It has become feasible to do almost every task in today’s world through mobile phones. Using apps powered by IoT for smart home, one can manage and maintain their house quite easily. But do you know that people are always looking for the next best gadget that will let them manage their lives with the touch of a few buttons? Now we want to know: Do you want to build a single app using which users can control all the electrical devices in their residence? If yes, you need to read this entire blog where we have discussed the cost to build such applications, the revenue model of such businesses, the right approach to installation, and most importantly, a list of applications of IoT in smart homes. So, let’s start the discussion:
What is Smart Home App Automation?
Home automation is all about a process of automated regulation and management of multiple technological devices available inside a property. These gadgets can be controlled from a remote location through a robust internet connection. Using IoT in home automation, your devices can automatically communicate with each other, eliminating the need for human supervision. For example, you can schedule your lights to switch off at a certain time when you go to bed. Not just that! You can set your thermostat to switch on the AC an hour before you return home to avoid experiencing a hot ambiance.
Just so you know, the total number of installed IoT-connected devices globally is estimated to be 30.9 billion units by 2025, which indicates the growing popularity of smart home app devices in the world.
Top 7+ Applications of IoT in Home Automation
1. Lighting
Lighting in the house can be adjusted automatically to live up to the expectations of users. A case in point here is that if you commence watching a cinema, the lights can be set to dim automatically so that you do not get distracted from the storyline. Similarly, when you go inside your home, the lights can automatically turn on without you needing to press any button. And when you leave your house, the system powered by a smart home app design can automatically shut off the lights to save power.
Your mobile phone, laptop, and other linked devices can manage all the lights in your accommodation. Resultantly, you can set your home automation app to switch on your light when your alarm turns off in the morning.
2. Bathrooms
In the bathroom, IoT for smart home can make your regular routine more easy, enjoyable, and convenient. For example, smart mirrors can connect with other devices, like smartphones and computers, recognize the faces of family members, and display information that interests them, like news articles, weather forecasts, or particular websites.
In case no one is in the bathroom, advanced sensors can identify movement and turn off the water automatically. Smart shower controls are also capable of recognizing individuals and setting their preferred water pressure and temperature. What else? Such controls have the ability to restrict the amount of time spent in the shower to save water. Users of automated jacuzzis can enjoy their bath without requiring changing their chosen temperature and air-jet regime, or play their favorite music because the IoT smart home app can handle all these things easily.
3. Kitchen
Smart home app devices can make cooking easier and safer by making the most of AI technologies. Smart sensors can track smoke, carbon monoxide, temperature, and humidity levels in your kitchen, to make sure that everything is functioning properly.
Special built-in apps monitor whether the user has plenty of food in the refrigerator, provide recipe suggestions, and evaluate the nutritional worth of meals. For instance, smart spoons request users to eat gently when having a meal.
4. Gardens
Sensors can be quite handy for fellows who want to grow their own veggies and fruits at home. Users can check on the smart home mobile app if the temperature is right, if the plant is hydrated enough, and if it is getting adequate sunshine. The mobile program can monitor the current status of the soil, decide if it has sufficient moisture, and activate a smart irrigation system if required.
The sensor identifies when the amount of moisture reaches a perfect level and deactivates the watering system, preventing water waste to a great extent. Smart homes and IoT have led to a significant development in the gardening field, which will completely change how plants are grown down the line.
5. Doors & Windows
Believe it or not, our future doors will not need keys to operate. The smart doors can take advantage of face recognition to open the lock. Any visitors who are not detected as residents must be taken inside the apartment by a resident. The doors can also be set to unlock as you go near your house and close as you leave. They can also start a chain reaction in other devices in your house. The entry gate may discover the authorized users and open the door, followed by turning on the light. Subsequently, other doors in the house can then open and the TV and coffee machine can start operating.
Smart windows can be coded to react to signals from other equipment as well as triggering events. You won’t need to worry about closing windows when you depart from your place of residence as the IoT in home automation will check it for you and turn them off if needed.
