HomeKit Weekly

My door has had a smart lock on it for 5-6 years, and I’ve tried plenty of options. The ULTRALOQ Bolt Fingerprint is a great option for almost anyone thanks to its Apple Home integration, built-in Wi-Fi, and plenty of ways to lock and unlock your door. Whether you’re looking for fingerprint ID unlock or a simple PIN, this lock has almost everything.

“Flame effects” is not something I’d used before in a smart bulb, so this was a super interesting concept to me. Linkind’s Smart Light Stick aims to bring the idea of a “live flame” to a smart bulb, and it works with Apple Home out of the box thanks to Matter.

Athom has announced that it has officially achieved Matter 1.5 certification for its Homey software component, covering the Homey Pro (2023 — 2026), Homey Pro mini, and the Homey Self Hosted Server. This update brings important upgrades for both native device integration and cross-platform device bridging.

The ideal command center for your smart home is simple: take an old iPad, mount it somewhere central, and give it one job. Dashboard for your home is the really great Apple Home app that solves this problem. Cameras, thermostats, lights, local weather, and your calendar all on a single screen.

Local weather is one of the most underrated variables to use in your Apple Home automation setup. Over the past few years, I have used sensors for everything from knowing when to drip faucets in freezing weather to adjusting the sprinkler schedule with the Eve Aqua on hot days. Eve Weather has been part of my setup for a while now, and with its Matter upgrade a few years ago, it is incredibly useful in my home.

As I write this article, I am about to head out for a quick trip up north, and when I hit the road, there are a few key types of gear of my smart home setup I fully rely on to keep things running smoothly. Just remember that you will need a dedicated Apple Home hub, like an Apple TV 4K or a HomePod, to access your devices remotely to take full advantage here.

The price increase in technology is exhausting. With the recent price increases across the Apple lineup, seeing items go down in price is becoming rare. The Amazon Basics smart plug is one of the rare exceptions that seems to be holding the line. With Matter support and a price under $10, it may be my new go-to smart plug. Let’s take a look.

Most of your smart home lights are smaller bulbs and outlet adaptors, but the market is maturing to the point where we are seeing full hardwired fixtures that integrate natively with Apple Home (via Matter). SwitchBot just recently released the new SwitchBot RGBICWW ceiling light. It brings incredibly bright illumination and native Matter support directly to your overhead ceiling lights.

My top feature for a smart lock for any Apple smart home person is Apple Home Key support. The ability to tap your iPhone or Apple Watch against your front door and walk right inside is incredibly convenient. The problem is that most locks that support this feature are expensive, often costing $ 200 or more. That is where the LNDU HK01W comes in at a nice spot. It brings native Apple Home Key support to a door for right around $100.

To me, e-ink is one of the most underappreciated technologies in the world today. I love my Kindle Paperwhite. I really wish Apple made e-ink devices. However, SwitchBot has officially entered this market with the new SwitchBot Weather Station. It combines an E-ink screen, iCloud calendar syncing, and Matter-compatible environmental sensors into a single device.

One constant on my desk for a few years now has been the Qingping Air Monitor Lite. When a device can look awesome, but also provide some really cool data for your Apple Home environment, it’s going to be a must-have.

E-ink technology is typically found in devices like the Amazon Kindle, and it is also a critical feature of the Qingping thermometer. I originally reviewed the Bluetooth version of this device a few years ago, but Qingping has since updated it with Thread support for Apple Home. I have been retesting it to see if it still holds up in 2026.

Fans are one of those categories where true innovation is kind of hard to find. Ultimately, it’s just there to cool things and circulate air. SwitchBot recently launched its new SwitchBot Standing Circulator Fan, which caught my eye for its built-in battery and Matter (and therefore Apple Home) compatibility. Let’s take a closer look at what this portable fan actually offers and what you need to know before picking one up.

I have long joked to my family that if I were super rich, I would love to hire someone whose only job would be to hand me a large cup of coffee as soon as I walked out of my bedroom. Apple Home has not let me do that, but it gets me close.

A few years ago, I wrote a guide on automating my morning coffee using a SwitchBot button pusher and HOOBS. It required pulling API keys and MAC addresses just to get it communicating with Apple Home. The new SwitchBot Bot Button Pusher completely streamlines this process with native Matter support and a built-in rechargeable battery.

The challenge with HomeKit Secure Video is that the manufacturer sees no option for recurring revenue, so I suspect that might be part of the holdup for many new cameras (on top of the lack of new features). When Aqara originally released the Aqara Camera Hub G5 Pro with HomeKit Secure Video support back in 2025, it ended a long drought. I have had one outside for over a year now, and if you have a porch area, this is a great outdoor camera.

Today, SwitchBot has announced the new SwitchBot Lock Vision and Lock Vision Pro. For Apple Home users, these new locks support Matter over Wi-Fi out of the box, so you do not need to buy one of these SwitchBot hubs to connect them, but you only need an Apple TV or HomePod. Let’s take a closer look at what these new smart locks offer and don’t

Smart buttons have become incredibly common in the Apple Home ecosystem, but finding one that checks every single box is still surprisingly challenging at times. The new Airversa QliQ immediately caught my attention because it addresses two of my biggest complaints about most smart switches: it uses a Thread connection instead of Bluetooth, and it ditches disposable coin batteries for a rechargeable one. Let’s take a closer look at what it brings to the table and see if its premium hardware features justify the purchase.

When Aqara first announced the Camera Hub G350, the headline that caught my eye was the claim that it is the first Matter-certified camera on the market. Matter, while not perfect, is a huge part of what I want out of the smart home industry: freedom from vendor lock-in. Let’s take a look at the new Aqara Camera Hub G350 and see how it works with Matter and HomeKit.

When Aqara announced the Doorbell Camera G400 supported Power over Ethernet, it immediately caught my attention. PoE isn’t for everyone, but if you want it, you’ll likely ignore any option that doesn’t include it. Dual-band Wi-Fi 6 is great as a fallback, but absolutely nothing beats the 24/7 stability of wired cable. The Aqara Doorbell Camera G400 delivers that stability, along with local AI detection and a tall aspect ratio designed to spot packages. Let’s break down exactly what this doorbell brings to Apple Home users.

Xthings recently released the Ulticam IQ V2, touting it as the first Matter-certified AI security camera. It boasts an impressive list of features that includes Power over Ethernet, 4K resolution, and some nice Google Gemini AI integrations. Let’s take a closer look at what the Ulticam IQ V2 brings to the table and whether it is worth betting on future software updates.

Aqara just released the new Aqara W200 Thermostat Hub, featuring Matter 1.4 support and native integration with Apple’s new Adaptive Temperature functionality. These additions make it a compelling alternative to Nest for anyone wanting deep, system-level control within Apple Home.