At a time when the growth of the building materials and home furnishing industries is slowing down due to the impact of the general environment, smart home is like a “clear stream”, bucking the trend with an annual output value growth rate of 20%-30%.
Many decoration owners have found that more and more friends are choosing smart door locks and remote temperature control equipment; in home appliance stores, packages with “smart linkage” functions have also changed from “high-end options” to “mainstream recommendations.”
Behind this is not only the promotion of technological iteration, but also the real demand of consumers for “convenient life”.
Today we will talk about how smart homes are changing our lives from three dimensions: industry status quo, user pain points, and future trends.
1. Industry status quo: triple driven by policy, technology and demand, the 100 billion market is accelerating to take shape
1.1 Market size: from “niche attempt” to
“Scale expansion”
As early as ten years ago, smart homes were still in the “villa exclusive” stage, and a control system often cost tens or even hundreds of thousands.
But now, smart sockets priced at a few hundred yuan and smart door locks priced at a thousand yuan make it easy for ordinary families to get started.
The data is the most convincing: in 2009, the size of the domestic smart home market was approximately US$42 billion, and by 2015 it exceeded 124 billion yuan; at the current growth rate, China’s digital home market will increase by 50 billion yuan in the next three years, and is expected to reach the 100 billion threshold within five years.
This growth is no accident.
In 2012, the “Twelfth Five-Year Plan” included smart home into nine key industries, which was equivalent to giving the industry a “reassurance”. Traditional home appliance companies such as Haier and Midea, as well as technology companies such as Xiaomi and Huawei, have begun to increase investment. Foreign brands have also not let go of this “cake” and have launched products suitable for Chinese families.
Now when I go shopping in home furnishing stores, almost every brand has a “smart series”. While competition is fierce, product prices are becoming more and more affordable.
1.2 Technical support: from “single point control” to “interconnection”
The previous “smart” was more like a “remote switch” – using a mobile phone APP to control a single lamp or a single air conditioner, which was cumbersome to operate and easy to disconnect.
But things are different now: the integration of three networks makes the home network more stable, the Internet of Things technology enables “device dialogue” (such as automatically turning on the lights when the door is opened, and automatically turning on the air conditioner when the temperature and humidity are high), and cloud technology can remember your usage habits (for example, if you are used to dimming the lights at 10 p.m., the system will automatically remind you).
Especially after the popularization of 3G networks, “remote control” has really come into effect.
For example, on the way to get off work in the summer, you can use your mobile phone to turn on the air conditioner in advance and enjoy the coolness when you get home; when you are on a business trip, you are worried that the windows at home are not closed. You can check it by opening the APP, and it can also be linked to the security camera to confirm – these scenes that only appeared in science fiction movies in the past have now become the daily life of many families.
2. User perspective: Which functions are really useful?
Don’t pay for “pseudo-smart”
Many people think that “it sounds good but is troublesome to use” when it comes to smart home.
In fact, the core problem is: some products are only “superficially intelligent” and do not solve the actual pain points.
We have sorted out three types of truly “down-to-earth” functions to see if you also need them:
2.1 Wireless control: returning “fragmented time” to life
For office workers, the most practical thing is to “arrange housework in advance.”
For example, if you are in a hurry in the morning and forget to turn off the water heater, you can use your mobile phone to turn it off remotely; if you work overtime at night and are afraid that your children will have no hot water when they get home, you can turn it on half an hour in advance; you can even set up a “scene mode” – “go home mode”. After triggering, the door lock will open, the lights will turn on, the air conditioner will be adjusted to 26 degrees, and the curtains will be opened, without having to operate them one by one.
Behind these functions is the popularity of wireless controllers: wireless light controllers, curtain controllers, socket controllers… They can be installed in old houses without rewiring, and can improve the convenience of life for a few hundred yuan.
For example, a mother said that she used to have to get up quietly to turn off the lights in the living room after putting her child to bed. Now she can do it with her mobile phone. “Finally, I can sleep with my child through the whole night.”
2.2 Family Security: Solving “Anxiety of Parenting” and “Safety at Home”
Winter and summer vacations are the most troublesome times for parents: Do their children do their homework seriously when they are at home alone?
Will you touch electrical appliances randomly?
With a home security system, these problems can be solved – you can view it in real time through the camera, and you can also set up “motion detection”. If your child runs into dangerous areas such as the balcony or kitchen, your phone will immediately receive a reminder.
Not only inside the home, community security is also linked to smart homes.
For example, when someone rings your doorbell, your mobile phone can make a real-time video call; if a thief breaks into your home, not only will an alarm be triggered and the property security center can receive the precise location, but your mobile phone will also receive a MMS message captured on the scene – this “double protection” makes elderly people living alone and office workers feel more at ease.
2.3 Audio-visual entertainment: Bringing the “theater experience” home
For those who like to watch dramas and movies, smart homes make “relaxation time” more pleasant.
No need to look for the remote control: Use the Pad to click “Viewing Mode”, the TV will automatically turn on, the sound will start, the lights will dim, and the curtains will close, instantly entering the “theater atmosphere”; after watching the movie, click “Daily Mode” again, and all equipment will automatically reset.
An audio-visual enthusiast said that in the past, in order to get the “theater effect”, he bought a TV, stereo, and projector, and there were 5 remote controls alone. It took him a long time to find each operation.