6. Security Systems
Do you always ensure that the windows and doors are shut and that the TV, computer, and other electrical appliances are switched off prior to leaving your house? Well, with the help of specific sensors, IoT for smart home will do it for you.
When you go out of your house, these controllers can lock the gate, close the shutters, turn off electronic equipment, and make sure that your house is safe from any human or animal intruders. People can use the best app for home automation on their phones to view their homes and manage the temperature, lighting, and humidity from afar. You can also keep track of your older relatives and help them if required.
7. Safety Sensors
Safety sensors are smart gadgets that can identify when anything goes haywire in your room. They can immediately alert users to potential hazards and even take action to prevent them. Individuals just need a mobile phone with solid internet connectivity and sensors installed in their house. Humidity, temperature, and gas controllers can analyze the air in your home regularly and notify you through the internet if the indications are not under the ideal range.
Natural disasters, fire, water, and gas leaks can be averted using safety sensors powered by IoT for smart home. If a criminal attempts to get inside your residence, video and proximity sensors can identify it, quickly activate the alarm, and alert the authorities.
8. Temperature Control
With temperature control automation, you can set the temperature inside your property to a level that is highly convenient for you. Users can code smart home app devices like thermostats to handle the temperature depending on their preferences and setups. Such thermostats can identify your current activities and adjust the temperature as required.
A case that can be discussed here is that users can use the Android smart home app to boost the temperature when they take a bath. However, if they decide to work out, or perform yoga, pilates, or any other type of physical exercise, the temperature will lower to help them stay cool.
9. Home Routine
The temperature in your house, the arrangement of lights, and the security system can be controlled with the help of AI and ML technologies. The AI and ML development company can create solutions that can offer news updates, find information on the internet, and send you notifications through an app on the internet about:
- Things you need to buy
- Meal you need to order
- Appointment you need to schedule
- Hotel you need to book
You can also track the status of IoT in home automation systems from a remote location. Resultantly, you can utilize the application when you are out of your home to see your parents or friends to make sure that everything including lights, security, and the rest of the cloud-based equipment is working correctly.
Give your home a brain and a shield! Discover how IoT can make your space smarter, safer, and more connected. Step into the future today!
How to Set Up IoT for Smart Home Automation
Setting up a home automation system is actually not as complex as it may seem. You can either install it without much practice, or purchase a smart home product from a trusted vendor, or set up your Smart homes and IoT more strategically by following these simple steps:
Step 1: Determine Smart Home Ecosystem
First of all, pick which Smart home app development you want to be part of, and by that, we indicate choosing between Google or Amazon. This will decide which voice assistant you utilize, which will then determine which IoT devices will gel well with your system.
There is no denying the fact that you can buy products that work well with both Google Assistant and Alexa, but it might emerge as a challenge to remember which voice assistant to use with which Smart homes and IoT devices. Therefore, we suggest selecting any one among them. Once you have taken the plunge on which voice assistant suits you, invest in a compatible smart speaker or display to activate your home automation system.
Step 2: Select Control Protocol
The next step is to decide which protocol you want your devices to interact with, be it WiFi, ZigBee, Z-Wave, or others. If you are just beginning with Smart homes and IoT, WiFi is your most straightforward option, as most IoT devices work with it. Apart from that, WiFi plays a crucial role in creating a unified ecosystem for managing the home conveniently by empowering remote control, monitoring, and automation of functions, such as lighting, thermostats, security systems, and electrical appliances through a mobile app.
Step 3: Choose Types of Products
Now you need to visit every room and decide what kind of products you require for them, be it light bulbs, security cameras, coffee makers, locks, and many as such. For instance, LED smart bulbs, like Philips Hue and Wyze consume relatively less energy when compared to traditional bright bulbs. These smart bulbs can be coded to switch off when not required or dimmed during specific times to save energy.
