Ikea to enhance its smart home offering

Boutons Ikea. © Becca Farsace, The Verge.

If you’ve ever tried Ikea’s Trådfri line of products, you already know how frustrating this offering can be. Ikea told The Verge that the issues bedeviling the line will soon be a thing of the past, thanks to an overhaul of the underlying software platform. Indeed, the Swedish group plans on smartening up its smart home offering. Ikea also unveiled some truly smart shortcut buttons, priced at USD7, that trigger pre-programmed scenes involving several different devices. Which can be awfully practical if you don’t always carry your phone in your hand, or if you’re expecting guests. For example, you could set up a “Good-night” button next to your bed to turn off all the lights and the music in your home, without having to shout instructions or launch an application.

⇨ YouTube, “Inside Ikea’s big bet on smart home tech.”

⇨ The Verge, Thomas Ricker, “Ikea previews its improved 2020 smart home experience.”