From 1984, when the world's first "smart building" was established in Connecticut, USA, to Shenzhen's first agency for the U.S. X-10 retailer in 1994, smart products have now become a common part of daily life. The concept of "smart home" has quietly emerged around us. Smart hardware is now present in living rooms, gradually enhancing home safety, convenience, and comfort.
After over two decades of growth and development, China's smart home industry has reached a second turning point in its industrial development. On one hand, consumers are asking whether these products are worth buying, while on the other, massive investments are flowing into the market. How should one choose a smart home? Where should they start? Can we have both fish and bear's paws? To find the answer, we must return to the core and original purpose of smart homes.
At the beginning, the smart home concept was dominated by home automation. Compared to other technology industries, China's smart home sector did not start later than abroad. In 1994, China's smart home industry entered its budding stage. At that time, there were no companies specializing in smart home manufacturing, but the industry quickly recognized the concept and product potential.
When smart homes first appeared, home automation was essentially considered as smart homes. Two of the earliest domestic smart home companies emerged in Shenzhen, focusing on importing and distributing U.S. X-10 home automation systems. These systems used micro-processing electronic technology to integrate or control household appliances and systems. Strictly speaking, this wasn't "smart home," but rather "home automation."
From 2000 to 2005, with the rapid development of real estate, the home furnishing market expanded, creating more space for smart homes. Over 50 smart home R&D and production enterprises emerged in China. However, these companies lacked core technologies and mainly followed foreign products. Their focus was on full-home automation systems, targeting high-end markets such as luxury hotels, upscale residential areas, and foreign company buildings. The smart home market remained an exclusive domain, unnoticed by the general public.
Despite this, early smart home companies achieved remarkable results. Today, lighting and appliance automation in some high-end hotels have been upgraded from these original systems. It can be said that the concept of China’s smart home was introduced to the public through the experience of these high-end hotels, gradually gaining recognition. During this process, discussions about what constitutes a smart home never ceased. Is automation equivalent to intelligence? What is true intelligence? These questions have always been at the heart of the industry.
The first crossroads came when the internet industry bloomed in 2006, influencing traditional industries. This year marked a transformation in the home appliance industry, introducing network appliances and information appliances. The smart home topic found a new answer: Internet + smart home appliances.
Foreign smart home brands entered the Chinese market, bringing advanced technologies and single products that surprised the Chinese people. Companies like Legrand, Honeywell, Schneider, and Control4 entered during this period, laying the foundation for today's smart home ecosystem. Chinese companies were inspired and began evolving.
This was the first major turning point in China’s smart home industry, centered on redefining the concept of smart homes. Should they stick to mature automation systems or embrace a new intelligent experience? They chose the latter, and the market accepted it.
During this phase, many automated home furnishing companies without core technologies exited the market. Survivors found their own paths, developing smarter products. Companies like Tianjin Ruilang, Qingdao Airhouse, and Haier successfully transformed, leading the industry forward.
By 2010, China's smart home industry had formed industrial clusters and taken on a new posture. The industry shifted from integrated automation systems to smart single products, ready to compete in the smart home market.
The explosion stage arrived, marking the best era for the smart home industry. A surge of capital, societal interest, and government support fueled rapid growth. Consumer attitudes changed, further accelerating development.
Internationally, tech giants rushed into the "new blue ocean" of smart homes, triggering a global investment boom. Nest, the first smart home product, was born in 2010. SmartThings raised $1.2 million in 2012. LG, Panasonic, and Qualcomm joined the first smart home interconnection alliance in 2013. Google acquired Nest for $3.2 billion, Samsung bought SmartThings for $200 million, Apple launched HomeKit, and Amazon introduced Echo.
Domestically, traditional home appliance companies, consumer electronics firms, and internet companies entered the market, expanding the industry's scale. By 2017, China's smart home market reached 90.8 billion yuan, growing rapidly from a modest start.
However, this was also the worst era. Market enthusiasm led to impatience among smart home companies, resulting in "pseudo-smart" products criticized for being impractical. Products like smart chopsticks, smart coasters, and smart egg boxes were overly complex and inconvenient, failing to meet user needs.
These products disappeared under the shine of more practical options like smart speakers and locks. The current mixed reactions prompted companies to rethink the smart home concept, entering a second turning point—the breakthrough stage.
At this second crossroads, companies face the challenge of balancing consumer expectations and investor enthusiasm. The dilemma is not unique to smart homes; emerging industries like VR, biometrics, and smart transportation also seek their own paths.
To turn challenges into opportunities, the key lies in returning to the original intention. The purpose of a home is to create comfort, and the purpose of a smart home is to provide an intelligent, convenient, and humanized experience. This should be the bottom line for smart home companies.
At this moment, the smart home industry stands at a dawn. Looking back at the original intention, staying true to one's values, and listening to the heart will lead the way forward.
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