Step 4: Decide Brands
Perform some research to find out the best IoT for smart home companies. Look for reviews of some famous brands, such as Nest, Ring, SimpliSafe, Alder Security, and the rest. A case in point here is that Google’s Nest Mini smart speaker is a great pocket-friendly option for Google users even though it isn’t as powerful as the new Echo. The audio quality in the Nest Mini is good when it comes to its price and profile.
Step 5: Buy Devices
It’s time to purchase your Smart home app devices. We advise you to make the purchase in bulk, as many organizations offer discounts for larger orders. While you are investing in such devices, make sure to pay special attention to the voice control feature. It allows you to experience the hands-free convenience of controlling the lights in your house using your voice through Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa.
Step 6: Initiate Installation
Once you have placed your order, it is time to install the IoT devices where you wish to. Please remember that most IoT devices are offered with a DIY installation option, which means Do It Yourself. Besides this, products of some establishments, such as Vivint and ADT need professional installation, especially for their smart security systems. So, make sure not to just focus on consideration of IoT app development but factor in installation cost as well.
Step 7: Customize Settings
Given that you have researched, purchased, and installed Smart homes and IoT devices in your home, it is recommended to customize them as per your liking. You can choose to do whatever you want, like putting them on schedules, dimming lights, or making devices trigger each other.
Estimated Home Automation Costs for Business Owners
An end-user IoT application is one of the most important assets of the entire smart home automation system because it directly interacts with users. The complexity of the IoT application and its type is directly proportional to the cost of smart home system. The development cost for a simple IoT app with essential functionalities starts from $30,000. If you want your app to feature third-party integrations as well, like a payment system or complicated logic, the development cost would start from $50,000. Since the home automation systems market is expected to touch the USD 73.49 billion mark by 2029, it makes sense to invest in this field as soon as possible to generate greater ROI over time.
An Introduction to Best Smart Home App Business Models
1. Stand-alone device sales
The most common business model for Smart homes and IoT is stand-alone device sales. In this model, a customer purchases a product from a retailer after paying a one-time fee and gets the authority to use the device as they want.
2. Subscription
A subscription model can reduce a portion of the ongoing costs of supporting a device in the field. This model is generally used for devices that provide a higher standard of service, like smart homes with security monitoring.
3. Device as a service
A newer model that has been gaining momentum for quite some time is the device-as-a-service model. This model enhances the subscription model, getting rid of the purchase of Smart home app devices completely. Since the customer does not own the device, any repair or replacement requests are fulfilled by the brand providing the service.
4. Freemium
In the Smart homes and IoT ecosystem, rendering hardware has a fixed cost that is hard to bear with a completely freemium model. But selling hardware at a specific cost with freemium features as add-ons is an effective method to generate recurring revenue from your smart home devices. The biggest challenge with a freemium model is offering sufficient free value to users to attract them while still keeping most of that value gated to encourage them to opt for the paid version. If you fail to strike a balance between free and paid value, you will have very limited adoption of the free version or extremely low conversion to paid consumers.
Provide your home a mind of its own! From smart locks to AI-driven automation, our IoT app development services turn visions into reality.
Why Should You Invest in the Best App for Home Automation with Binmile?
Developing a complicated product like a smart home automation application requires top-notch skills and a talented team. That’s where an accomplished IoT app development services provider like Binmile comes into the picture. At Binmile, we boast about 8+ years of experience in delivering excellent smart home IoT app development services across the world. We assist tech firms in creating a responsive mobile application to control and monitor their smart home gadgets from one place using our home automation IoT app development services.
The best part of our IoT app development is that it comes with user-friendly interfaces and dashboards that enable continuous monitoring of device performance through real-time tracking and analytics. Our smart home automation systems reap the benefits of AI frameworks and specialized elements to build data-driven apps that deliver customized user experiences. Are you ready to build an IoT-powered smart home app for your building? Hire app developer right away who has expertise in this cutting-edge technology.
