Smart home news, reviews, and guides — making your home smarter.
Smart home news, reviews, and guides — making your home smarter.
A leak published October 9, 2026 reveals “Proximity Control,” a new iOS 27 feature exclusive to Apple’s co-developed “second-party” home accessories with LG. Tapping or bringing an iPhone near a device pops its controls out of the Dynamic Island — thermostats show an “Open Controls” button, cameras show a viewer. The feature could be previewed at Apple’s October 13 “Welcome home” event.
Read MoreStill hunting for smart home deals after Prime Big Deal Days? We’ve rounded up five verified discounts — up to 51% off — including robot vacuums with self-cleaning stations, a Matter floor lamp, a smart curtain robot, and a 2.5K security camera bundle. Every price was checked on the official product page on October 9, so these are real savings, not inflated MSRP games.
Read MoreLeaked iOS 27.2 code shows Schneider Electric joining LG in Apple’s new ‘second-party’ Home accessories program, with a smart thermostat and temperature/humidity sensor that get special HomeKit treatment. Here’s what the leak reveals and what it means for the October 13 ‘Welcome home’ event.
Read MoreApple’s rumored “second-party” smart home accessories from LG and Schneider Electric may feature a HomeKit-exclusive tap-to-set-up shortcut that begins pairing over NFC before the device is even powered on. The October 8 leak, based on iOS 27 code and LG device firmware, suggests tap-to-pair credentials would be staged in the accessory’s secure element, with the home hub completing Matter setup automatically.
Read MoreAmazon’s new Alexa Tablet lineup brings Alexa+ and Google Play to three Android tablets starting at $229.99. With voice and touch smart home control, On-Screen Intelligence, and shipping from October 14, the tablets double as affordable smart home dashboards — arriving just as Apple and Google escalate the home display race.
Read MoreNew reporting says Apple’s upcoming smart home hub will combine facial and voice recognition to identify household members and personalize its shared display, with iPhone confirmation required for sensitive functions and a visitor mode for guests. Here’s what the latest details reveal ahead of Apple’s October 13 ‘Welcome Home’ event.
Read MoreApple has officially announced an October 13 “Welcome Home” launch event focused on smart home products. The long-rumored smart home hub with a 6-inch display and Siri AI is expected alongside a new HomePod mini and Apple TV 4K. Here is what is confirmed, what remains rumor, and what the launch means for Apple’s renewed push into the smart home.
Read MoreGoogle’s latest Google Home updates address long-standing annoyances: a false “Video not available” error on Nest cameras and doorbells, Matter switches that failed silently instead of showing offline status, smarter Nest device setup, and a round of Gemini voice improvements.
Read MoreEve Systems has launched its first Android app, Eve for Matter, on the Google Play Store — more than two years after first announcing it. The app gives Android users access to Eve’s custom features beyond the Matter baseline, starting with the new Matter-over-Thread Eve Thermo smart radiator valve (€79.99) through Google Home. Here’s what the app does, why it took so long, and what’s next for Alexa and SmartThings support.
Read MoreRing launched five new security cameras on October 7, headlined by four Retinal Vision 4K models starting at $99.99 and a $69.99 pan-tilt indoor camera with motion tracking. With flexible power options, Wi-Fi 6, and aggressive pricing that undercuts 2K rivals, the lineup resets expectations for mainstream 4K home security ahead of the holidays.
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