Editorial: Apple isn't revamping its HomeKit team, but maybe it should
Bloomberg believes that Apple is hiring people to overhaul how the company's HomeKit devices work with third-party products. The report is based on disprovable information, yet it is true that Apple both should and could do much more with the technology.
HomePod and the "Works with HomeKit" logo
According to Bloomberg, Apple is currently hiring a new team of engineers to revamp its HomeKit offerings. Reportedly, it's because Apple has fallen behind Amazon and Google in the smart home field.
The report seems to be extrapolated chiefly from recruitment ads on Apple's official jobs board, and that's unsteady ground. Bloomberg says 15 HomeKit jobs have been posted in the last month, although the site is currently showing only 12. Of all HomeKit jobs posted at any time and still available, there are 26.
AppleInsider, and others, have been tracking Apple's job HomeKit job postings for years. The claim that 15 is notable for the last month is wrong. Apple consistently posts around this number of HomeKit-related jobs per month, with 30 available at any given time. These numbers have been steady for over a year, and were higher in 2017.
Then Bloomberg belabors that the posts are all for engineers, but goes on to justify this with details about jobs that are clearly not engineering. While some ask for experience in developing wireless, battery powered devices, others are about supply chain expertise. Like they have always been.
Similarly, Bloomberg claims that the overall aim of the new team is specifically to get more third-party companies to develop products that work with Apple's HomeKit technology. That may very well involve engineers, but you have to think they're more likely to be needed at these third-party firms than at Apple.
One of the current HomeKit-related jobs posted on Apple's recruitment site.
Bloomberg does also claim that sources have told it the company is directly headhunting potential candidates. But, it always does this in every field it works in. Furthermore, another unnamed source reportedly says that Apple previously had a team working on creating its own smart home devices such as doors, but suspended the work.
A source within Apple corporate not authorized to speak on behalf of the company told AppleInsider that "there have been no notable changes to the HomeKit development team."
Only, maybe there should be.
And whatever the smart device is that you want, there will be an Amazon and a Google one, there may well not be an Apple HomeKit one. That's particularly true internationally, but even within the US, your range of products is quite limited.
Apple has made a move that could be designed to help this. It's announced HomeKit Secure Video as part of iOS 13, which will store your security footage on Apple's servers. That will unquestionably make HomeKit cameras more appealing to buyers because it will doubtlessly be convenient, plus it's easier to trust Apple with your footage than it is an unknown third-party.
Ikea says its smart blinds will work with HomeKit - but not yet. You can bet they work with Alexa, though.
Yet although firms such as Logitech have said that they will support HomeKit Secure Video, it's not likely to see a rush of vendors. That's because home security firms don't just rely on selling you a camera, they need you to buy services such as footage storage and retrieval.
If Apple made a camera, you'd call HomeKit Security Video a killer feature, especially as a certain amount of the storage will be free if you already pay for extra iCloud storage.
What it needs is HomeKit evangelism, like how it sold Macs back in the day.
The Apple TV and HomePod, for instance, are already able to act as a HomeKit hub in your house. It's there, it's plugged in, it's working with HomeKit. What would it take for Apple to embed a mesh Wi-Fi system into that same hardware.
Along with that, Apple could make Wi-Fi routers again. Even if these somehow weren't as typically easy to use as most Apple gear, the fact that they won't be spying on you, and could have guaranteed HomeKit certification including HomeKit Camera support are huge things.
Bloomberg's report today appears to be wrong, like its famously poor reporting on the iCloud spy chip debacle. But, that doesn't mean that consumers wouldn't benefit from a little HomeKit attention.
Keep up with AppleInsider by downloading the AppleInsider app for iOS, 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.
HomePod and the "Works with HomeKit" logo
According to Bloomberg, Apple is currently hiring a new team of engineers to revamp its HomeKit offerings. Reportedly, it's because Apple has fallen behind Amazon and Google in the smart home field.
The report seems to be extrapolated chiefly from recruitment ads on Apple's official jobs board, and that's unsteady ground. Bloomberg says 15 HomeKit jobs have been posted in the last month, although the site is currently showing only 12. Of all HomeKit jobs posted at any time and still available, there are 26.
AppleInsider, and others, have been tracking Apple's job HomeKit job postings for years. The claim that 15 is notable for the last month is wrong. Apple consistently posts around this number of HomeKit-related jobs per month, with 30 available at any given time. These numbers have been steady for over a year, and were higher in 2017.
Then Bloomberg belabors that the posts are all for engineers, but goes on to justify this with details about jobs that are clearly not engineering. While some ask for experience in developing wireless, battery powered devices, others are about supply chain expertise. Like they have always been.
Similarly, Bloomberg claims that the overall aim of the new team is specifically to get more third-party companies to develop products that work with Apple's HomeKit technology. That may very well involve engineers, but you have to think they're more likely to be needed at these third-party firms than at Apple.
One of the current HomeKit-related jobs posted on Apple's recruitment site.
Bloomberg does also claim that sources have told it the company is directly headhunting potential candidates. But, it always does this in every field it works in. Furthermore, another unnamed source reportedly says that Apple previously had a team working on creating its own smart home devices such as doors, but suspended the work.
A source within Apple corporate not authorized to speak on behalf of the company told AppleInsider that "there have been no notable changes to the HomeKit development team."
Only, maybe there should be.
