On the latest episode of the HomeKit Insider Podcast, your host goes hands on with two recent product launches, and discusses more of best home automation news.
In our hands-on portion, we have both the ThorBolt X1 deadbolt and the Brilliant second-generation smart wall panel to check out.
The ThorBolt X1 is affordable and supports Apple Home Key, making it immediately of interest. It seems to have solid construction, is fast to respond, and is easy to install.
Then we have the Brilliant second-gen smart wall switch panel. The immediate takeaways was that it is not only faster and sharper, but is also thinner too.
We also noticed a physical mute switch located on the back of the display too, perfect for those who don’t want additional microphones in their home.
Otherwise in the news, we talk about the rumored tvOS redesign destined for WWDC. It comes at the same time of another rumor saying Apple’s smart display could still launch in the latter half of this year.
Govee has a new lamp post light that is compatible with Apple Home via Matter. It’s portable with three different mounting options to secure it to the ground.
Homey Pro Mini launched this week too, for $199. It’s more affordable than the full-sized pro and is compatible with Matter.
Finally, Aqara has previewed a new partnership with A-ok. They are going to be creating various Matter-enabled window coverings such as smart shades and blinds as well as awnings.
We wrap the episode with a discussion with Thibaut Regnier. Regnier is the CEO behind the Maisomage app.
The discussion gets into Apple’s APIs, how it could work on the smart home display, and more.
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