Apple is reportedly looking to support several new smart home accessories with its upcoming iOS 17.6 update, potentially bringing new functionality to Apple Home.
According to the Apple news website Apple Insider, there have been several changes referencing new features coming to new versions of Apple’s platforms in the public-facing code repository for Matter.
The site reports code additions referencing support for new features in “middle of 2024” to iOS 17.6, macOS 14.6, watchOS 10.6, and tvOS 17.6. Here’s more from Apple Insider:
As far as what new features we’ll see, some of what we’ve seen point to supporting new features that were recently implemented in the Matter 1.3 spec.
This includes more robust air quality monitoring, power management, and water valves. There appear to be references to CO, CO2, formaldehyde, PM10, PM2.5, PM1, and radon monitoring in the code strings.
Lightapalooza took place in late February, and the growth of the event has mirrored the rapid ascension lighting fixtures and controls.
There are other references as well, including to robotic vacuum cleaners. Those were part of the Matter 1.2 update.
That said, we can’t conclusively say this will finally be support in iOS 17.6.
However, Apple has yet formalize any of these updates, although the company is expected to shed some light before its WWDC event begins on June 10.
In other Apple news, third-party app Controller for HomeKit in a new update has released the ability to create an Apple Home Floor Plan and link it with devices, rooms, scenes and workflows using the LiDAR sensor of an iPhone or iPad.
The feature is similar to what Samsung and Amazon offer via their respective smart home apps, but via a third-party app. This creates a depth map of reach room for a 3D image of the environment that includes doors, furniture, cabinets, shelves, appliances and more.
Users can scan multiple floors and are able to switch between floors.
The post 2024 Lighting Controls and Fixtures Report appeared first on CEPRO.