TP-Link's separate smart home brand Tapo, which already has a small foothold in the European market, is gearing up for a U.S. launch with a pair of new products, some of which will be HomeKit-compatible out of the box.

The first of these is a smart power strip with six outlets that also includes three USB ports. Each outlet has a physical on/off button, and the strip is able to monitor energy, although it is unclear whether that is for the combined use of all outlets or for each outlet individually. However, this feature is only available through the company's own Tapo app, as it usually is. For users in the US, the strip comes with ETL-certified surge protection. The connection is via 2.4GHz WiFi.

the next two items are a color lamp, which can handle the standard 16m colors, while also having a CRi of 90. Because it is a WiFi lamp, it is already entering a crowded market, and that market is almost certainly gradually switching to Thread, which may make it an unpopular choice today.

The Thermostat also uses WiFi and is designed for standard HVAC systems. It has built-in energy management controls to help keep costs in check, and works with the company's proprietary sensors to use what is described as "Follow me" mode, which "adjusts the indoor temperature based on where people are."

Finally, although it's not really HomeKit-compatible or in fact a Taip product as such, the E100 Smart Radiator Valve will work with Siri Shortcuts via the Tapo app. It boasts "precise temperature control" via its on-device interface, schedules and timers, voice control, "open window" detection, frost protection, and a long battery life of at least a year.

Almost the entire Tapo product line is compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Homewith some using a sub-1GHz hub (probably RF433MHz).