IKEA expanding HomeKit lineup with new smart plugs in October
IKEA will be building on its popular and affordable smart home platform this fall with a new HomeKit-equipped smart plug, according to new rumors.
Source: Teknikveckan
Swedish tech blog Teknikveckan this week received information regarding an as-yet-unreleased TRDFRI smart plug expected to ship in October.
According to a screenshot of what appears to be IKEA's internal product database, the smart plug is set to arrive in October and will run only $10 for basic on/off functionality. A bundle including the outlet and a remote will cost $15. The remote features a magnetic back design for mounting with the included wall bracket, similar to the Hue Dimmer Switch.
The smart plug depicted in the image looks to accommodate Europlug Type F outlets, one of two electrical outlet types used throughout Sweden. Whether IKEA plans to release an identical device supporting Type A or Type B outlets found in the U.S. is unknown.
TRDFRI is IKEA's line of smart home products, primarily consisting of smart light bulbs, that come with support for Apple's HomeKit, Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa.
Reviews have not been overwhelmingly positive for the TRDFRI line, with many reviewers citing inconsistent command responses. They do however remain one of the most affordable lineups of HomeKit products available.
As with existing TRDFRI products, the rumored smart plug will likely require a dedicated gateway to function.
IKEA has had a bumpy road with its smart home line. The company initially announced HomeKit support as part of a software update last August, only to retract those claims hours later. A second release was attempted last October, but the update was pulled after "technical difficulties" were encountered. IKEA officially added HomeKit support to the TRDFRI line in November.
Source: Teknikveckan
Swedish tech blog Teknikveckan this week received information regarding an as-yet-unreleased TRDFRI smart plug expected to ship in October.
According to a screenshot of what appears to be IKEA's internal product database, the smart plug is set to arrive in October and will run only $10 for basic on/off functionality. A bundle including the outlet and a remote will cost $15. The remote features a magnetic back design for mounting with the included wall bracket, similar to the Hue Dimmer Switch.
The smart plug depicted in the image looks to accommodate Europlug Type F outlets, one of two electrical outlet types used throughout Sweden. Whether IKEA plans to release an identical device supporting Type A or Type B outlets found in the U.S. is unknown.
TRDFRI is IKEA's line of smart home products, primarily consisting of smart light bulbs, that come with support for Apple's HomeKit, Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa.
Reviews have not been overwhelmingly positive for the TRDFRI line, with many reviewers citing inconsistent command responses. They do however remain one of the most affordable lineups of HomeKit products available.
As with existing TRDFRI products, the rumored smart plug will likely require a dedicated gateway to function.
IKEA has had a bumpy road with its smart home line. The company initially announced HomeKit support as part of a software update last August, only to retract those claims hours later. A second release was attempted last October, but the update was pulled after "technical difficulties" were encountered. IKEA officially added HomeKit support to the TRDFRI line in November.
Comments
You'll have to excuse Nunzy. He's a peculiar kind of Apple fan/ troll.
An important argument for using IKEAs products is also that once you have an IKEA in your neighbourhood you know that you can keep on buying compatible products. There'll be no lines of products that are just retired, or lights from 5 sources that all have a slightly different hue to them no matter how much you finetune everything.
That's the same bs that you get from people that complain about how that one iPhone they had years ago didn't have certain features… It's actually quite simple: If a product doesn't meet your requirements, then you don't buy it.
I’ve checked some reviews on YouTube and they most people say they are very unreliable and low quality, but people over here seem to have a good opinion about them.
And I like IKEA - their kallax series is the base of rectangles in my livingroom and office.
I have hue lights and added Ikea ones. The white ones from Ikea are brighter overall than Philips hue and I find their button design superior to Philips.
Maybe they break quicker... but then it’s a third of the cost to replace them... who knows at this time - only a few years of use will show.
I know, eventually Apple will sell a better one for 6x more. IKEA also has models that stand alone and charge multiple devices for a bit more.
Last winter when temperature for the first time dropped to like -15°C, my porch light broke; but as it's rated for -20°C I got a new one, no questions asked.
You bought a very affordable flatpack and literally broke it yourself by not looking at what you had before handling it… Aaaand… that makes it IKEAs fault?