Apple's home automation tech reportedly won't land until spring
We hope you weren't in a big rush to outfit your household with devices that use Apple's HomeKit automation technology -- you may be waiting a little while. Recode tipsters claim that Apple started certifying HomeKit gear later than it wanted, pushing the release of many supporting gadgets (and their underlying chips) back to spring or later. While Apple hasn't said whether or not there's a delay, the company notes that multiple companies (such as Elgato and iDevices) formally unveiled their first HomeKit hardware at CES. In many cases, the finished goods won't ship until spring or summer.
Reportedly, the less-than-ideal timing can be chalked up to Apple's insistence on "rigorous performance standards" for HomeKit, much like what it demands with existing certification efforts like AirPlay and MFi. The ostensible goal is to get home automation working smoothly from the word "go," not to put products on store shelves as quickly as possible. That's good if you'd rather not deal with glitches in your appliances and light bulbs, but it also means that one of iOS 8's tentpole features won't be useful until several months after launch.
[Image credit: AP Photo/Jeff Chiu]
