After WWDC, it was discovered that Apple silently removed the information of iPad products as the smart home hub, that is, it no longer appeared in the support list of Home Hub. Many people think that once iPadOS 16 is upgraded, the HomeKit IoT accessory hub that has been relied on for a long time at home will lose its focus and become unusable.
Speaking of which, just because the iPad may be moved more often, it is indeed not so suitable for use as a Home Hub, but it has also been interpreted as an excuse to push Apple TV or HomePod products. However, after further inquiries from foreign media, it was finally confirmed that things were not so bad – at least for now. Continue reading Apple said that the iPad still has the ability to be a smart home hub in iPadOS 16, with many functions but only supports the original “architecture” report.
Apple said that iPad still has smart home center capabilities in iPadOS 16, with not less functions but only supporting the original “architecture”
Originally, most people interpret it as Apple’s preparation to forcefully let the tablet devices upgraded to iPadOS 16 directly lose the functional support as the HomeKit home hub. However, according to foreign media The Verge’s inquiry, Apple has not actually removed the original smart home hub function support. At least it can be determined that the previous Home Hub functions, such as remote access control through the iPad at home and receiving information updates and notifications related to misconnections, can still be used even after the iPad system is upgraded. And will not miss any of the original features.
So, why has the subsequent documentation removed the iPad from the hardware and software support list?
According to reports, with the revision of the Home app, it is not only the external interface that has improved. Apple also confirmed that it will introduce a new smart home hub architecture to bring a more efficient and reliable experience. To put it simply, the functions related to the new architecture that are expected to debut in the fall will not be supported if they are non-HomePod and Apple TV devices – for now, Apple’s new-generation smart home experience roughly includes Live Widget real-time widgets. Tools and support for the latest Matter standards. It seems that you have to experience the new generation of Home Hub smart home hubs.
That said, after all, there is still a chance that the iPad will be moved or forgotten to charge and put in a poorly wired room. To a certain extent, compared to Apple TV and HomdPod, which are relatively fixed “with home”, they are indeed relatively unstable for home IoT applications.
It’s just for many friends who directly use the iPad as a smart display at the center of their home, even if the official explanation is now available, the original experience will not be compromised. However, there should be some dissatisfaction with the fact that it has quite high computing power, but cannot continue to be used as the next smart home center?
It can only be said that during this transitional period, maybe you can still wait and see if you can simply buy a relatively cheap HomePod mini. Or if you feel that there are not many incentives for the new version of the function, it is OK to continue to use the iPad to support it, right? At least for now, it doesn’t seem to have much impact (for now).
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