Skip to main content

As Apple and Amazon fight for a share of the smart home market, one lags behind

Smart technology developers have been understandably excited about the smart home market and its projected market size of over $40 billion by 2020. But industry leaders Amazon, Google, and Apple are increasingly turning their ambitions to a potentially more lucrative market: Integration of their branded smart devices into a home as it is being built.

A new report from The Information indicates that Amazon and its Alexa-powered platform is thrashing Apple in this technological contest.

Recommended Videos

“As Amazon and Apple race to get consumers to buy smart devices that do everything from unlock a door to turn on lights, the companies are pursuing a second line of attack: Installing the devices in homes while they are under construction,” an article for The Information by Aaron Tilley and Priya Anand states. “On this front, Amazon appears to have an edge.”

Why is this happening? Fundamentally, Amazon’s smart assistant Alexa is far more advanced than Apple’s Siri, largely due to the fundamental difference in the two company’s approaches. Some home developers have commented that Apple’s “walled garden” approach to device evolution makes it too finicky for more complex smart home applications and smart appliances.

“Apple is closed source about what will talk to their system, so we shied away from it,” said CR Herro, a vice president with Arizona-based Meritage Homes. “I don’t want to restrict what I think the future could be because I have no idea what it will be.”

The integrated smart home market is an enormous playing field and Amazon is certainly having more real-world success in getting builders and developers to adopt their technology. Last year, Amazon struck a deal with Lennar, one of the largest homebuilders in the country, to integrate at least two Echo devices into every new smart home, along with Alexa-powered door locks, light switches, thermostats, and more.

Other developers who are leaning toward Amazon include Shea Homes, which is installing Amazon Dot devices in its smart home offerings, as well as Brookfield Residential, which has worked with both Apple and Amazon on smart home integration but most recently chose Amazon devices for a new division in Washington, D.C.

“This is exciting now, but pretty soon, smart homes will be standard,” said Adrian Foley, chief operating officer of Brookfield, to the Los Angeles Times. “To stay ahead of the competition, we’re going to keep layering on new technology.”

For developers for whom privacy is a primary concern, Apple’s garden may provide some comfort, as it did to Brookfield Residential when it chose Apple’s platform for a 66-home California-based development called The Collection.

However, more advanced developers are leaning toward Amazon specifically because of the astounding amount of skills available to Alexa. Amazon’s deal with Lennar includes a new line of Wi-Fi Certified Smart Homes designed to meet specific standards in terms of range and eliminating dead spots. With more than 20,000 skills developed by third-party developers so far, Alexa simply offers a wider range of benefits to smart home owners.

“It’s early, but we’re excited by the customer response,” said Amazon spokesman Jonathan Richardson. “Smart home has been one of the most popular features customers are using today.”

Clayton Moore
Contributor
Clayton Moore’s interest in technology is deeply rooted in the work of writers like Warren Ellis, Cory Doctorow and Neal…
Roborock supercharges smart home connectivity in its smart vacs
Roborock QRevo S robot vacuum and mop Black Friday deal

Certain Roborock models will be getting a firmware update between now and April 10 that upgrades the onboard Matter protocol for an even better user experience. The announcement advises users that "exact timing will depend on different timezones," so just be patient until it rolls out. The latest lineup, including all models of the Roborock Saros and Roborock Qrevo, will see improved capabilities, alongside the Roborock S8 Max V Ultra.

In addition, Apple also announced Matter integration with the Home App on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV, HomePod, and Mac today, which means you can control any compatible Roborock robot vacuum through one of these devices. That means you can now have your robot vacuum start cleaning as soon as you leave the house or set up specific cleaning areas through the Home app. Just make sure you have an iPhone that's running iOS 18.4 or later; earlier versions won't have access to these features.

Read more
Yale reveals powerful new smart lock designed specifically for Google Home
Yale Smart Lock with Matter

Yale is discontinuing the popular Nest x Yale Lock and replacing it with a powerful new device this summer -- the Yale Smart Lock with Matter. Designed specifically for easy integration with Google Home and a style that meshes perfectly with the Nest Doorbell, it's shaping up to be a worthy successor to the fan-favorite Nest x Yale Lock.

The Yale Smart Lock with Matter was built to complement all aspects of the Nest Doorbell and wider Google Home ecosystem. You'll be able to manage your lock remotely, create guest profiles, and get alerts when the lock is being operated. It also benefits from an impressive 12-month battery life and seamless connectivity with Google Home. Best of all, the lock supports Matter, giving you a chance to sync it with other platforms like Apple Home or Alexa.

Read more
Did the Apple HomePad just get leaked by Apple itself?
A mockup of a HomePod with an iPad attached.

The long rumoured Apple HomePad - a HomePod with a screen - may have just been revealed by none other than Apple itself.

After diving into the iOS 18.4 beta release, it's been noticed by the team over at Macworld that many changes are pointing towards entirely new hardware for Apple, soon.

Read more