pbGuy brought up the subject of Control Apps for remote devices in
this thread in Networking. It raised the question of whether or not it would be useful to share information on Apple Home Kit and other devices and their attendant apps. Since this is not troubleshooting
per. se. I am raising this as a potential topic in The Lounge.
Anyone with experience in the various remote devices and apps, whether on iOS or MacOS is invited to share your experience including...
- Apple Home Kit enabled or not?
- iOS or MacOS or both?
- Ease of setup
- General comments Pro and/or Con
Brief comment / comparison about 2 WiFi Smart Plugs - simple 3-prong electrical outlets...
1) While ToFuture WiFi Smart Plug ($20 on Amazon) is not Home Kit compatible, it uses its own iOS iPhone app (no iPad app). This Smart Plug works well and the iOS app is very functional. As a value product and a one-item install, I can recommend.
2) The Koogeek WiFi Smart Plug ($35 on Amazon) is Home Kit compatible. As this Smart Plug works with iOS Home (both on iPhone and iPad), it sets-up easily as a Favorite & Room item in iOS Home. This also has the advantage that it can be accessed from Control Center, which can be set to be accessed from the Lock Screen and Within Apps. Also, Siri can be used to voice activate this Smart Plug. I am finding the Home Kit integration to be very advantageous. My only criticism of the Koogeek, is that its form factor is just large enough (it's square) that it does not allow the second wall socket to be used; whereas, the ToFuture outlet (it's rectangular) can be plugged into the upper most socket and the form factor will permit use of the lower socket if the item's electrical plug is not large. Nonetheless as a Home Kit compatible product, I can recommend Koogeek WiFi Smart Plug.
My comparative impressions:
Even at a higher price point and particularly if I was using additional Home Kit compatible accessories including additional Smart Plugs, I would prefer (compared to cheaper ToFuture outlet) the Koogeek Smart Plug outlet. Home Kit is a very convenient hub for activating home accessories; and IMHO, Home Kit compatibility provides most effective ease-of-use and overrides the higher price.