LG developing smart light tech for Apple HomeKit
Become one step closer to never leaving the sofa again
LG is to enter the smarthome battlefield with a HomeKit-enabled lighting hub.
The hub, rather unsettlingly called the Scene Gateway, was discovered in an FCC listing. Details within revealed the device to be Apple HomeKit Certified, meaning that it will allow users to control multiple light sources from their iPhone or iPad.
But Android users can stop their temper tantrum right there, because according the to user manual the hub will also be compatible with phones running Android 4.3 or later.
No hint of complementary devices was to be found, but presumably LG is also developing smart lightswitches to accompany the Scene Gateway. It’s possible that the South Korean manufacturer will allow for integration with other smart light installations but this seems unlikely.
What is known is that the device will have a whopping range of 98 feet; mansion owners exhale. Unfortunately we also know that it will look, in all likelihood, like the underwhelming white box you see below.
Let’s hope that if LG does indeed release matching lightswitches it shows a greater concern for aesthetics.
The limited information available also reveals that the hub can be connected via LAN cable, but doesn’t say whether this is mandatory.
LG hasn’t yet formally announced the device and as a result we don’t have any concrete information regarding a release date. However, HomeKit could be landing as early as next month, so expect LG to strike with a product unveiling while the iron is hot.
[Source: TechnoBuffalo]
Justin Mahboubian-Jones
Contributor 
