Following an initial publicity push in early June for the first batch of devices working in tandem with Apple's HomeKit home automation service, iHome today announced that its iSP5 SmartPlug is now ready for a wider launch. The SmartPlug is one of the first official HomeKit-compatible products, allowing its users to interact with the power settings of any device -- from a lamp to a fan -- that is plugged directly into it.
The available app can be downloaded for both Android and iOS, but Apple users will specifically be able to control their home electronics with their voice thanks to Siri integration. Part of the iHome Control series of devices, the new iSP5 SmartPlug will let customers group multiple SmartPlugs into different "scenes" that let them control entire rooms of their home at once, and even create schedules and timers for the plugs to turn on or off the device connected to them.
“iHome products are already in more than 30 million homes and we’ve built a reputation over the last decade as a highly trusted consumer electronics brand. The move into the smart home market was a natural fit for us,” said Ezra S. Ashkenazi, CEO of iHome. “The iHome iSP5 SmartPlug, the first in our series under the iHome Control label, offers consumers the ability to turn virtually any small appliance into a smart product that can be controlled remotely with almost any iOS or Android device.”
Notably, the iSP5 SmartPlug doesn't require a dedicated hub as with products like the Philips Hue lighting system, but instead works directly with a standard Wi-Fi router. iHome notes that the SmartPlug is just the "first in a planned series of products," with promised announcements of new devices joining the iHome Control series in the coming weeks and months.
Those interested can purchase the iSP5 SmartPlug from iHome's official website and Amazon for $39.99, with a larger retail rollout expected in the next few weeks.
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