Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

Watch out Nest: first HomeKit-enabled thermostat available in Apple Stores now

By Kris Wouk July 7, 2015

Ecobee3 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

We’re more than a year out from when Apple first announced its HomeKit platform for developers, and while a few devices that actually take advantage of it have gone on sale, one of the most obvious areas of integration hasn’t seen a product released, until now. We’re talking, of course, about the humble thermostat.

The Ecobee3 smart thermostat has been available for pre-order for some time, and now those orders are finally starting to ship. Even better, the Ecobee3 will now also be available at Apple Stores throughout North America, should you want to buy one in person.

Much like the popular Nest thermostat, the Ecobee3 aims to save homeowners money by detecting whether anyone is around and adjusting the temperature accordingly. “Ordinary thermostats read the temperature in only one room, but are supposed to deliver comfort in all rooms. Ecobee3 remote sensors deliver the right temperature in the rooms that matter most,” the product page reads.

Unlike your boring old thermostat, the Ecobee3 features a 320 x 480 full-color LCD for its controls. And now, with the HomeKit integration, Ecobee3 users can rely on Siri for simple changes without having to use the built-in controls at all.

HomeKit is promising, but we haven’t yet got a glimpse of how effective it will be once you’re using multiple connected devices. Apple plans to make HomeKit easier to use by adding iCloud support for HomeKit in iOS 9 and making HomeKit support native in the next version of the Apple Watch.

The Ecobee3 sells for $250 and includes one sensor. Additional sensors can be bought in a two-pack for $80, though you can save a few bucks by buying a bundle that includes the Ecobee3 and three sensors for $313. If you want to save even more and don’t need HomeKit integration, you can currently get $20 off the original model on the Ecobee website.

Available at: Amazon Ecobee Best Buy

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Kris Wouk is a tech writer, gadget reviewer, blogger, and whatever it's called when someone makes videos for the web. In his…

Smart Home

5 things we’d like to see in the next HomeKit update

Look, we all know that Apple's HomeKit experience isn't as fleshed out as some of the competition, but it's not broken. It just needs some more updates and features, right? Hopefully, with things like Matter and the plethora of news from CES, we may be on the right track to getting a better system.

I'm a complete convert from other smart home systems to solely using HomeKit and HomeKit-branded devices (except my robovac, but more on that later). Here, I want to go over a few features that I'd personally like to see incorporated into the subsequent HomeKit updates. Before I get started, know that HomeKit doesn't get updates in the App Store like other apps. Instead, they are rolled out over time and come with system updates. We will likely get a batch of new features during the next WWDC around June.
More devices, obviously
The first thing that everyone in any smart home system wants is more compatible devices, and that's key for HomeKit more than any other system. Every new smart device that comes out on the market is made with either Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa in mind, especially those with lower price tags. Well, we in the Apple camp like saving money too.

Smart Home

Schlage’s Encode Plus Smart WiFi Deadbolt boasts iPhone, Apple Watch support

Schlage Encode Plus with Apple home keys open with Apple Watch.

Schlage has a long history of making locks that fit people's lifestyles and the company's newest smart lock is no exception. Announced at CES 2022, the Schlage Encode Plus Smart WiFi Deadbolt is the first lock in North America to work with Apple's latest home keys capability in HomeKit.

The idea is simple: you can now store a virtual set of keys to the Schlage lock in your Apple Wallet and access it on your iPhone or Apple Watch. Best of all, you don't even need to unlock your phone or watch to open the deadbolt. Just tap the watch or phone on the lock. We could imagine this feature might come in handy if a friend is dropping you off at home and for some reason, you can't remember any of your codes. If your iPhone is out of juice, Schlage says you may be able to still open the lock for up to five more hours, thanks to Power Reserve.
All the features you want in a smart lock

Smart Home

New HomePod Mini colors expose how stale Apple’s smart home lineup has become

Apple HomePod mini on table

Apple excels in many areas, particularly with regard to its computing lineup. The company produces mobile computing solutions miles beyond what its competition has to offer. The same could be said about its iPhone. Despite this, Apple is lagging behind in the smart home space. When the most exciting announcement about Apple's presence in the smart home space is a few new colors for the HomePod Mini, something is wrong.

HomeKit has the potential to be a major name in the smart home field. Given how prevalent iOS technology is in day-to-day life, it honestly should be already. Instead, HomeKit compatibility tends to be an afterthought for most tech. Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant dominate the playing field. HomeKit has fallen so far behind that it's not even in the same stadium anymore. The development of Thread has the potential to change this, but the end result remains to be seen.