Thats where voice control comes in.
Theyll also be able to add their robot cleaning buddy to HomeKit scenes and automations.
While this is exciting news, Apple may be a little late to the party.
Image Credit: Georgie Peru
Google Home and Amazon Alexa already offer this capability in some capacity.
Part of the issue might have to do with the implementation of Matter 1.2.
Matter 1.3, released in May, brought additional features.
That’s a massive step toward additional Matter equipment support in Apple Home.
Even if it’s a logical assumption.
Likewise, most robotic vacuum manufacturers still have yet to implement Matter 1.2 or 1.3 into their current offerings.
The outlier being Roborock.
More manufacturers are expected to announce iOS 18 compatibility as the fall release approaches.
2Guest Access and Activity History
Apples new guest access feature is another first for the HomeKit crowd.
Guest access also allows you to set time limits and access permissions with just a few taps.
The current developer version of Activity History records dates, times, and devices accessed on a rolling basis.
It sorts these chronologically and groups them by date.
Hands-free unlock might be right up your alley.
It’s still too early to tell which manufacturers will officially support the feature.
The official Apple press photos showcase a surprisingly granular data set, which includes day-to-day monitoring of energy usage.
Apple indicates that it is partnering with local electricity companies to help provide this data.
Only one electric company seems to be on Apples roster presentlyCalifornias Pacific Gas & Electric.
According to Apple’s website, however, more “leading” companies might not be far behind.
Everyone else will have to hang tight until more partnerships are announced.
For owners of AirPods or Beats headphones, Spatial Audio isn’t exactly new.
Still, its a welcome addition to the HomePod product line, offering a more immersive aural entertainment experience.
This feature arrives alongside several other entertainment-focused updates as Apple revamps tvOS 18.
Overall, these five awesome new features indicate Apple has big plans for your smart home experience moving forward.
However, youll need to be enrolled in the Apple Developer Program.
