Add Matter Products to Apple Home
The release of iOS 18 brought with it improvements to the Smart Home experience including direct, local control of Matter devices for iPhone owners. iPhones with Thread radios (generally iPhone 15 Pro or newer) will be able to control Matter devices without having to connect to a dedicated hub. While a hub will still be needed for certain automations (such as adjusting a thermostat as part of a night-time routine) installation and set-up of compatible Matter products should be easier.
The Circana Take:
- Tapping in to the iPhone’s installed base with Matter interoperability will unlock millions of potential HomeKit users and speed up adoption of the specification. The embrace of Matter should also impact HomeKit compatible hardware brands and increase the user base of the platform.
Brain-Computer Interface Controls Smart Home
Neurotechnology company Synchron is developing an “endovascular brain computer interface” specifically designed to restore functionality in people with severe paralysis. In a recent test involving an ALS patient, the company announced the subject was able to use the brain-computer interface to turn on the lights in his home, see who is at the door, and choose what to watch on TV- handsfree. Using the interface, Synchon was able to translate the subject’s thoughts into commands relayed to Amazon’s Alexa application- the virtual assistant set up on his tablet. The patient was able to select tiles on his tablet corresponding to different smart home actions using his thoughts as Synchon measured electrodes in his brain.
The Circana Take:
- As smart home interfaces move between dedicated smart phone apps, voice control, and automated scenes, adding new methods for control are important for engaging users of differing abilities. Although the brain-machine interface is typically associated with science fiction, numerous tests of the technology show promise for this concept which could be useful for older consumers and those with mobility disabilities.