Building a smart home

Building a smart home is a complicated affair. Some devices need to connect directly to your existing HomeKit hubs, and others require an additional hub to connect to those hubs. Some devices from the same manufacturer even require different hubs to run different products and rely on different connection methods to connect everything. It's easy to see how complicated it can all get. Smart lock manufacturer Nuki has just streamlined the process of connecting one of its devices to your HomeKit setup — and it's all thanks to a little thing called Thread.Matter-compatible smart lock. Smart Locks now connect to a smart home system using Thread instead of WiFi or Bluetooth, for what Nuki calls a connection method “more responsive than Bluetooth, more stable and efficient than Wi-Fi.” Of course, that will make you think: what does this all mean? Simply put, a Thread device acts as its own router and uses its own wireless protocol. This means the lock can connect to any device that accepts that wireless protocol, such as your HomePod or Apple TV. While the Nuki lock previously required a Nuki hub to connect to the main hub, this is no longer true. The fourth generation of Nuki locks all support threaded connections, something that even the best HomeKit door locks cannot boast. For Smart Lock Pro, you don't have to pay more than the standard purchase price of 285 euros/$307, but those who buy or already own the standard smart lock will have to purchase “Remote Access via Thread” in the Nuki App for 49 euros/$52 on top of the asking price of 169 euros / $180. All Nuki products are also Matter compatible, meaning they work with a wide range of smart home standards. That means HomeKit support, along with SmartThings, Alexa and more. On the Nuki website you can find out more about Nuki products and where you can buy them. More from iMore