Ikea’s affordable HomeKit smart blinds have been highly anticipated as European and US launches neared. Back in January Ikea confirmed they’d be arriving stateside on April 1st, unfortunately that’s turned out to be an unintended April Fools’ joke.
The Swedish retailer confirmed to The Verge that its smart blinds wouldn’t be launching on schedule due to some firmware issues it needs to iron out.
However, one piece of good news is that Ikea says after the delay, HomeKit support will be available as soon as the product launches, instead of arriving later with a software update. Late last year, Ikea launched its $10 smart plug, but delayed HomeKit support. It may have learned a lesson from that experience and applied it to the launch of its upcoming smart blinds.
As for its upcoming smart blinds, they should prove highly popular. While most smart blinds options can cost thousands of dollars, Ikea’s offerings are expected to range from $113-$181. That’s a great deal to bring HomeKit and Siri smarts to your window coverings.
Another option for HomeKit shades is Lutron’s Serena lineup. Check out our full review of that product.