Now it can be done with a smart central control. “When friends come to watch football at home, they all say it is more convenient than going to the cinema.”
3. Future trends: The Intelligent Visual Internet of Things Alliance has broken down the four major directions. These changes are worth looking forward to.
As an authoritative organization in the industry, the Intelligent Visual Internet of Things Alliance recently proposed four major development trends for smart homes.
These trends are not “empty talk”, but are based on user needs and technology implementation. Obvious changes will be felt in the next 3 to 5 years:
3.1 Perception is more “smart”: devices will “judge for themselves”
In the future, smart homes will increasingly “understand you”.
For example, the temperature sensor can not only measure the room temperature, but also automatically adjust according to your physical sensation (for example, if you are afraid of heat and feel cool at 26 degrees, the system will remember this preference); if a device fails (for example, a smart light flashes), the system will automatically diagnose the cause and push maintenance recommendations – you no longer need to find someone to come to the house for troubleshooting, saving time and cost.
3G 网络的升级还会带来更多可能。
For example, if an elderly person suddenly feels unwell at home and presses the emergency button, the system will not only contact their children, but also link with community hospitals to send real-time location and health data; when guests come to the home, through 3G video intercom, they can confirm their identity without getting up, and they can also open the door remotely – these functions will make the smart home more “warm”.
3.2 Business is more “integrated”: breaking “device islands”
Nowadays, many people’s smart devices in their homes are “different”: Xiaomi’s lights cannot be linked to Huawei’s air conditioners, and air conditioners cannot be linked to security cameras.
This situation will change in the future – the industry will unify transmission protocols so that devices of different brands can “talk”.
For example, when you go out, just say “I’m out”, and the system will automatically close the windows, turn off the lights, turn off the air conditioner, and activate the security mode at the same time; when you get up at night, the moment your feet hit the ground, the corridor lights will automatically turn on (the brightness will not be dazzling), the bathroom lights will turn on, and they will automatically turn off when you return to bed – this “seamless connection” is the real “smart life”.
3.3 The terminal is more “simplified”: spend less, do more
In the past, to install a smart home, you had to buy a bunch of controllers: lighting controllers, curtain controllers, air conditioning controllers… Not only did they take up space, but they also had to be set up one by one.
Future terminals will be more “intensive” – one central control device can manage everything, smaller in size (perhaps as big as a socket), consume less power, and easy to install, and can be installed by yourself.
What’s more convenient is “plug and play”: when you buy a new smart device, plug it in and the system will automatically discover and match it. You don’t have to download an APP or enter a password.
For example, if you buy a new smart light bulb, after screwing it on, the mobile APP will pop up “Would you like to add a device?” and you can use it with just one click – friendly to the elderly and children.
3.4 Access update “Wireless”: It can be installed in old houses without breaking the wall.
Many owners of old houses want to install smart homes, but they are afraid of “breaking the wall for wiring” – which is expensive and troublesome.
In the future, this problem will be completely solved: all devices will be connected wirelessly, and there will be no need to dig into walls or run wires. They can be used as long as there is a network.
For example, if you want to install smart curtains in an old house, you don’t need to cut slots and bury wires in the wall. You can just buy a wireless curtain motor and stick it on the curtain box. If you want to install smart switches, you don’t need to change sockets. You can just replace the ordinary switch with a wireless smart switch and screw on the screws. The cost is lower than wired ones and it doesn’t damage the decoration.
4. Pain points in the industry: Don’t just look at the “busyness”, these problems must be solved
Although smart homes are developing rapidly, there are also some “shortcomings”, the most prominent of which is the field of home security: for example, home access control, although convenient, but everyone is most worried about “what if it breaks” – there is always the possibility of failure of electronic equipment. If the access control fails and cannot enter the home, it will be troublesome.
Therefore, the industry is now studying “double protection”: for example, leaving a mechanical keyhole next to the electronic access control, or supporting NFC opening of the mobile phone (which can be used even if the network is disconnected).
There is also the issue of market perception: many people think that “security products are not important” and would rather spend thousands of dollars to buy a smart TV than spend hundreds of dollars to install a security camera.
In fact, security is the “foundation” of smart homes – only when your home is safe can you talk about “convenience” and “comfort”.
In the future, the industry will increase publicity to make more people aware of the “importance of security.”
5. Summary: The ultimate goal of smart home is to “understand you and not disturb you”
From “controlling a light” to “managing the entire home”, from “niche early adopters” to “mass rigid needs”, the core logic of smart homes has not changed – solving users’ actual pain points and making life more convenient and comfortable.
The smart home of the future will not let you “learn a lot of operations”, but “serve you silently”: it will remember your habits, predict your needs, appear when you need it, and be “invisible” when you don’t need it.
For example, at 7 o’clock in the morning, the system will tell you in advance based on your route to work that “there is a traffic jam today, it is recommended to go out 10 minutes earlier.” At the same time, it will automatically brew coffee and open the curtains. After get off work at night, according to your location, the system will adjust the air conditioner to the appropriate temperature in advance and the lights to your preferred brightness. This is the ultimate meaning of smart home: it is not “showing off skills”, but allowing you to “worry less and enjoy more.”
