It seems like at each CEDIA Expo, we see more manufacturers unveiling products that work closely with the technology that end users are already using such as phones and tablets, specifically Apple products.
CEDIA Expo 2024 was no exception, with manufacturers capitalizing on the tech giant’s recent investments in AI and what appear to be upcoming investments in the smart home industry.
In a bid to improve Siri and put the virtual assistant on par with new generative and conversational AI models, Apple is developing Apple Intelligence, a new AI platform to be embedded in Apple products designed to enhancing user experiences across iPhone, iPad, and Mac with advanced AI-powered features.
Apple also added new smart home control features in its latest software releases for iOS, iPadOS and tvOS.
On top of those announcements and the impending release of Apple Intelligence later this fall, Apple is also rumored to be developing its own smart home platform and iPad-like device designed for home control.
Lightapalooza took place in late February, and the growth of the event has mirrored the rapid ascension lighting fixtures and controls.
Apple’s recent innovations are clearly something that smart home control companies like Control4 and Savant want to capitalize on, with both companies highlighting at CEDIA Expo 2024 how the smart home control platforms integrate with Apple products like Siri and HomeKit.
In a move to enhance the user experience for its smart home customers, Snap One, the parent company of the Control4 brand, is expanding its integration with Apple’s HomeKit and CarPlay platforms with the release of X4, a new operating system under the Control4 brand.
According to Eric Harper, senior vice president of product marketing at Snap One, this reflects a demand to improve the end user experience, and what better way to do that than to launch an integration with one of the most ubiquitous devices in history: the iPhone.
In addition to a new user interface that allows users to customize their home screen and the ability to add widgets, much like in iOS.
A new integration with HomeKit, Apple’s current smart home control tool, adds more native integration in iOS such as swiping down in Control Center to access home controls. In addition, Control4’s X4 platform also leverages CarPlay and other experiences that extend the smart home control options to a user’s vehicle.
Control4’s X4 platform features an enhanced integration with Apple’s HomeKit.
“You pull into your driveway, and because we now have this interaction with HomeKit, you can have Siri would suggest opening your garage door,” Harper explains. “And now I can execute that open command right from CarPlay in my vehicle through Control4 back to the house.”
Harper says a closer integration between Control4 and Apple products is an obvious move and a decision with lots of data to back it up.
“[iPhones] are everywhere, and it’s expanding,” Harper says. “We know from our data that most of our customers are on iOS devices. Apple Watch was a big request, so we set an updated version of that not too long ago, which is great because you can control your volume on your music right from your wrist.”
The x4 OS also includes a new “routines” feature that provides automation suggestions based on the user’s installed devices and settings. Users can then further customize these routines, such as setting lights, shades, and thermostats to specific states at a scheduled time, Haper says.
The move aligns with Snap One’s broader focus on improving the end-user experience, a key priority as the company integrates its recent acquisition of ADI. By leveraging Apple’s ecosystem, Snap One aims to provide a more seamless and intuitive smart home experience for its customers.
Savant, another home control option, was literally built on an Apple platform because the company wanted a UNIX-like operating system to run its software on, but the closest thing to that was macOS, says JC Murphy, Savant’s president.
That close working relationship with Apple led to an integration with Siri, which the company announced during CEDIA Expo last year and was again highlighting this year. The company says its AI engine has been designed to interpret natural language from Siri, as well as triggers from AirTags, near-filed communications (NFC) tags and geofencing, to easily control entertainment, comfort, lighting, energy, and security throughout the entire home.
According to Savant, users ask Siri to trigger a Savant Scene, syncing Apple Music with dynamic lighting that pulses to the beat. Siri on HomePod can also dim the lights, power up the Apple TV, and streaming services. The Savant Pro Remote, which already integrates with Siri, further expands voice control possibilities in a Savant home.
Savant was featuring its advanced integration with Siri at CEDIA Expo 2024.
“When you hear people talk about Apple devices and their reliability, security and stability, it’s because of their OS,” Murphy says. “We approached Apple, and they allowed us to actually take our software and run it on their Mac OS, and that’s how we started, because we wanted a stable software platform to run the home.”
Murphy and Savant were also touting new native integrations with all the key music sources, such as Apple Music (of course), Spotify, Amazon Music, Pandora, and a host of others. This distributed audio and music server platform is over the network and uses the same technology that Apple and automobile companies are using, Murphy says.
In addition, Chris Hall, senior product marketing manager at Savant, told CE Pro that the company is also working on compatibility with AirPlay2, Apple’s wireless multi-room audio protocol.
Beyond smart home software and operating systems, dozens of companies were touting integrations with Apple services like HomeKit and AirPlay, including motorized shading company Somfy, CEDIA Expo newcomer and smart lock maker Level Home, and countless audio companies that work with AirPlay.
Crestron also highlighted how its new DM NAX audio-over-IP platform works with streaming services, including built-in AirPlay software.
It’s a common sight by now, but Apple TV devices are widely used in vendor booths to help demonstrate products manufacturers are showing off. They are equally as popular in custom home integration projects and are now becoming somewhat of a smart home hub thanks to recent Apple innovations.
Aside from Apple technology integrations, several companies were showing off mounting solutions for iPads, which are popular smart home control interfaces.
WALL-SMART, for example, showcased its new flush mount for Apple’s newest generation of iPads, designed to fit the company’s latest 11- and 13-inch iPad Pro and iPad Air models into modern smart homes and commercial spaces.
The solution also includes an optional Ethernet adapter on both new and legacy iPad mounts, ensuring robust network connectivity and enabling systems integrators to effortlessly incorporate iPads into home control ecosystems. The mounts also feature a built-in USB adapter.
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