The first HomeKit-compatible devices are likely now in production as two chipmakers confirmed to Forbes that they have begun shipping Apple-certified Bluetooth and Wifi chips to device manufacturers.
Apple first announced HomeKit at its developer conference back in June. The idea behind it is to integrate control of a whole range of smart home devices into iOS, rather than requiring a bunch of different manufacturer apps to be used …
One part of the certification process for device makers is that they have to buy their Bluetooth and Wifi chips from Apple-approved chipmakers–Texas Instruments, Marvell and Broadcom.
These chipmakers have begun shipping their chips loaded with HomeKit firmware to device manufacturers, Broadcom and Texas Instruments have confirmed.
HomeKit will allow devices to be controlled individually or collectively from a single app, as well as allowing control via Siri. The HomeKit API was announced in June, with MFi specifications for HomeKit-compatible products published last month. Giving access to certified chips is the final step needed to allow companies to begin manufacturing products.
A number of smart home device makers have already confirmed that products are on the way, among them Elgato, Honeywell and Withings. Bedrosian says we can expect many more to follow.
“Everyone’s getting ready,” said Brian Bedrosian, senior director of embedded wireless in the mobile and wireless group at Broadcom. “Expect to see new product launches in the next cycle of product releases.”
“Apple is widening access to their ecosystem and we’ll see more and more products,” he said. “The goal is to create a better consumer experience for the iOS ecosystem and provide a simplified and unified approach to control home devices. We’re just starting to see the first wave of many products.”
