Apple is preparing to launch new smart home devices that will allow users to control doorbells, thermostats and smart locks, in an effort to strengthen its position in a market where it has experimented for a decade without achieving major success.
Apple’s expected devices and its challenge to Amazon
Analysts said the company’s plans could also include upgrades to the HomePod smart speaker and Apple TV devices, expanding its range of products linked to the management of connected home devices. The expected products are part of Apple’s effort to confront traditional competitors, led by Amazon, which has invested heavily in Echo speakers and Ring doorbells and launched premium tablets last week.
The competition also extends to artificial intelligence start-ups such as OpenAI, which has its own ambitions in the devices sector. Investors are watching Apple’s device sales with growing interest in search of growth opportunities, as regulatory pressures weigh on the company’s services revenue.
Apple’s path in the smart home market
This places greater focus on the ability of the new products to support Apple’s devices business and expand its presence in homes. The company began its push in the sector by launching the Home app in 2016 to control smart devices, then introduced HomePod smart speakers in 2018. These products compete with Alphabet’s Google Home speakers, as well as Amazon’s Echo range of devices.
Analysts identified two main obstacles for Apple in the smart home market. The first is making its devices compatible with a wide range of third-party tools and products, while the second concerns the limited ability of its personal assistant, Siri, to provide useful answers to users.
Bob O’Donnell, chief analyst at TECHnalysis Research, said Apple had worked during the summer to upgrade Siri’s capabilities with help from Google. But he said connecting smart home components remained extremely difficult for many Apple consumers, to the point that they could not see a clear benefit in doing so.
O’Donnell added that advances in artificial intelligence should eventually help address these difficulties, but he raised two fundamental questions for Apple: whether it had the connectivity capabilities needed to simplify smart home set-up, and whether it was prepared to work across the entire smart home ecosystem rather than confining its products to its closed ecosystem.
