the $2,349.99 bot, plus a $300 credit.
Read Article >Amazon isn’t commenting on how many business bots it actually sold since the November 2023 launch, but the company’s VP of hardware engineering, Lindo St. Angel, says he’s “increasingly convinced the progress we’re making in home robotics is where we should focus our resources.” We’re sharing his full internal memo below.
Every smart home device that works with Matter
The VergeTwo years after its launch, Matter — the smart home standard developed by Apple, Google, Amazon, and Samsung — is finally gaining traction.
Read Article >A common language for your smart home, Matter is designed to simplify buying, setting up, and using connected gadgets. With Matter, you shouldn’t need to worry if this smart lock will work with your phone or that light bulb with your smart speaker. If it works with Matter, it should work with any Matter-enabled smart home platform or device.
Jul 3
LG buys Homey in a very Samsung SmartThings move
LG is bringing Athom’s Homey products and the third-party device support they provide under its wing. Image: LG / HomeyLG has acquired an 80 percent stake in Athom, a Dutch company best known for its Homey smart home platform. The deal, which LG says will see it acquire the remaining 20 percent of Athom within the next three years, has been forged to expand LG’s smart home ecosystem and should position it to better compete against Samsung’s rivaling SmartThings platform.
Read Article >LG plans to integrate Athom’s existing Homey connectivity — which supports smart devices from Sonos, Ikea, Aqara, Philips Hue, and more — across its appliances through its ThinQ smart home platform. According to Homey, its users will soon be able to control ThinQ-enabled LG appliances via the platform. Homey has developed a significant user base since it was founded in 2014, with its flagship Homey Pro smart home hub capable of connecting to over 50,000 devices across Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Z-Wave, Matter, and Thread.
- This ice maker is my family’s new favorite smart gadget.
It might be because the heat index is 110 degrees, but the new GE Profile Opal 2.0 Ultra has been a huge hit in my house.
I’ve been testing the smart nugget ice maker for a week, and its ability to make a full batch of ice in 10 minutes is impressive. But for $630, you have to really love chewable ice. I’ll have a review soon.
The Opal 2.0 Ultra Nugget Ice Maker is an update to the Opal 2.0. It has a new water filter, air filter, and cleaning system that should make for easier maintenance. Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge - These are the robot vacuums that will work with Matter.
Now that both Samsung and Apple have promised support for robot vacuums through Matter (Samsung SmartThings will support them this summer and Apple Home later this year), I’ve rounded up a list of robo vacs with Matter support, along with info on how they’ll work in your platform of choice.
Get all the details in the FAQ section of my robot vacuum buying guide.
- This smart leak detector can warn you if your fish tank is draining.
SwitchBot claims its new Water Leak Detector can not only alert you to leaks and drips but also monitor water levels, thanks to an optional immersion cable.
This sounds handy for warning you if your fish tank is draining, your bathtub is too full, or your sump pump levels are rising. It doesn't need a hub, works over Wi-Fi, and costs $17.99 ($19.99 with the cable).
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The SwitchBot Water Leak Detector has an optional cable that can monitor water levels. Image: SwitchBot Samsung SmartThings takes a step toward a smarter grid
Image: Samsung SmartThingsSamsung has launched a new demand response program for its SmartThings smart home platform. Flex Connect allows your SmartThings connected appliances to communicate with the grid and automatically reduce energy use when there’s a spike in demand, which could help avoid blackouts. While demand response programs have made for some scary headlines, many experts believe connecting our smart homes to the grid is critical for managing the strain on our energy network.
Read Article >Flex Connect is available in New York and California and works with SmartThings Energy — an energy management solution. It taps into SmartThings’ AI Energy Mode to automate how smart appliances and connected devices like lights and thermostats respond to demand response events.
A major SmartThings update brings support for appliances, robot vacuums, and more through Matter
Samsung is bringing Matter 1.2 to its SmartThings smart home platform. Image: Samsung SmartThingsSamsung SmartThings looks set to become the first major smart home platform to fully support Matter 1.2. According to a press release, the SmartThings platform now works with Matter 1.2, so manufacturers and developers can start integrating their compatible devices with the platform. The SmartThings app won’t be updated to support Matter until later this summer — so you won’t be able to control your Matter-compatible Roborock robot vacuum or Midea dishwasher through SmartThings until then.
Read Article >Samsung also announced several other updates to its smart home platform, including app design improvements, new device control options, a hub backup option, shareable routines, and the gamification of its SmartThings Energy feature.
Jun 27
These smart lights could solve the kitchen cabinet problem
GE Cync’s new undercabinet smart lights bring task lighting, dimming, and full color to your kitchen countertops. Image: GE CyncIf you’ve been looking for a simple way to add smart, color-changing undercabinet lighting to your kitchen, I have good news. First announced at CES earlier this year, GE Lighting’s new Cync Reveal HD Plus Smart Undercabinet Fixtures are now available at Amazon, Lowe’s, and Best Buy, starting at $59.99.
Read Article >These full-color and tunable white light fixtures fit under your cabinets and can be hardwired or plugged in to illuminate your countertops. The Cync lights are Matter-enabled and work with Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Apple Home, and Samsung SmartThings for smart home integration. I first saw a sneak peek of them at CES 2023 and was excited that this might finally provide a good solution to the problem of smart kitchen lighting.
