9to5Mac Column: Apple Home Collection Could Accelerate Mainstream Smart Home Adoption

The column says technology enthusiasts may be judging the collection from inside a tech bubble. It notes that many have used smart home technology for more than a decade and have reacted with bemusement to the Apple Home Collection, asking why anyone would pay significantly higher prices for devices that appear to offer no added benefit. For non-geeks, however, the author says the setup process is completely different.

The article traces earlier barriers. In the early days, smart home technology required soldering and programming. Wireless devices controlled by smartphones marked a major step forward, but configuring new devices remained far from trivial and often required multiple companion apps from different manufacturers.

Apple’s HomeKit was intended to change that by allowing configuration and control through a single app and using the HomeKit label to guarantee compatibility. It also brought voice control to devices that previously required an app. The reality differed from the vision, according to the column. Some HomeKit devices still needed initial configuration through a third-party app before appearing in Apple’s Home app, and some setup processes made the author feel like an unpaid network engineer. Relatively few manufacturers made HomeKit-compatible products, while Amazon Alexa and Google Home ecosystems were far more commercially successful.

The launch of Matter and Thread helped significantly, the column says. Manufacturers needed to support the new industry standards to ensure compatibility with the three big smart home ecosystems, and Matter enabled a simpler setup process. The practical impact was still limited, according to the article.

The Apple Home Collection has drawn questions from techies because it introduces no new product categories and each new device has equivalent lower-cost options. The column argues the difference lies in setup. Apple has made configuring a device as simple as pairing a new set of AirPods: the user brings the device close to an iPhone. CNET’s Ajay Kumar said, “I watched an Apple representative instantly find, pair and register a new smart home device on both her phone and the HomeView as she carried on a casual conversation with me, not missing a beat.” Kumar said everything was managed through the Apple Home app and seemed to work like pairing new AirPods or a HomePod. He described what he saw as an easy, intuitive setup.

The column says the change should not be underestimated for normal people. The author has seen non-tech friends impressed by a smart home but none rushed to emulate it, and now believes the Apple Home Collection could represent the next step in mass-market adoption. For people who like the idea of a smart home but have been put off by apparent complexity, the author says many may now be willing to make the leap.

Editor's Summary

The 9to5Mac column argues that the Apple Home Collection could broaden smart home adoption by making setup as simple as pairing AirPods. It says HomeKit and the Matter and Thread standards improved compatibility but had limited mass-market impact, while Apple’s approach may reduce complexity for non-technical users. The piece is an opinion based on a CNET demonstration and the author’s expectation of more mainstream adoption.