Lowe's tried to become a mainstay of smart home technology with its Iris system, but it wasn't successful enough and unveiled plans to leave the category in November.
Lowe's tried to become a mainstay of smart home technology with its Iris system, but it wasn't successful enough and unveiled plans to leave the category in November. Now, it's ready to bow out in earnest -- the hardware store has announced that it's shutting down the Iris app and services on March 31st, 2019. It stopped charging paying customers as of January 31st, and it's issuing Visa prepaid cards to eligible customers to help them migrate to other smart home platforms.
There are also solutions for those who'll hang on to their Iris gear. Lowe's is partnering with Samsung to enable support for SmartThings where possible. The retailer adds that some of its gadgets rely on standards that work with other smart home platforms (such as Zigbee and Z-Wave), so you don't have to switch to Samsung's ecosystem if you know compatible alternatives.
It's unfortunate news if you've invested heavily in Iris, but it's not surprising. The smart home space has become increasingly crowded since Lowe's arrived, and its combination of a unifying hub and optional subscription services was a tough sell. There were more widely available services and devices, and some smart home products (such as certain light bulbs) don't need a hub at all. Simply put, there wasn't much need for what Lowe's had to offer.
There are also solutions for those who'll hang on to their Iris gear. Lowe's is partnering with Samsung to enable support for SmartThings where possible. The retailer adds that some of its gadgets rely on standards that work with other smart home platforms (such as Zigbee and Z-Wave), so you don't have to switch to Samsung's ecosystem if you know compatible alternatives.
It's unfortunate news if you've invested heavily in Iris, but it's not surprising. The smart home space has become increasingly crowded since Lowe's arrived, and its combination of a unifying hub and optional subscription services was a tough sell. There were more widely available services and devices, and some smart home products (such as certain light bulbs) don't need a hub at all. Simply put, there wasn't much need for what Lowe's had to offer.