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Round one of the Apple HomeKit product rollout (pictures)

With five brands releasing Homekit-friendly smart home devices, it's showtime for Apple's iOS-based smart-home platform.

Ry Crist
Originally hailing from Troy, Ohio, Ry Crist is a writer, a text-based adventure connoisseur, a lover of terrible movies and an enthusiastic yet mediocre cook. A CNET editor since 2013, Ry's beats include smart home tech, lighting, appliances, broadband and home networking.
Ry Crist
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1 of 10 Tim Stevens/CNET

Showtime for Apple HomeKit

A year ago, Apple announced its ambitions for the connected home, with plans for an iOS-based smart home platform called HomeKit. Now, the first batch of HomeKit-compatible products are finally making their way to consumers. Click through to see what's available.

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2 of 10 Tyler Lizenby/CNET

Lutron Caseta Wireless Lighting Starter Kit

Smart lighting manufacturer Lutron has a couple of HomeKit-friendly starter kits you can order right now for $230. Plug your lamp into a smart outlet like this one, and you'll be able to control it, dim it, or automate it from your iOS device. You can also just tell Siri to turn the lights off.

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3 of 10 Ry Crist/CNET

Wall switches, too

Lutron also makes connected dimmer switches for hardwired lights -- expect these to get into the mix as well, along with automated window shade controls.

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4 of 10 Tyler Lizenby/CNET

iHome Smart Plug

Plug this $40 iHome Smart Plug into the wall, then plug something else in behind it, and you'll be able to turn it on or off using your phone, or automate when it should turn on or off. That's a handy way to automate a space heater or an air conditioner -- and again, you can also tell Siri when to flip the switch.

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5 of 10 Tyler Lizenby/CNET

Elgato Eve

Device maker Elgato has a system of smart home sensors designed to monitor ambient conditions in your home. That info can help put the connected home into context, and tell your devices when to do something automatically (a heater coming on when it gets too cold, for instance).

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6 of 10 Tyler Lizenby/CNET

Comings and goings

Stick this two-part sensor on your door or window, and your system will know whenever something gets opened.

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7 of 10 Ry Crist/CNET

Ecobee3 Smart Thermostat

Ecobee's been in the connected thermostat business for years, but their newest model is a HomeKit-compatible unit with a sleek, minimalist touchscreen. With Apple's blessing, that could spell competition for the dominant Nest Learning Thermostat.

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8 of 10 Ry Crist/CNET

Extra sensors

With the Ecobee3, you can place additional temperature sensors in different rooms, so the thermostat can tell how hot or cold it is in more than one spot. Built in motion detectors can tell where you are -- the Ecobee will optimize its performance based on the specific room you're in.

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9 of 10 Colin West McDonald/CNET

Insteon's HomeKit Hub

Insteon's another smart home veteran tossing its hat into the HomeKit ring. A new, HomeKit-compatible version of its hub will act like a router for all of your smart home devices, and bring the huge number of Insteon sensors and gadgets into the Apple fold.

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10 of 10 Colin West McDonald/CNET

LEDs, too

Those other Insteon gadgets include the well reviewed Insteon LED, a bulb with a whopping 50,000-hour lifespan and built-in smarts. Just screw it wherever you like and start automating away.

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