Apple working on smart home devices: Report

Apple is reportedly working on new connected home products for consumers, according to 9to5Mac's Mark Gurman.
Although Apple unveiled its HomeKit platform for developers at this year's WWDC, the company is now working on actual hardware products for everyday users. 

Gurman's sources haven't specified exactly what types of devices Apple is working on, but they did reportedly say that the connected home space will be an important market for Apple moving forward. 

These smart home devices would integrate deeply with Apple's existing products, such as its line of iPhones and iPads. 

Apple's smart home product probably won't compete with the Nest Learning Thermostat or the newly announced Honeywell Lyric. Rather, it will focus on something a little more mainstream that will get more widespread usage. 

This could mean Apple is working on a smart speaker system or some type of controller for the devices in your home, Gurman's sources reportedly said. There's also no specific timeline for the product(s), so there's no telling when or if we'll see such devices hit the market. 

9to5Mac's report comes just after The Information reported similar news on Wednesday regarding Apple's plan to develop devices for the smart home. 

This also isn't the first time we've heard that Apple is interested in creating a gadget that can act as a universal controller for your home. Cantor Fitzgerald analyst Brian White predicted last year that Apple's long-rumored iWatch could be used as a multi-media controller for your home. 

It's not entirely surprising that Apple could be creating hardware geared toward the connected home. Now that Apple has baked support for smart home functionality into iOS 8, we would naturally expect some new products to go along with it.