IKEA has already started selling some HomeKit enabled smart accessories, and according to a new report, it looks like the company is planning to add a smart plug to the mix in October. It will apparently debut priced at just $10, and there will be a bundle available that also includes a remote for it, which will cost $15. This will be one of the cheapest HomeKit smart plugs once it finally reaches the market, but is it really worth waiting a few months without knowing the reliability of the plug itself?
Amazon currently has a bunch of great HomeKit smart plug options, like this $30 option from iHome or this iDevices plug with energy monitoring for the same price that you can buy and begin using today. Sure, they're more expensive than the others, but when it comes to smart home gear, the price shouldn't be your only concern.
It's great to see IKEA introducing more smart home gear, especially low-cost stuff, but it's still not clear if it will be worth the wait. In the past, IKEA has delayed the release of some of the HomeKit products, so if you're in any kind of hurry to equip your home or office with gear you can control using Siri, it may be best to just look elsewhere. HomeKit is a bit limiting, and if your whole family isn't all-in on Apple products you may want to consider other options. Right now, you can grab TP-Link's mini smart plug for just $10, and it can be controlled via Amazon's Alexa, which is a bit more platform agnostic than HomeKit is.
