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Homey Smartphone App (Preview)

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Comments

  • martijn1980martijn1980 Member
    Louis28 said:
    It’s still awfully quiet considering the new Homey app will be released this week, right? They seriously can’t be delaying it again without any notice.
    Same here. If it won't come within a short time frame I will consider my Homey project as failed and move to a different kind of domotica system.
  • tobpet01tobpet01 Member
    Agree... I went from Zipato hoping that Athom would be a better product with more frequent updates and a more stable product.
    With weathersensors not working, no backup, no updated app since last year and so on I'm not sure how long I will stay with Homey... to bad becaus Homey could be a very good product...
  • dcnet01dcnet01 Member
    i come from zway, i am also disappointed, reach of zwave and zigbee bad. little updates.
    a positive feature, the remote access works well
  • patphotopatphoto Member
    Came from domoticz my self.
    Hoping this would be more stable with less work.

    it is, but the updates and support is a little behind.
  • k1sk1s Member
    I came from Fibaro due to some problems with battery drain.  I hoped Homey would be more customer-oriented, but found it's actually more like a enthusiast project with users expected to be like software developers, and many missing functions (alarm functions, heating scheduler compatibility with devices) mostly dependent on community efforts.  Looking for something better /more finished- Smartthings perhaps?
  • powermarcel10powermarcel10 Member
    New version should be released today right??
  • loutje020loutje020 Member
    Athom, where is the new version?
  • lubbertkramerlubbertkramer Member
    Just posted on Slack by @Bram the community manager from Athom so no new update as promised in May with the new design

    bram [12:38 PM]

    Small update: We hoped to release a new update for the mobile app before today, but the development is taking a bit longer then we anticipated.. We know that Stefan made a "promise" in his interview with hardware.info. Just before the interview we were almost certain that we would be able to release a new update before the end of May, however, after that interview a set of new bugs surfaced and we are currently working very hard to resolve these. We are sorry that we got you guys hopes up for a new update before today, but bear with us, we are doing our best to roll out an update asap! We know for sure you are really going to like the new design and functions in the new app:blush:

  • Louis28Louis28 Member
    edited May 2018
    I think they completely lost their credibility.
  • Leeuw1960Leeuw1960 Member
     :'( 
  • k1sk1s Member
    Louis28 said:
    I think they completely lost their credibility.
    If you mean because of an arbitrary deadline, I disagree. Software development is always subject to variable timescales. (If on the other hand you're comparing the marketing promise with the reality of ownership, I agree, it's way short of credible.)
  • ComputerbluesComputerblues Member
    @allcomplainers I sincerely hope that they make a rush job out of it and have you ended up with a bug ridden version on time. True, Homey needs a much better user interface for a range of devices, which is a huge task full of surprises. I had rather have them get it right straightaway than getting stuck with a less than optimal version. Patience is a virtue...
  • JeroenKleijnJeroenKleijn Member
    I do agree. Software  development is really hard to control and i rather have a working version than a buggy one. But that is not the issue. The issue is with communication. They told in a interview that by the end of this month, a new update would come. Now trough unofficial channels( slack is a developer channel) we hear that it is not going to happen half a day before the end of the month.

    The lack of expectation management is not very good for the image of a company. Positive thing is, the people that do not read the forum don't know there was an update coming.

    all in all. the only thing you can do is buy a different device with different problems or wait until they do get the update to our homey's. 
  • ComputerbluesComputerblues Member
    @JeroenKleijn I absolutely agree about the expectation management and communication. Getting shops to, essentially, selling a beta product is no small marketing feat, which leads to high expectations from users. Managing these should be an equal challenge to getting the bits and bytes right.

  • k1sk1s Member
    Computerblues said:
    ... no small marketing feat..

    That's a kind way to put it. The cold truth is that the marketing is a misrepresentation. 
  • lubbertkramerlubbertkramer Member
    edited May 2018
    k1s said:
    Louis28 said:
    I think they completely lost their credibility.
    If you mean because of an arbitrary deadline, I disagree. Software development is always subject to variable timescales. (If on the other hand you're comparing the marketing promise with the reality of ownership, I agree, it's way short of credible.)
    Compare it with the promise made (and already removed from this forum by Athom instead of archived) that was made december 2017 in the bi-weekly forum updates where they said the beta (which is known to have bugs) with the new design will be released januari 2018....so then you promise in a interview to a big Dutch magazine like hardware.info is you release this month and then on the last day  you postpone because of bugs where we all know beta = bug? 

