Product name
Smart Lock
Summary
Apple announced that new HomePod Mini support Thread networking. It uses low energy, doesn’t need hubs and also have mesh support. And apparently it’ll be the new standart for smart home devices (Why Thread is a game-changer for Apple's HomeKit | AppleInsider)
Features
- Thread uses mesh network so Smart Lock will have more reachability comparing to bluetooth.
- Apparently it’s also possible to use HomePod Mini as a router to reach internet for Smart Lock. Then maybe it can be possible to use Nuki iOS app when we are away and even without a bridge. (I’m not sure about this part)
Reason
I use Smart Lock without bridge and it takes 3-5 seconds to get a respond for my commands once I come back to home(probably because of first connection is slow from Apple TV to Smart Lock). Thread looks promising about that issue because it uses mesh and devices can be addressable via IPv6. Also, Eve Home announced that they added Thread support to their all smart home devices via firmware update. That can mean it’s also possible to use Thread without any hardware change. So, in total, it looks very reasonable to me.
Examples
- I expect response times of my smart lock would be better with Thread.