WHY ARE HOMEKIT PRODUCTS SO PRICEY?

We’re used to Apple products costing more than similar things from other firms, but third-party Homekit products are often more expensive too. And that’s because Apple is much more strict about Homekit than the creators of other smart home platforms are. To be certified by Apple, manufacturers need to do more than just write software to make their products compatible: for the first three years of Homekit, firms needed to include a special authentication chip and jump through all kinds of hoops to be officially certified. The chip is no longer required, but other hoops are still there.

LET’S GET COST

Apple’s control is both good and bad for consumers. It’s good because you can be sure that a Homekit device isn’t going to blow up your house or set your coffee machine on fire. But to make Apple happy costs time and money, and of course manufacturers pass on those costs to us. That’s the price of the ‘Works with Apple Homekit’ logo