ecobee makes a smart thermostat that connects to your existing central heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning system and then connects that system to your iPhone or iPad. Now the company is launching a new version of the ecobee3 hardware that's also enabled for HomeKit, which adds support for scheduled and triggered actions, and for voice control via Apple's Siri virtual personal assistant.
When asked what HomeKit brought to the smarter thermostat, ecobee told iMore:
The popularity of iPhones illustrates why HomeKit has so much potential. Over half our customer base uses their smart phone to monitor and control their ecobee every day, and now it will be that much better by enabling it to work in concert with other HomeKit connected devices.
The new, HomeKit-enabled version of ecobee3 will be available in July from the Apple Store. Pricing remains $249 for the thermostat and a starter sensor, and $79 for a pair of additional sensors.
iMore recently took a look at installing and setting up the current ecobee3, and we've also put together a full HomeKit explainer for the technical details, and a HomeKit FAQ to answer the most common questions.
Full ecobee3 press release below.
ecobee3 to be the first Apple HomeKit-enabled smart thermostat
Available at Apple Stores in July
TORONTO (June 2, 2015) –– ecobee Inc. today announced that the ecobee3 smarter wifi thermostat now supports Apple HomeKit, allowing users to better manage their environment and ensure comfort where it matters most in their home. The beautifully designed and smart ecobee3, from the maker of the world's first wifi connected smart thermostat, is the first smart thermostat built with HomeKit support and will be available at Apple Stores in July.
"As the first HomeKit-enabled smart thermostat, we couldn't be happier to bring this revolutionary technology to customers," said Stuart Lombard, president and CEO of ecobee. "The new ecobee3 uses wireless remote sensors to deliver the right temperature to the rooms that matter most, and now customers can conveniently control their temperature using Siri on their iPhone, iPad or iPod touch, or the ecobee app."
Designed for homes with more than one room, the ecobee3 smarter wifi thermostat and remote sensors measure temperature and occupancy in multiple locations, resulting in increased comfort when you're home and energy savings when you're away. The sleek and functional ecobee3 addresses varying temperatures and begins conserving energy to deliver savings immediately after installation. The ecobee3 saves homeowners an average of 23 percent on their heating and cooling bills.
Apple introduced HomeKit in iOS to communicate with and control connected accessories in a user's home. It can be used to enable users to discover HomeKit accessories and configure them and can be used to create actions to control those devices.
Users can group actions together and trigger them using Siri. HomeKit is built on a secure foundation with end-to-end encryption which provides customers a secure connection between their iPhone, iPad or iPod touch and HomeKit-enabled accessory.
Pricing, Availability and Compatibility
The HomeKit-compatible ecobee3 will be available for $249 when it goes on sale in July at Apple Stores. The ecobee3 thermostat comes with one free wireless remote sensor and supports up to 32 sensors total. Additional remote sensors can be purchased in a package of two for $79.The ecobee3 is designed to be compatible with 95 percent of residential heating and cooling systems in North America and does not require a C-wire when using the included Power Extender Kit. To ensure ecobee3 will work in your home, visit www.ecobee.com/compatibility.
About ecobee
ecobee Inc. introduced the world's first wifi connected smart thermostat in 2009. The company's award-winning thermostats have enabled hundreds of thousands of consumers to control their home comfort anytime and from anywhere, using their smartphone, tablet or computer. For more information visit www.ecobee.com.
