Apple Says First HomeKit Accessories Coming in June, Refutes Delay Rumour

Apple yesterday released a statement to debunk an earlier Fortune report which claimed a delay to the launch of HomeKit accessories. In a statement to the Wall Street Journal, Apple says customers can expect new HomeKit devices to arrive in June:

“HomeKit [hardware certification] has been available for just a few months and we already have dozens of partners who have committed to bringing HomeKit accessories to market and we’re looking forward to the first ones coming next month,” said Apple spokeswoman Trudy Muller.

Screenshot 2015 05 15 09 33 48

HomeKit debuted last June at WWDC, an SDK to enable hardware manufacturers to help create devices to automate and connect homes with smart doorbells, thermostats and more, with actions being able to be controlled by Siri:

HomeKit is a framework in iOS 8 for communicating with and controlling connected accessories in a user’s home. You can enable users to discover HomeKit accessories in their home and configure them, or you can create actions to control those devices. Users can group actions together and trigger them using Siri.

Companies looking to create HomeKit-enabled hardware accessories need to be an MFi licensee.

I can’t wait to see what accessories come out of this, in particular smart doorbells, as some of the attempts in the market have been pretty horrible (I’m talking to you, Doorbot).

P.S. - Like our news? Support the site with a coffee/beer. Or shop with our Amazon link. We use affiliate links when possible--thank you for supporting independent media.