Even your ceiling fan can be a smart home device thanks to Hunter’s new Signal

By Lulu Chang Published August 18, 2016

It’s unclear whether the world as a whole is getting smarter, but your home certainly is. Apple’s vision for a connected home continues to come to fruition, and the latest appliance to join the smart revolution comes just in time for this record-setting summer. Meet the Signal, a Wi-Fi enabled, Apple HomeKit-integrated ceiling fan from the Hunter Fan Company.

It’s the first of what promises to be an “unprecedented 2016 new product launch” from the 130-year-old fan company, and while tradition has kept Hunter in business for well over a century, there’s nothing traditional about the technology behind its latest fans.

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The Simple Connect ceiling fans can be programmed to be turned on before you ever walk into a room, synced to your thermostat so the temperature is always where you want it to be, and even set up to turn on its light fixtures so that you never have to walk into a dark room.

“This new product launch is a testament to our dedication to un-matched quality and performance and determination to bring our customers the latest designs and technology at an affordable price,” said John Alexander, the firm’s CEO. “We are thrilled to finally share this new innovation with our eager customers and are hoping to see a Hunter Fan in every home.”

Thanks to the fans’ Apple HomeKit integration, users can easily and safely control one or all of the fans in a home using either the new iOS 10 Home app or Siri. HomeKit-enabled products can also trigger one another — for example, you can have your Signal fan turn on when your connected fire alarm detects smoke.

“When we first had cameras on our iPhones, we didn’t immediately envision the ability to deposit checks with them,” said Hunter Chief Marketing Officer John Neilson. “Similarly, we know that these fans enhance energy efficiency, home security and convenience, but we believe we’ve just scratched the surface of their full potential.”

The Signal fan, Hunter’s flagship connected product, promises a contemporary and sleek aesthetic with satin nickel housing, reversible wooden-finished blades, and of course, smart technology. It’s currently available across a number of online and in-person retailers, and sells for $379.

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