Apple will introduce software to control smart devices next week
Apple is due to introduce software for the iPhone next week that would allow devices in the home to be controlled separately. With this, the American electronics giant reportedly wants to enter the ‘internet of things’ market, The Financial Times reported Monday.
Multiple sources who would know more about the plans told the American business newspaper that Apple will announce the software during its Worldwide Developer Conference, which starts in exactly a week. With the software, Apple also wants to compete in the field of home systems with companies such as Samsung and Google. The latter took over the manufacturer of the Nest thermostats this year.
The as yet unannounced software should make it possible to operate multiple ‘smart’ devices such as lighting systems and thermostats in a house, for example. One example is that the light comes on as soon as someone comes home, with the iPhone automatically switching on the light system by means of a wireless signal. It is not known exactly how that happens; the location can be determined by means of gps, wifi, bluetooth, the ip address or the cell tower, to which the mobile phone connects.
Apple’s software would complement the separate applications that manufacturers already provide in the App Store for operating separate devices, such as the Nest thermostats and the Philips Hue lamps. Apple is currently in talks with the manufacturers of such systems about the implementation of the software, according to The Financial Times. It is possible that the devices that can work with the software will be labeled as compatible with Apple devices in the future.
The rumor in The Financial Times about the new software initially seems out of the blue, but it has been known for some time that Apple is targeting technology for home automation applications. More about this came out in November, when Apple obtained a patent on technology to activate ‘functions’ based on location determination. In the patent, the company listed several suitable applications, including a garage door, a thermostat and lighting.