LIFX smarbulbs gain long-delayed support for Apple's HomeKit

AppleInsider · September 21, 2017 3:53PM

Several LIFX smartbulbs are now compatible with Apple's HomeKit, the company announced on Thursday, in a move which could bolster attempts to compete with Philips' popular Hue series.

Compatibility currently includes various LIFX, LIFX GU10, LIFX Downlight, and LIFX+ models. To upgrade, owners must download the LIFX 3.8.1 app update, then install new firmware. The app will guide users through setting up HomeKit, including generating authentication codes, which would normally be printed on labels for supporting accessories.

Once HomeKit is enabled people should be able to control their lights through the iOS Home app, watchOS, or Siri. Access away from home requires an iPad or Apple TV configured as a hub.

Perhaps more significantly, HomeKit allows devices from multiple manufacturers to work together in rooms and scenes, solving a common problem with home automation. Previously LIFX owners had to use the official app or platforms like IFTTT and Amazon Alexa.

LIFX has promised HomeKit support for some time. The addition may have been made easier by Apple policy changes, above all support for software-based authentication instead of requiring a dedicated hub or chip.

hmurchison · September 21, 2017 4:03PM

Finally!

zroger73 · September 21, 2017 4:18PM

Yes! I love my LIFX bulbs. They work well with the app and Echo, but I'm glad to see them HK-compatible now.

Now, it's the Nest thermostat's turn! (I know - that's probably a pipe dream.)

jbdragon · September 21, 2017 4:44PM

zroger73 said:

Yes! I love my LIFX bulbs. They work well with the app and Echo, but I'm glad to see them HK-compatible now.

Now, it's the Nest thermostat's turn! (I know - that's probably a pipe dream.)

Get the better EcoBee which supports everyone, the new 4 has a built in Echo. Also they work with Homekit, have remote temp sensors, etc. I think they're better all around devices then NEST. Most of my house room rights are in Fan units which are Remote controlled. So light bulbs or light switches just really won't work for me. I do have homekit controlled light switches in my garage. 3 of them that control all my T8 bulbs. That works great. The few locations I could use these things really don't make much sense to do so. I'm all for more and more Homekit controlled devices. My garage door I can control with Siri on my Apple Watch as it's now Homekit controlled. I'm all for NEST getting support, but I just don't see Google doing that. I'm not sure why? After all they have their Apps on the iPhone. My guess is Google doesn't get enough out of it to make it worth their wild. Between these bulbs and the ones from IKEA that I guess also recently got updated to Homekit support. It seems like things are picking up finally.

hmurchison · September 21, 2017 4:59PM

HM State of the IoT Union 2017 -

I've had an Ecobee 3 Thermostat and a Honeywell Lyric. Both have been solid and easy to install. I'm probably going to get a Nest Thermostat next for a couple of reasons.

Good Looks
Thread/Weave support

I've found that Homekit support for Thermostats isn't really feature that I've used much. What's swayed me over to Next is that I want to get smart Smoke Detector/CO for my next home and the Nest Protect seems best by a mile. I'm looking at cameras as well. My long range goal is wire Cat6 to the perimeter and put of 4K cams with a HEVC NVR. I think we're about 3 years from this being off the bleeding edge and affordable. Until then I may suck it up and go with the new Next IQ Cams and Doorbell.

My next door lock will be a Yale AssureLock SL or Linus depending on what I value more ..HomeKit or Thread/Weave support.

My lights will be Philips Hue for the 4" Downlight and Lifx and Nanoleaf for the color strips and LED Panels. I'm a big Lutron Caseta fan but my next home needs to have tunable light from 2700k to beyond 3000k in the celling. If Lutron had tunable white I'd be there.

May upgrade my mesh router from the current Linksys Velop to an Eero system next year as well.

corradokid · September 21, 2017 6:12PM

...except if you were an original backer when they were on Kickstarter. The original lights don't support HomeKit >_<

bradford_kirby · September 21, 2017 6:32PM

zroger73 said:

Yes! I love my LIFX bulbs. They work well with the app and Echo, but I'm glad to see them HK-compatible now.

Now, it's the Nest thermostat's turn! (I know - that's probably a pipe dream.)

