"I have bad news for ecosystem straddlers who use Google Nest products in their smart homes but rely on iPhones and Apple Home for control: the much-loved Starling Home Hub has been discontinued. In a message on its website, Starling said it can no longer manufacture the hub due to "rapidly rising costs of doing business for small US-based product companies like us (most significantly, tariffs the US government charges us to obtain the components we need to build our product).""
"The Starling Home Hub launched in 2019. At $99, it was billed as an independent bridge that let you control and automate Nest devices - including thermostats and cameras - in the Apple Home app and with Siri. It also supported local streaming for cameras, improving latency. Google's Nest devices have never had direct integration with Apple's HomeKit platform. While Matter adoption has helped - newer Nest thermostats now work in Apple Home - older models and all cameras still remain outside Apple's ecosystem."
"If you already own one, you're safe for the time being. Starling says it will continue to provide tech support and roll out security and bug fix updates, and hopes to have enough stock on hand to honor warranties. It's unclear what's next for the company, which to date has only produced this one device. In terms of alternatives, the 2020 Google Nest Thermostat and the fourth-generation Nest Learning Thermostat both support Matter, allowing some control in the Apple Home app. Camera support for Matter is slated to arrive later this year, and with Google rumored to be launching new Nest cams next month, that may provide a path to streaming them in Apple Home. But we don't know if Google will extend Matter support to its existing cameras and"
Starling has discontinued the Starling Home Hub because of rapidly rising business costs and tariffs that make manufacturing unsustainable. The hub launched in 2019 at $99 and acted as an independent bridge to control Nest thermostats and cameras in Apple Home and with Siri, with local camera streaming for lower latency. Google Nest devices lack native HomeKit integration; Matter brought partial thermostat support for newer models but left older thermostats and cameras unsupported. Starling will continue tech support, security and bug-fix updates and hopes to honor warranties from remaining stock. Future company plans remain unclear; Matter and new Nest cams may offer alternative integration paths.
Read at The Verge
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