Apple’s Homekit Gives Way to the Rise of the Smart Home

Observing your neighbor own and operate a smart home is not as far off as you might think. The smart homes’ popularity is on the rise thanks to Apple’s Homekit. So, the next time you’re on the lookout for a new home to purchase or move in to, you may find yourself asking about its operating system besides its price and location.

Today, the smart home market might be modest, but researchers claim that over the coming years, there will be a growth of around 15%. By 2022, the smart home tech market is estimated to be worth $121.7 billion.

Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior VP of software engineering said at this year’s WWDC event that five major homebuilders, including KP, Lennar, and Brookefield Residential are open to supporting homekit in new properties.This means that new homes built in the US and in China have HomeKit built in and you can move in and begin controlling your home straightaway.

Nowadays, people enter a new home and expect new technologies. However, they’re also super confused about how iOT and home automation works. Last year, Apple launched Homekit, its own smart things framework with the goal of placing iOS at the center of home automation.

A testament to the growing smart home industry: At launch, only a handful of hardware manufacturers used the framework. Now, over 70 of them are selling a product or building one. Apple has also created Home, a single app for controlling all iOS objects around the residence.

Considering the size of the home building market in comparison to real estate resale, what does Apple benefit from in all of this? One point is that there are no customer acquisition costs. Placing HomeKit appliances directly into new residences has two advantages: the price of the kit is built into the price of the residence, and complexity, as the HomeKit devices are ready for use when they move in.

This year, Apple extends its range of accessories compatible with HomeKit in adding devices, such as home security cameras, air conditioners, doorbells, and cameras. As prices continue to fall, consumers--according to home builders--will soon find smart home tech more attractive.