Wemo has released a software update for is Wemo Mini smart switch that retroactively adds HomeKit support to the smart plug, CNET reports. What’s especially interesting about this update is that it represents the first sofware-only HomeKit implementations to arrive since Apple opened up the possibility last year at WWDC.
Previously, HomeKit accessories have required a hardware security chip to integrate with Apple’s home automation ecosystem, requiring many vendors to either release entirely new accessories or provide HomeKit bridges to act as gateways. Belkin in fact released its own Wemo bridge earlier this year to tie in all of its existing Wemo accessories, but now thanks to Apple’s new software protocols, the Wemo Mini can simply be updated to allow it to tie into HomeKit without any requirement to use the bridge.
It’s unclear how many other Wemo accessories will be getting the HomeKit software treatment, although the company tells CNET that it’s considering updating the Wemo Dimmer, in the very least. We’ll be putting the newly HomeKit-enabled Wemo Mini smart plug through its paces in the next couple of days, so stay tuned for a more in-depth look at how it all fits together.
