Siri’s coming to third-party devices with latest HomeKit update

By Patrick Hearn Published April 25, 2023

Apple announced new updates to its HomeKit smart home platform at WWDC 2021, helping to diversify the ecosystem and operating system for all of its home-focused devices. This means the HomePod mini will have many more integrations with other HomeKit-compatible devices. The launch of Homekit’s latest update will come with the release of iOS 15, to expand the Siri-powered smart home beyond its current limits.

HomeKit has always lagged behind Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa in terms of compatibility and utility, relegated mostly to an audience of Apple enthusiasts. The announcement of HomeKit’s expanded functionality means Apple is moving to improve its standing within the smart home market, including Siri’s integration with third-party devices later this year — something that will help to grow Apple’s presence in the smart home space in a significant way. There’s even going to be more integration of the Home app with the upcoming release of WatchOS 8 with the Apple Watch.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

The first of the many updates is iCloud Plus, a service that provides improved storage for all of your connected devices, but most importantly, it includes unlimited storage for HomeKit-enabled cameras. Before this update, users needed to pay for at least 200GB of cloud storage to record video from a single camera, but the introduction of iCloud Plus makes it significantly easier to store footage and connect multiple cameras.

Recommended Videos

The Apple HomeKeys feature allows you to lock and unlock your door with a tap of your phone or your Apple Watch. This feature means anyone with a HomeKit-compatible smart lock can easily access their home without fumbling to enter a passcode or shouting through the door for Siri.

Another feature is SharePlay on Apple TV. While this past year has kept many people apart, SharePlay allows you to sit down and watch your favorite shows with friends at the same time. As an added bonus, you can ask Siri to start the latest episode of your most recent binge.

If you’re looking for better audio quality, the HomePod Mini will be able to play sounds from your favorite shows and movies to create a surround-sound-like experience. HomePod Mini will also have voice recognition for individual family members by the end of the year.

Apple has also taken a page out of Amazon’s playbook and has allowed other manufacturers to include Siri on their devices. HomeKit accessories will have the option to allow users to access Siri directly on the device instead of through an iPhone or HomePod.

Building on this trend of accessibility, the Apple Watch now has better integration with the Home App and will allow you to view your doorbell directly from your wrist. You can also view the doorbell — as well as multiple cameras — on your Apple TV, and easily access nearby smart devices all at the same time.

The Apple Watch will also be able to broadcast messages, access other accessories, and much more.

All of these changes leave HomeKit poised to become a much more popular smart home platform than it has been before.

Former Technology Writer

Patrick has written about tech for more than 15 years and isn't slowing down anytime soon. With previous clients ranging from…

Topics

Computing

Amazon wants to design in-house chips for Kindles, Fire TV, and Echo speakers

Apple did it first. Amazon is doing it now, starting with 40 million chips a year and a partner most people have never heard of.

Amazon Kindle Scribe dark mode featured image.

Apple's decision to design its own chips reshaped the consumer electronics industry. Amazon may be about to make the same call, just about two decades later.

Supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reports that Amazon is preparing to shift away from externally sourced processors for its consumer electronics lineup, marking what he describes as the company's first major processor procurement change in 20 years. The transition is expected to begin in 2027.

Smart Home

Beatbot’s AI pool cleaners aim to keep your Summer celebration going during peak season with deep discounts

Beatbot's Summer Pool Carnival offers deep discounts on a widely-acclaimed line-up of pool cleaners. Go, grab one this July!

beatbot discounts

As the World Cup heats up and Independence Day backyard gatherings loom, pool owners face a familiar summer paradox. The busier the social calendar gets, the harder it becomes to keep a pool in top shape. Enter Beatbot, the intelligent pool care brand positioning itself as the invisible infrastructure behind uninterrupted summer fun. In our reviews, offerings like the Beatbot Sora 70 and AquaSense 2 Ultra hammered that appeal with a mix of solid performance and a thoughtful feature set. If that sounds appealing, Beatbot's Summer Pool Carnival is offering deep discounts of up to 44%, starting July 1st.

The flagship offering is the AquaSense 2 Ultra, positioned as the world's first AI-powered 5-in-1 robotic pool cleaner. It combines floor, wall, waterline, and surface cleaning with integrated water clarification. The whole kit is held in place by Beatbot's HybridSense AI Vision System and CleverNav AI Path Planning. The system handles intelligent obstacle avoidance, adaptive route optimization, and even night cleaning, allowing homeowners to skip manual maintenance entirely.

Smart Home

SwitchBot’s new outdoor security camera uses AI to describe activity around your home

This 3K outdoor camera can explain what happened and search footage by prompt

Person, Security, Appliance

SwitchBot has launched the Outdoor Pan/Tilt Cam 3K in North America and the UK, adding a new outdoor security camera for monitoring yards, driveways, entrances, garages, and small shops.

The camera is designed to cover a wider area than a fixed security camera. It can rotate horizontally and vertically, follow moving subjects, record in 3K resolution, and use AI to summarize what happened in a clip, such as a delivery arriving, an animal entering the yard, or someone approaching the house.