After promising HomeKit support for its C-series of smartbulbs twice last year and missing both deadlines, GE is once again setting a target to roll out the feature to at least some of the smartbulbs in the first quarter of 2018, AppleInsider reports. GE made a similar announcement last May, with a C-Reach bridge intended to act as a bridge between the bulbs and the rest of a HomeKit-enabled network.
Only the C-Sleep and white C-Life smartbulbs are currently expected to be part of the initial HomeKit roll out, both of which are currently available and already able to be controlled from iOS devices via GE’s own app.
While GE’s integrations with Amazon’s Alexa are robust — including new additions to the Sol Lamp Extensions that lets them sync with other Alexa devices — it’s not entirely clear if other new additions to the company’s smart home lineup will be as compatible with HomeKit. A release about the upcoming new Smart Ceiling Fixture — which GE calls “the industry’s first voice-integrated ceiling fixtures to provide both light and audio complete with voice control” — and the Smart Wall Switch that will let users control connected lights with “your voice and your favorite voice assistant,” leaves unanswered questions about which devices will be HomeKit-compatible when released (or ever).
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