Belkin is releasing a new version of its Wemo smart home hub that allows its connected home system to integrate with Apple’s HomeKit. The new hub costs $40 and is going on sale today — it was originally announced early last year with a fall release window that came and went.
Belkin releases Wemo hub with Apple HomeKit support
Image: Belkin
is The Verge’s executive editor. He has covered tech, policy, and online creators for over a decade.
Though it may be a little frustrating for Wemo users to have to pay for a new hub just to get this kind of integration, it’s an unfortunate necessity since Apple requires (almost) all HomeKit devices to have a proprietary chip inside them. That means building and shipping new hardware; Philips had to do the same thing with its Hue system, for instance.
Wemo already connects to Alexa and Google Assistant
Still, it’s a nice addition, since the Wemo app is terrible and Apple’s HomeKit system is comparatively far easier to use.
Belkin has already connected Wemo with the Google Assistant and Amazon’s Alexa, so owners who have bought into other smart assistant systems have already had other ways to control their gadgets.
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