A revamped Apple TV could have huge smart home implications

Apple will be releasing a new version of its Apple TV set top box in September, according to Buzzfeed sources. The new Apple TV is rumored to have a revamped processor, a remote with a touch-pad, its own App Store, and Siri voice control.

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While many are focused on the potential Apple TV could have paired with Apple's rumored streaming service, the BI Intelligence Internet of Things team is interested in the impact of the revamped Apple TV could have on Apple's Homekit. The new features could make the Apple TV a particularly attractive smart home "remote."

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BI Intelligence refers to devices that enable the consumer to control their Internet of Things (IoT) devices, including their smart home systems, as "IoT Remotes." They include smartphones, PCs, tablets, connected TVs, smartwatches, and nontraditional remotes, like Amazon's Echo. Without them, an IoT system would be useless because the consumer would have difficulty controlling the device.

In new research from BI Intelligence, we examine the growth trajectory for the different types of IoT remotes. The note analyzes the different use case for each type of remote, and what the growth of these device categories means for the Internet of Things market.

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Here are some of the key points from the research:

• Consumers control their Internet of Things (IoT) devices using software and applications found on IoT remotes - devices that typically have a primary function unrelated to the IoT. Growth in remote adoption indicates that more homes, businesses, and governments will be able to connect and control IoT devices. It also signals further growth in the IoT.
• PCs and smartphones will be the most prevalent remotes - or primary-choice remotes - accounting for 73% of the total remote installed base in 2020. These remotes offer the most convenience and computing power among the different IoT remotes.
• Secondary-choice remotes include tablets, smartwatches, connected TVs, and nontraditional remotes. These devices will account for 27% of the installed base of IoT remotes in 2020. Growth in these device categories points to how device makers should react when specific use cases of the IoT take off. For example, if smartwatches were to explode in the healthcare market, enterprise healthcare IoT device makers should build an application to control their devices via the smartwatch.

In full, the note:

• Explains why smartphone and PCs will be the top IoT remotes
• Discusses how certain remotes will be used situationally
• Forecasts the installed base until 2020 for 6 major IoT remotes, including smartphones, PCs, tablets, connected TVs, smartwatches, and non-traditional remotes.

To access the note along with ongoing IoT research from BI Intelligence, sign up for a 14-day trial here. Members can sign up for new in-depth reports, hundreds of charts, as well as daily newsletters on the digital industry.