EVER SMARTER HOMES
How is the fast-growing smart homes market evolving? Johan Pedersen
looks at the rise of the ever smarter, smart home
Not so long ago, “smart
home” meant an assortment
of individual connected
gadgets, from smart LED lights to
HVAC controls to security cameras,
that users could control from their
smartphones.
Today, we’re now seeing the
growth of more interconnected
ecosystems with smart home devices
capable of listening to, instructing
one another and even anticipating
user preferences. Much of this
consumer adoption is driven by
the user-friendly voice interfaces of
popular new smart speakers.
Consumers often buy Amazon
Echo, Apple HomePod or Google
Home smart speakers to play
music and check weather forecasts
and then incrementally add other
connected devices to their home
network such as smart lights and
door locks, which can be controlled
through voice commands.
According to a recent report by
Navigant Research, global annual
revenue from smart home platforms
is forecast to grow from $3.2 billion
in 2019 to $14.3 billion in 2028,
achieving a compound annual growth
rate (CAGR) of 18.1 percent.
A growing number of electronics
companies are now involved in the
burgeoning smart home market,
delivering silicon and software
solutions and working closely with
a variety of equipment makers,
communication protocol specialist
interest groups (SIGs) and smart
home technology alliances helping
to shape today’s smart home
marketplace.
As 2020 progresses, it is possible
to identify six key trends that are
becoming increasingly important when
it comes to the smart home.
Trend 1: The shift from “smart” to
“intelligent”
“Smart” has traditionally meant
being able to adjust your lights with
a voice command or switch on your
heating from your smartphone as
you start your commute home. This
level of ‘smartness’ was considered
impressive, and people engaged with
it easily. But it was only the first step
on a bigger and far more exciting
journey.
IoT devices are becoming more
powerful, and intelligent. Form
factors are shrinking. Communication
protocol enhancements are delivering
increased range and energy-efficiency.
And consumers are adding more
connected devices to their homes.
All of this means there’s a growing
possibility – and indeed expectation
– of greater sophistication, with
multiple devices working together
seamlessly and intelligently.
A simple example would be when
you sit down with family or friends to
watch a film. A single voice command
would see the television and set-topbox
switch on with the film poised
to play, with window blinds coming
down and lights dimming to create
the cinema-like ambience you want.
Expect more of these integrated
experiences to become the norm.
Trend 2: Multiprotocol connectivity
becomes more pervasive
When it comes to smart home
connectivity, no one protocol
dominates. There’s good reason for
this: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Zigbee, Z-Wave,
Thread and proprietary networks
all have different characteristics –
and each has a role to play in IoT
connectivity.
26 24 March 2020 www.newelectronics.co.uk
/www.newelectronics.co.uk