HomeKit reviews from a house that runs on it.
I buy the gear, run it in my own Matter/Thread/HomeKit house, and report what breaks. Some of it has been switching lights here since 2016.
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IKEA MYGGBETT Review: Door State in Apple Home on One AAA · review
eufyCam 2 Review: Six Years On, Real Battery Life Numbers · review Latest
- Matter over Thread vs Wi-Fi vs HomeKit over Thread
Matter-over-Wi-Fi, Matter-over-Thread, HomeKit-over-Thread, and HomeKit-over-Wi-Fi — what each combination actually is and does in Apple Home.
- What Is Matter? Certification, Fabrics, and What Apple Home Skips
Matter is the CSA's certification standard for smart-home devices: what certification, fabrics, and multi-admin mean, and what it doesn't fix.
- What Is Thread? The Low-Power Mesh Behind Apple Home
Thread is the low-power mesh network many Apple Home accessories run on: what routers and sleepy end devices do, and how it differs from Matter.
- IKEA MYGGSPRAY Review: Occupancy and Light Level in Apple Home
IKEA's Matter over Thread sensor shows up in Apple Home as two accessories: occupancy and light level. The lux reading is what makes it worth buying.
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Aqara Camera G100 First Look: It Pairs as HomeKit, Not Matter Unboxing Aqara's G100 camera into Apple Home: HomeKit pairing confirmed by a network scan, no power supply in the box, and a setup code you should photograph.
- I Ran Hue and TRÅDFRI in the Hub Era, and I Quit Both
Philips Hue and IKEA TRÅDFRI each demanded their own hub, their own pairing, and their own failures. Why I stopped investing, and what replaced them.
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IKEA MYGGBETT Review: Door State in Apple Home on One AAA IKEA's MYGGBETT Matter door sensor in Apple Home: awkward battery access, a QR code the Camera app ignores, and a slow firmware update explained.
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IKEA Matter: Seven Running, Thirteen More Boxes to Open Thirteen new arrivals: KAJPLATS bulbs, GRILLPLATS and TOFSMYGGA plugs, and more sensors, joining the seven IKEA Matter devices installed here.
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eufyCam 2 Review: Six Years On, Real Battery Life Numbers A two-camera eufyCam 2 kit bought in 2020, run on HomeKit Secure Video, still working. What the 365-day battery claim actually meant in daily use.
- Linkind Matter Bulbs Review: 8 Months on My Front Door
Cheap Matter color bulbs with full Adaptive Lighting in Apple Home, after eight months of daily dusk-to-dawn use on a front door fixture.
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Meross Matter Thermostat Review: Check Your Wiring First Six months with the Meross MTS300 Matter thermostat in Apple Home. It works well, but the C-wire requirement is why so many people send it back.
- Meross MSG100 Review: Two Years on a HomeKit Garage Door
A 15-minute install, everything in the box, and reliable open/closed state in Apple Home. Long-term review of the Meross MSG100 smart garage door opener.