Many tech enthusiasts have used smart home technology for over a decade, and some for many decades. Because of this, it can be easy for geeks to forget that they live in a tech bubble. Many have wondered why anyone would pay significantly higher prices for the Apple Home Collection when the devices don't seem to offer added benefits. But the author argues that this view is a bubble effect.
Smart home technology began with a great deal of soldering and programming. Wireless devices controlled by smartphones were the first major step forward, but setup was still far from simple, often requiring multiple companion apps. Apple's HomeKit aimed to fix this with a single app and voice control, yet it fell short. Some devices still needed third-party apps for setup, and relatively few manufacturers adopted it. Amazon Alexa and Google Home were far more commercially successful. The Matter and Thread standards helped by letting manufacturers support one set of standards for all three major ecosystems and by simplifying setup, but their practical impact was still limited.
The Apple Home Collection offers no new product categories, and cheaper equivalents exist for each device. For techies, that makes it look unremarkable. For non-geeks, however, the setup process is completely different. Apple has made configuring a device as simple as pairing a set of AirPods: bring it close to an iPhone and follow the prompts. The author watched an Apple representative find, pair and register a new device in the Apple Home app almost instantly, calling it one of the most compelling smart home experiences seen.
The author concludes that this easy, intuitive setup could make a big difference for ordinary people, and that its significance should not be underestimated.
Source: 9to5Mac · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing