Smart home technology has evolved over the years to reach this tipping point. In the beginning, Wi-Fi enabled simpler applications, such as smart thermostats. Now, almost everything in the home can be automated, from video doorbells and automated sprinkler systems to smart lighting, voice assistants, and voice-activated faucets.

Today's consumers seek connectivity, efficiency, and sustainability in every aspect of their daily lives. Let's explore some of the latest technologies, connectivity options, and protocols that deliver on these promises in the smart home device market.

Connectivity is important

When smart home devices first emerged, Wi-Fi was a great connectivity option because most people had a Wi-Fi network at home. However, as technology evolved, the industry quickly moved away from Wi-Fi as the primary connectivity option because it consumes a lot of power. Furthermore, while this is fine for products and devices that are always plugged directly into a wall outlet, for battery-powered sensors and products, Wi-Fi is not a sustainable option.

Another problem with Wi-Fi is setting it up and granting Wi-Fi access to each and every smart device. If you're equipping your entire house with smart lighting, that's a lot of bulbs that need network access. And what will you do when you need to change your home Wi-Fi password? Reconnect all the bulbs, sensors, and other devices? No, thank you.

Bluetooth has become the ideal connectivity option from both an energy-saving and setup perspective. It's also easily accessible, as most people already have Bluetooth-enabled devices like smartphones. Bluetooth is also a great solution for setup. You can connect your chosen smart bulbs or device to your phone, automatically connect it to your Wi-Fi network, and it will then recognize your home network via Bluetooth.

Simplifying smart home protocols

Simplicity is key when it comes to smart home devices: they need to be easy to set up and use because, ultimately, people use these devices for convenience, not for a complex computer programming adventure. If the setup isn't simple enough, the devices won't be used. That's why one of the driving questions from the beginning has been: how can manufacturers make setting up and using these devices incredibly simple and compatible with our lifestyles? 

As smart device manufacturers began expanding their product lines to include more products that worked together, they started incorporating smart home protocols like Zigbee and Z-Wave into their products. Smart home protocols are essentially the language that devices use to communicate with each other.

The fact that all devices speak the same "language" allows them to communicate and offers greater convenience. Furthermore, if all the devices in the home can speak the same language and connect to a single "hub," which connects to the home's Wi-Fi network, the user can control all devices from a single hub instead of each one separately. 

But problems arise for the consumer when they have a smart garage door that speaks one protocol and smart bulbs on a different system. Suddenly, the homeowner has a suite of apps like Zigbee, Wemo, SmartThings, Ecobee, GE, Alexa, and many more to switch between to control all their "smart" devices, and they again have to be a programmer or developer to get any convenience from the system. So, while proprietary protocols were a good idea initially, they ultimately complicate things for the average consumer.

Interoperability is the key

Getting everything to work together is the biggest challenge in popularizing smart home devices, and it's getting simpler. Interoperability—the ability to take multiple devices from different manufacturers and make them work together on the same system—is the key to simplifying the consumer experience. 

In a fully automated smart home, you'll find both plugged-in devices, like a light bulb, and battery-powered devices, like a temperature sensor. Then, as the home network expands from the inside out, you'll incorporate security cameras, irrigation systems, and other devices where range is extended, and Bluetooth and Wi-Fi will begin to fall short. 

A new protocol on the market, which is more of an "open" protocol focused on interoperability, is Matter. The best thing about Matter is that every device connected to the Matter protocol acts as a hub, expanding the network. For example, a sprinkler system located outside the kitchen window will communicate with a light bulb plugged in inside the kitchen, which in turn will connect to the entire system, eliminating the need for a separate hub. 

Furthermore, because Matter is a hubless system, the network itself will be intelligent, not an app running on a phone, tablet, or computer. An example of this network intelligence would be that if you turn on the TV and launch Netflix (or perhaps tell your Alexa-enabled remote to do these things), the blinds will automatically close, the lights will dim to your preferred "movie mode," and the doors will lock. And all these components are made by different manufacturers, yet they all work in concert, which is the most important thing.

Furthermore, beyond interoperability, there's a layer of artificial intelligence that will make it even more useful, eliminating the need for consumers to actively manage these devices. For example, if a motion sensor detects that the homeowner is downstairs, it will ensure the downstairs temperature is set to their preferred comfort level. Similarly, the network and sensors will learn the homeowner's habits and behaviors over time and adjust the environment accordingly.

Final reflections

In their simplest form, smart home hardware and devices have remained largely unchanged, but new software advancements have brought new intelligence, features, and capabilities. There will be a psychological hurdle consumers will need to adjust to regarding their homes automating these tasks, but the convenience and utility are likely to outweigh any concerns. To remain relevant to consumers, companies are advancing security features to assure users that their private information within their homes is safe.

Price will also be a barrier to mass adoption. These devices are becoming more affordable every day, but they still represent an investment, and consumers have to decide what's important to them. Interoperability will help lower prices and make different devices easier to adopt, as people won't be forced to use a particular manufacturer's products forever.

Fortunately, these technologies will continue to build upon one another for a long time. Consumers won't have to buy everything at once, but can build their collections over time. Digi-Key continues to drive innovation in IoT (Internet of Things) devices and future designs for a wide variety of industries and applications, as well as providing educational resources on emerging technologies. 

Robbie Paul is Director of IoT Business Development and Josh Mickolio is Supplier Business Development Manager - Wireless Mode for Digi-Key Electronics. Digi-Key is the leader and continuous innovator in the high-service distribution of electronic components and automation products worldwide, supplying more than 13.4 million components from over 2,300 quality brand manufacturers. Watchvideo series Digi-Key's "City Digital"

Robbie Paul and Josh Mickolio, Digi-Key Electronics