A new report from The Financial Times indicates that Apple may be working on a new iOS based home automation platform to “turn the iPhone into a remote control for lights, security systems, and other household appliances.” A number of third-party products such as the Belkin WeMo, Philips Hue, and Nest thermostat already exist to provide this capability to iOS users, and the report suggests that this move may actually be a platform similar to Apple’s MFi program, providing support and requiring licensing for companies building smart home products for the iOS platform.
Apple made an unsuccessful bid about a year and a half ago to acquire home automation startup R2 Studios, suggesting that the company was taking an interest in this area as far back as late 2012, and an Apple patent filing published in November last year outlined a system whereby a home’s lights could be automatically activated when an iPhone user enters the house. This latest report notes that Apple could be planning to unveil this new platform as soon as WWDC on June 2nd.
