Every company seems to be jumping into these, but is this really "home automation" or is it remote control using your phone? Yes, maybe unlocking doors remotely or occasionally changing a thermostat setting remotely is handy, but can it respond to events, like turn on the garage lights when the door opens, close blinds when a room heats up too much, or a billion other things based on other events that occur in the house.
If a home is truly "smart" you shouldn't need to control it from a phone, it should be able to carry out 95% of its tasks with no interaction from me.
Who is going to buy switch, a hub, and connect it to a phone app. just so that when its dark out they can remotely turn on their lights? A $5 timer can do that much easier. Staples and others really don't get that, and when they learn this after a year or so, you will see this stuff in their clearance racks.