Talking more about HomeKit
Bloomberg is right that HomeKit devices lag far behind Amazon's Echo and Google's Home ones. We might wish that both of those companies were more privacy and security conscious as Apple is, but if you pick up a smart device, it's certainly going to work with them.And whatever the smart device is that you want, there will be an Amazon and a Google one, there may well not be an Apple HomeKit one. That's particularly true internationally, but even within the US, your range of products is quite limited.
Apple has made a move that could be designed to help this. It's announced HomeKit Secure Video as part of iOS 13, which will store your security footage on Apple's servers. That will unquestionably make HomeKit cameras more appealing to buyers because it will doubtlessly be convenient, plus it's easier to trust Apple with your footage than it is an unknown third-party.
Ikea says its smart blinds will work with HomeKit - but not yet. You can bet they work with Alexa, though.
Yet although firms such as Logitech have said that they will support HomeKit Secure Video, it's not likely to see a rush of vendors. That's because home security firms don't just rely on selling you a camera, they need you to buy services such as footage storage and retrieval.
If Apple made a camera, you'd call HomeKit Security Video a killer feature, especially as a certain amount of the storage will be free if you already pay for extra iCloud storage.
What it needs is HomeKit evangelism, like how it sold Macs back in the day.
And then, there's the AirPort
Where Apple could make a killer feature that made HomeKit more appealing and yet didn't drive away other vendors, is in its existing products.The Apple TV and HomePod, for instance, are already able to act as a HomeKit hub in your house. It's there, it's plugged in, it's working with HomeKit. What would it take for Apple to embed a mesh Wi-Fi system into that same hardware.
Along with that, Apple could make Wi-Fi routers again. Even if these somehow weren't as typically easy to use as most Apple gear, the fact that they won't be spying on you, and could have guaranteed HomeKit certification including HomeKit Camera support are huge things.
Bloomberg's report today appears to be wrong, like its famously poor reporting on the iCloud spy chip debacle. But, that doesn't mean that consumers wouldn't benefit from a little HomeKit attention.
Keep up with AppleInsider by downloading the AppleInsider app for iOS, 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.
Comments
Apple exiting this market is one of the dumbest things they've done recently. Sure they aren't making millions from it but it sure can help them sell the message of we care about your privacy... Stupid, stupid, bean counters.
Exactly why cannot the 100 million Macintosh computers- many of which are sitting on desks in homes - cannot be used as a hub for HomeKit? It makes a lot more sense to use a desktop Mac than have to use the Apple TV or an iPad. And the question about dropping AirPort when it would have made a good HomeKit hub is also valid.
I have no doubt that Tim Cook is a smart guy and well intentioned, but I wonder if he has the vision or the passion to see this stuff live up to the promise and potential.
I believe part of the problem is that Homekit and Siri are two different teams and should be combined into 1 big team to fix issues where Siri can’t see Homekit hardware, but the Home app can. Also with iOS 13, I have noticed it takes much longer for Homekit to update the status of the devices.
/rolleyes
Wow, what a high bar to set...
Ah yes, Bloomberg. That's the one that published Steve's obituary prematurely. Right, I don't read anything from them.
I agree with regard to the Apple router question. Stepping back from that category just as they're pushing forward with HomeKit and their position as the champion of security and privacy is the least Apple-like thing Apple has done in recent years. I'm quite certain I'm not alone in preferring to have Apple handle all the networking security this side of the modem. It would be good indeed if they would re-enter that market soon, along with a bigger push with HomeKit.
I’m shocked, SHOCKED I tell you.
/sarcasm
The only flaky element in my setup is an iHome environmental sensor in the attic, which routinely becomes unresponsive until power cycled. It's the only item that doesn't work, and the iHome app also crashes every single time I try to open it, so I'm guessing they don't know what they're doing.
I soon gave up and replaced them with Lutron switches and haven’t had one issue in almost a year. I have about 40 devices (switches, outlets, locks, hue bulbs) and don’t run into any issues anymore. I’ve had 100% uptime for 8-9 months now. The Leviton switches would cause mDNS issues in the network causing other branded devices to stop responding.
I got my HP at the $249 price, and that's a little too much for what I can get out of it. Adding another one for stereo would probably be an improvement in my listening experience, but not a good ROI.
I don't know where the fault lies– HK, Apple, or Siri.
Apple routers are another matter. There was no sense in Apple staying in the router market. Third-parties were easily besting Apple's performance for less money. The AEBSs' strength was in design, which has been equaled or surpassed by mesh routers (unless you like the stealth F-117 look), and in simplicity of installation and connection. They dropped the ball in granularity of control. They were the Mac equivalent of iOS implementation.
I bought a the last model (Gen 6) of AEBS when they were discontinued because it was more powerful than my Gen 5) router, and was easy to set up. I'll swap it out one day when the fan dies and I can't resuscitate it, and mesh is much cheaper than it is.
Yes they dropped the ball in granularity of control, but a lot of that can be addressed in software/firmware. Just update it.
People could argue Samsung/Pixel phones are equal in features/quality as the iPhone. Should they drop iPhones? How many streaming boxes are there now? Kill AppleTV? Heck the AppleTV+ software is on competing devices. If there was ever a case to kill a product this is a text book example.
Problem is where does it end?
When they do I think they'll offer routers with HomeKit support with Thread.
They will likely be mesh but the form factor is going to be like the Plume system
The plug-in wifi modules will not only form a Wifi Mesh but will also be UWB
beacons. Apple will have its own custom roaming IP that allows your Mac
or iOS device to seamlessly hop to the strongest module.
Apple will then be able to deliver a more powerful system of parental control
for $5 per month covering all iCloud Family users.