The ability to use Siri and a single app to control your smart home technology makes HomeKit compatibility almost a must these days, but so far that has not come cheap – as both Zac and myself discovered. Smart bulbs from the market leader Philips mostly cost $30 per bulb for white and $50 for color, a price that soon adds up if you’re looking to fit out your entire home (though there is a $15 option).
But all that is set to change in the summer as Ikea has announced that its smart lighting system will be HomeKit-compatible as of the summer. Ikea’s smart bulbs start at just $11.99 …
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iPhone-ticker reports that Ikea is updating its TRÅDFRI smart lights to be compatible with HomeKit, Amazon Echo and Google Home. The site says that the company will ‘retrofit’ the functionality, suggesting that compatibility will apply to existing products.
The existing product line is limited to white bulbs, but once you’ve bought the gateway for $79.99 (which includes two bulbs), you can add smart bulbs at prices ranging from $11.99 for a 1000-lumen E28 bulb, through $14.99 for a 400-lumen E12, $17.99 for a 980-lumen E27 to a $19.99 G10 spotlight.
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