HomeKit-compatible Smart Shades starting gradual roll-out at Ikea

AppleInsider

Swedish giant Ikea is beginning to roll out its first Smart Shades, compatible with Apple HomeKit and other smarthome platforms when paired with the company's Tradfri hub.

The Fyrtur.

Two options are already available in some parts of Europe, the translucent Kadrilj and the opaque Fyrtur. Both are powered by USB-rechargeable battery packs, and come with a wireless remote for control without smart devices.

When paired with a Tradfri hub, the shades will support HomeKit, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Ikea's own Tradfri app for iPhones and iPads.

Sizes range from 60-by-195 centimeters (23.6-by-76.8 inches) to 140-by-195 centimeters (55.1-by-76.8 inches). European prices range from 99 to 155 euros, or about $113 to $181.

The Kadrilj.

The Smart Shades should see wider availability starting Feb. 2, possibly including the U.S., though that could happen as late as this spring.

Ikea has been slow to step into the smarthome space, but now offers a range of Tradfri-branded plugs, lights, and motion sensors, often costing much less than other HomeKit-compatible options from the likes of Philips or LIFX.

The company even has Bluetooth speakers, battery packs, and wireless chargers, though these don't have any platform integration.

AppleInsider will be attending the Las Vegas Consumer Electronics Show starting on January 8 through January 11 where we're expecting 5G devices, HomeKit, 8K monitors and more. Keep up with our coverage by downloading the AppleInsider app, and follow us on YouTube, Twitter @appleinsider and Facebook for live, late-breaking coverage. You can also check out our official Instagram account for exclusive photos throughout the event.

gatorguy

Apple themselves is appearing at CES this year for all intents, partnering with various companies for joint PR and promotion. Is that out-of-character for Apple in recent years? If so it seems to me like more evidence of embracing the Amazon and Google model for expanding their footprint. 

radarthekat

gatorguy said:

Apple themselves is appearing at CES this year for all intents, partnering with various companies for joint PR and promotion. Is that out-of-character for Apple in recent years? If so it seems to me like more evidence of embracing the Amazon and Google model for expanding their footprint. 

I hope they are making their presence more directly visible at CES.  It’s a big world and Apple [iOS] is now the de facto standard in the premium consumer electronics space.  They should be actively promoting integration, not just partnering with companies that wish to prefix their product categories with ‘smart,’ but also evangelizing the concept of a smarter physical world directly to consumers.  That’s marketing that Google and Amazon certainly have done better, and more of, versus Apple. 

gatorguy

radarthekat said:

gatorguy said:

Apple themselves is appearing at CES this year for all intents, partnering with various companies for joint PR and promotion. Is that out-of-character for Apple in recent years? If so it seems to me like more evidence of embracing the Amazon and Google model for expanding their footprint. 

I hope they are making their presence more directly visible at CES.... evangelizing the concept of a smarter physical world directly to consumers.  That’s marketing that Google and Amazon certainly have done better, and more of, versus Apple. 

https://www.digitaltrends.com/home/google-ces-2019/
More of yes, but vs. Apple?

IMO Apple has done a horrid job at evangelizing their concept. At least until a change in tactics quite recently Apple's ideas for a "smarter physical world" have been stuck in mud and not even in the conversation for most folks. It's been an Amazon/Google duopoly with both doing much better than Apple at promoting, explaining and integrating 3rd party devices in their ecosystems. That doesn't mean that a slower-to-adapt-their-vision Apple won't be equally effective as those two in the near future. It's so early in the smart-home market that there's no reason Apple would be left out in the cold. As you say they are perceived as a more premium experience in general, and have a rabid fan base.

radarthekat

gatorguy said:

radarthekat said:

gatorguy said:

Apple themselves is appearing at CES this year for all intents, partnering with various companies for joint PR and promotion. Is that out-of-character for Apple in recent years? If so it seems to me like more evidence of embracing the Amazon and Google model for expanding their footprint. 

I hope they are making their presence more directly visible at CES.... evangelizing the concept of a smarter physical world directly to consumers.  That’s marketing that Google and Amazon certainly have done better, and more of, versus Apple. 

https://www.digitaltrends.com/home/google-ces-2019/
More of yes, but vs. Apple?

IMO Apple has done a horrid job at evangelizing their concept. At least until a change in tactics quite recently Apple's ideas for a "smarter physical world" have been stuck in mud and not even in the conversation for most folks. It's been an Amazon/Google duopoly with both doing much better than Apple at promoting, explaining and integrating 3rd party devices in their ecosystems. That doesn't mean that a slower-to-adapt-their-vision Apple won't be equally effective as those two in the near future. It's so early in the smart-home market that there's no reason Apple would be left out in the cold. As you say they are perceived as a more premium experience in general, and have a rabid fan base.

Yes, agreed.  Oh, and I used the word ‘versus’ to mean ‘compared with’ not as Google versus Apple in some kind of war.  As in, Google.com receives a lot more search requests versus Bing.  (As compared to the number Bing receives.)

gatorguy

radarthekat said:

gatorguy said:

radarthekat said:

gatorguy said:

Apple themselves is appearing at CES this year for all intents, partnering with various companies for joint PR and promotion. Is that out-of-character for Apple in recent years? If so it seems to me like more evidence of embracing the Amazon and Google model for expanding their footprint. 

I hope they are making their presence more directly visible at CES.... evangelizing the concept of a smarter physical world directly to consumers.  That’s marketing that Google and Amazon certainly have done better, and more of, versus Apple. 

https://www.digitaltrends.com/home/google-ces-2019/
More of yes, but vs. Apple?

IMO Apple has done a horrid job at evangelizing their concept. At least until a change in tactics quite recently Apple's ideas for a "smarter physical world" have been stuck in mud and not even in the conversation for most folks. It's been an Amazon/Google duopoly with both doing much better than Apple at promoting, explaining and integrating 3rd party devices in their ecosystems. That doesn't mean that a slower-to-adapt-their-vision Apple won't be equally effective as those two in the near future. It's so early in the smart-home market that there's no reason Apple would be left out in the cold. As you say they are perceived as a more premium experience in general, and have a rabid fan base.

Yes, agreed.  Oh, and I used the word ‘versus’ to mean ‘compared with’ not as Google versus Apple in some kind of war.  As in, Google.com receives a lot more search requests versus Bing.  (As compared to the number Bing receives.)

Ah, gotcha...

StrangeDays

I cannot imagine what people are talking about by suggesting Apple has done a horrid job with HomeKit, since it's an optional API framework for product builders to use, and one which has filled my house with useful devices...and operating more securely than the other platform brands. In fact, the only device I have that doesn't offer HK is one made by none other than Google -- the Nest, where they have willfully decided not to implement HK, likely in an attempt to destabilize Apple's ecosystem, regardless of how entirely user-hostile this is. We are reminded who butters Google's bread -- advertisers, and rarely end-users. They make so little from hardware they simply don't need to care about building good hardware for end-users.

Anyway, the shades are a welcome addition to the HK landscape... The current crop by the leading blinds company are outrageously expensive -- $600+ a window in my home. Non-starter. Hopefully Ikea's will make this more approachable. Bummer about needing a bridge tho. 

sflocal

I recently installed a Homekit-compatible ceiling fan (my first HK device) and am absolutely sold on the idea.  We were looking to replace our worn our blinds with electric versions and now that this HK-compatible product is in the pipeline, that's next in line.

Homekit still has a few rough edges which I think is more the fault of the vendor than Apple, but I'm looking forward to automating my 1890's Victorian house even more!