3 Upcoming Developments in Smart Home Technology

If there’s any home industry that is reinventing itself every few months, it’s smart home automation. Every month, new products are being released, new brands are jumping into the smart home game, and new breakthroughs are being made in how people live in and interact with their homes. The market is developing so quickly, that it can be hard to keep up with what’s new and exciting in the moment.

Fear not, we’ve got you covered! Here are three of the newest trends in smart home technology.

1. Voice Control

What’s even easier than controlling your lights, music, or coffee machine from your cell phone or mobile device? Controlling them verbally. In the wake of the immense success of Amazon’s Alexa, more and more manufacturers are rolling out new lines of voice controlled gadgets to help get the job done without even having to pick up your device.

Samsung now makes a vacuum cleaner that can be operated using only your voice. There are even trashcans that can open responding to an owner’s voice, and we have a feeling this is just the tip of the iceberg for voice controlled devices.

2. Connectivity

Individual smart devices are neat on their own, but when your devices begin to communicate with one another it opens up a whole new realm of what is possible in the smart home. We first started to see connected devices with the vast array of features that were developed along with Alexa. By connecting Alexa to other smart plugs, users are able to control any number of appliances through the speaker.

Now, though, this phenomenon is spreading. Smart smoke detectors can connect to your smart oven to turn it off if food is burning. Refrigerators can connect with your Amazon account to order milk when you’re running low. The possibilities are endless!

3. Utility Boosters

Apart from just making life easier, the newest smart home devices are also geared towards making your life more environmentally friendly and thus lowering the cost of your utility bills. Take, for example, a new Samsung showerhead with a lighted panel that changes color based on how much water and energy is used during a given shower. This visual stimulus can make it easier for environmentally conscious consumers to track how much water they are using and make smart decisions to use less.

There are also a number of new fans that operate on a sensor and can connect with your Nest thermostat to change the temperature of individual rooms to meet your preference when you’re in the room, but save energy when you aren’t.

Finding a Home Automation Specialist

Ready to install your first (or tenth) smart home device? Consider bringing a smart home device specialist onboard to help you every step of the way. A specialist can act as a consultant advising you the best product to get based on your budget, preferences, and lifestyle. He or she can also take care of everything from installation to troubleshooting to make sure that your smart devices run smoothly, making your life easier and not more stressful.