Glad you love them. Sadly they’re inferior to Phillips but this their fault.

The IoT is a hot mess. HomeKit has only made it worse. I believe this is learning curve growing pain stuff but there’s a fundamental economic principle all these companies are ignoring...

for wide adoption the prices must come down and their clear use and functioning needs to be simplified.

lifX are cheaper and not garbage but everything from there packaging to prominence online screams “poor people” version compared to Phillips.

Also Phillips doesn’t have a clue what a freaking goldmine they have in those bulbs. Not only are they silly and reliable... they’re no where near as expensive to produce as their unacceptably inflated prices suggest.

The Aurora magic lights are my new favorite FYI if anyone cares... and has 600$ to blow... they give you 9 which is cute but you need 20 to make living wall art... the fact that they give you 9 should underscore how foolish Phillips has been in their go to market strategy.

White: 20$
Color: 35$

packages of 1 and kits of 3, 6, 10 and 20

homekit would blow up and the manufacturers of the other smart things ( not the brand) would be forced to stop dicking around... and for Christ make Siri smart enough to be the bridge between useless and useful...

Like the W chip in the beats earphones... not sure how this happens but bluetooth sucks and apples implementation before that w chip was the worst.... and now it’s awesome... the next silicon needs to be an H chip or its software equivalent... something that’s brings all the stuff together before you even begin to talk about scenes, geotagging and etc.

but lifX are plan b if the hue are outta budget. Also they’re colors don’t produce rich enough blues and greens (a common colored light issue)

green is hard to do.

payeco · September 21, 2017 8:38PM

bradford_kirby said:

zroger73 said:

Yes! I love my LIFX bulbs. They work well with the app and Echo, but I'm glad to see them HK-compatible now.

Now, it's the Nest thermostat's turn! (I know - that's probably a pipe dream.)

Glad you love them. Sadly they’re inferior to Phillips but this their fault.

The IoT is a hot mess. HomeKit has only made it worse. I believe this is learning curve growing pain stuff but there’s a fundamental economic principle all these companies are ignoring...

for wide adoption the prices must come down and their clear use and functioning needs to be simplified.

lifX are cheaper and not garbage but everything from there packaging to prominence online screams “poor people” version compared to Phillips.

Also Phillips doesn’t have a clue what a freaking goldmine they have in those bulbs. Not only are they silly and reliable... they’re no where near as expensive to produce as their unacceptably inflated prices suggest.

The Aurora magic lights are my new favorite FYI if anyone cares... and has 600$ to blow... they give you 9 which is cute but you need 20 to make living wall art... the fact that they give you 9 should underscore how foolish Phillips has been in their go to market strategy.

White: 20$
Color: 35$

packages of 1 and kits of 3, 6, 10 and 20

homekit would blow up and the manufacturers of the other smart things ( not the brand) would be forced to stop dicking around... and for Christ make Siri smart enough to be the bridge between useless and useful...

Like the W chip in the beats earphones... not sure how this happens but bluetooth sucks and apples implementation before that w chip was the worst.... and now it’s awesome... the next silicon needs to be an H chip or its software equivalent... something that’s brings all the stuff together before you even begin to talk about scenes, geotagging and etc.

but lifX are plan b if the hue are outta budget. Also they’re colors don’t produce rich enough blues and greens (a common colored light issue)

green is hard to do.

No offense but your bias against Lifx sounds to me like something you've cooked up in your own mind. The reviews almost universally pick Lifx over Philips Hues.

https://www.cnet.com/news/smart-home-showdown-philips-hue-vs-lifx/

I have a few Hues from when I bought a hub and 3 bulb kit on Prime Day two years ago but everything else is Lifx because everything I've read, ranging from personal reviews on Reddit and various forums to professional reviews from places like Cnet, go with Lifx. The one thing I prefer about the Hues is their hub system over the direct wifi connection for each bulb with the Lifx. Hues use Zigbee for their connection which create a mesh network on their own so they don't have to be in range of the hub as long as there is another bulb/Zigbee device that is in range of the hub. With the Lifx every bulb needs to be in wifi range.

LIFX smarbulbs gain long-delayed support for Apple's HomeKit

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