In 2019, Apple joined Amazon, Google, Zigbee Alliance and 170 other companies to work on a new smart home standard called CHIP. After some delays, the new smart home devices will be able to obtain CHIP certification later this year, which means we could see the first products to hit the market in the fourth quarter.
The CHIP project, which stands for “Connected Home over IP”, was started to capitalize on Zigbee’s HomeKit, Alexa Smart Home, Google Weave and Dotdot data models to make it easier for companies to create smart home devices that are universally compatible. on all platforms.
It is an open-source initiative that could be good for both the companies involved and the consumers and uses Bluetooth LE for configuration, as well as Wi-Fi and Thread for connectivity.
The end result of the initiative is a class of smart home devices that will work for consumers, regardless of the platform or smart home devices they already use.
Seen by The Verge, Zigbee Alliance announced in a webinar this week that certification for the first round of CHIP devices will come by the end of 2021 – so we may be able to see the first products accepted on holiday shelves.
The first devices to come with CHIP support will include “lighting, blinds, HVAC controls, TVs, locks, garage door openers, security systems and Wi-Fi routers.”
Along with building CHIP support into new products, the standard could reach existing smart home devices via bridges. However, without more details, it is not clear whether the benefits of CHIP will be convincing enough to entice users to pick something up.
FTC: We use automatic affiliate links with revenue. More.
Check out 9to5Mac on YouTube for more Apple news: