Orbit did a big HomeKit press announcement during CES (many tech blogs wrote stories based on it), then they appear to have pulled it all back (minus the citing you noted, which looks like something someone missed). Why would they do that, unless Apple asked them to?
The fact that some of their products are shipping with HomeKit setup codes in them, despite their product not even being certified yet, is something I’ve seen no other company do. Doesn’t sound like something Apple would knowingly approve them to do it.
My guess is that Apple is delaying things unexpectedly, and Orbit based their launch around the thought that HomeKit would be ready by then… and it wasn’t.
Rachio’s logo was on Apple’s HomeKit partner list last year at WWDC. That’s all I needed to see.
@06ajtayl - I think the only sprinkler profiles out there are development profiles. When one looks at Apple’s website it still doesn’t mention Sprinklers or Faucets:
@06ajtayl - Until sprinklers shows up here on Apple’s site I’m going to give Rachio the benefit. Can’t comment on what/why other vendors are doing something.
@Bgman - from what I’ve read it is Apple’s NDA/contract that is preventing Rachio from saying anything.
If I was Rachio, I also wouldn’t want to announce something that is dependent upon someone else (even Apple) delivering/enabling a feature to make it work.
Hardly transparent. If Rachio isn’t saying anything and B-Hyve has removed all references to HomeKit and has that silly forum post up for the folks who bought B-Hyves thinking it’d have HomeKit, … and Apple’s categorizing the only HomeKit water-control product as a “Sensor” (not a sprinkler or valve), it sounds like some other factor is in play here.
If that is in fact the case, then I completely understand. However, that doesn’t explain why Eve is selling a smart sprinkler controller that uses the same HomeKit protocol that Rachio was supposedly waiting to be released. I seriously doubt Eve is violating there NDA. Something doesn’t make sense and I would think Rachio would do themselves and their customers a good service to explain their intentions (assuming of course that such disclosure doesn’t violate any NDA).
Other than it’s a simple ON/OFF device that doesn’t support the concept of multiple zones, a master zone, etc. @06ajtayl’s comment seems to sum that device up: “What’s this then. Just a switch?”
Maybe that’s why Apple stuck the Eve thing in the “Sensor” category, next to door/window contact sensors, smart buttons, and environmental (air quality) sensors.
When they added the Eve device in the video, their phone detected it and gave it the “faucet profile” icon.
Then, when running in HomeKit, it shows as the “sprinkler profile” icon?
The review goes on to mention that you have to use the Eve app for programming, as Apple’s HomeKit app isn’t capable of setting everything, then ends the review calling this a faucet device.
All the while, Apple’s official HomeKit page still has no mention about either the faucet or sprinkler profiles.
@Chiliad - yep that page was update the day of Apple’s iPhone announcement and added:
The accessories link on the page goes to the currently supported products and doesn’t list any products that use those two profiles.
Let’s see what gets updated/released from Apple and Rachio tomorrow when iOS 12 is released for general availability - not that I’ll be downloading iOS 12.0 the nanosecond it becomes available as I’ll probably have to wait a week or so for other programs to get updated before upgrading.
Was curious if Orbit had announced anything today about their B-Hyve and HomeKit. Nothing yet. But there was a post from three days ago where they confirm why they haven’t released any more information.
I wish we could, Apple has issued us a statement (posted above) that they approved for all inquiries into HomeKit integration and that’s all we’re officially allowed to say on the matter.
@06ajtayl - the sprinkler profile is just like the group Facetime chat. Apple announced it as a feature of iOS 12, but as of iOS 12.0 it isn’t in the released product. I did see where group Facetime is in beta 1 of iOS 12.1. Who knows if it will make the released version of iOS 12.1. I’d keep my powder dry until the release notes for an iOS 12 version says the sprinkler profile for Homekit has been released/is supported.
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