Ikea's low-cost TRÅDFRI smart lights first announced in Europe last year, will soon get voice control for owners of Google Home, Apple HomeKit, and Amazon Alexa devices. Expect it to arrive this summer or autumn, says Ikea's press release first spotted by MacRumors.
Ikea says it sees "great potential" in smart home products, a category it first entered in 2015 with a series of furniture and accessories that had wireless charging for compatible smartphones baked right in. Ikea says it will expand its presence in the connected home with more launches in the coming years, “enabling people to build onto their smart home solution.”
Ikea’s TRÅDFRI low-cost devices could become a very disruptive force in smart homes. The company already helped to democratize design and lead the way in LED adoption. Now it’s positioned to do the same with smart lights, motion sensors, dimmers, and switches, as a start — Ikea easily undercuts the very popular Philips Hue lineup on price, while still matching them on specs.
As if we needed another reason to look forward to the summer, eh?