    Summary Week 50 & 51 (December 11 - December 22) 

    With the holidays around the corner and it freezing outside, our feature freeze is slowly coming to an end. The last two weeks have been full with stability work on Homey v1.5.6, many of our Homey Apps and the new Homey Smartphone App.

    Homey v1.5.6 will be published to all Homeys in the stable channel in the new year, because with the holidays now we cannot monitor if everything goes right. And we wouldn't want to risk a Christmas tree not turning on due to a new bug, or Homey not saying 'Happy New Year' at 00:00 January 1st.

    We've started work on implementing the design in the Homey Smartphone App as well, and it's starting to look good. Our goal is to have a first release with the new design in the 2nd week of January. Stay tuned!

    Merry Christmas everyone and enjoy your holidays!

  • k1sk1s Member
    edited May 2018
    @lubbertkramer I wasn't referring to development promises, but to the marketing 'promise' - i.e. what this this is capable of doing, how ready and robust it is to do it, how easily it can be done. That's the misrepresentation. 
  • ComputerbluesComputerblues Member
    @k1s What can I say, I'm in a mild mood. Homey is doing what it's supposed to do for my purposes, mixing various brands of hardware and protocols in flows. Still have not found anything comparable in terms of wide support for hardware and ease of use for flows. Working around the shortcomings as needed. The last time Homey stopped working for me was when we had a power outage. However, right now, I would not recommend Homey for any of my customers that expect a set-it-and-forget-it kind of solution, since the interface for everyday operation for users still leaves much to be desired. But we'll get there in time.
  • ComputerbluesComputerblues Member
    @k1s @lubbertkramer Don't we all know about how marketing promises never ever hold up for any product anyway? So what's new?
  • lubbertkramerlubbertkramer Member
    edited May 2018
    k1s said:
    @lubbertkramer I wasn't referring to development promises, but to the marketing 'promise' - i.e. what this this is capable of doing, how ready and robust it is to do it, how easily it can be done. That's the misrepresentation. 
    After the release we are talking about it's still beta where beta === bugs and even when it hits stable it still will have bugs because Homey also went stable with the retail sale and 466 and counting GH issues.... it should be an illusion the beta update instead of a version bumb is bug free.

    The current stabile mobile app is also getting zero development time...so they need to release with bugs or they need to learn how to develop software with minor releases and multiple branches where features that are not yet working can be not released but all the rest can be pushed to the beta users

    Computerblues said:
    @k1s @lubbertkramer Don't we all know about how marketing promises never ever hold up for any product anyway? So what's new?
    The promise above from release jan 2018 was made by Emile who is the owner of Athom and no sales person so i guess that's not a marketing promise anymore
  • k1sk1s Member
    Computerblues said:
    @k1s @lubbertkramer Don't we all know about how marketing promises never ever hold up for any product anyway? So what's new?
    Of course, but rarely is the gap so large. They only get away with it because the category/sector is so weak. In a commodity market they'd be taken to task by those with interest in the local trading standards and consumer rights regulations.
  • ComputerbluesComputerblues Member
    k1s said:
    They only get away with it because the category/sector is so weak. In a commodity market they'd be taken to task by those with interest in the local trading standards and consumer rights regulations.
    And there we have it: seeing through the marketing blurbs, domotica is is not even close to outgrowing it's infancy. All parties involved are struggeling to get their take on what it should be right. No blueprints or examples to copy, but finding their way, which is mostly in the dark, with only their ideas to guide them. No wonder not everything goes as planned.

    Even very expensive, recent KNX installations that are used right now in apartment buildings struggle with reliability issues, while being sold as the perfect home automation solution. Everyone in this business is creating expectations and making promises while trying to get it right and find useful applications.

    That Emile slipped up and told something that Athom can't deliver exactly, in hindsight, for me proves that Athom is still very keen to move forward but still underestimating the amount of curveballs they receive along the way.

    The product is not mature, the market is not mature and the companies are not mature, and every party involved is looking for perfection. Personally I find it very interesting to follow the process on the sideline and I'm very curious to see where it leads.
  • EternityEternity Member
    edited May 2018
    I wrote a Homey review for the Dutch Computer magazine PCM, a year ago and gave it 4 out of 5 stars.

    Although I do see technical progress, due to the below par communication, I now would rate it lower. The fact that a delay is communicated via Slack (...) and not the community forum is typical.


  • RocodamelsheRocodamelshe Member
    Can we keep it to the talk about the smartphone (preview) app plz? I know we all hate the killing of the desktop thingie but there is no need , in my opinion, to whine about it in several topics all over the forums. 
    Posts not being about the existing preview app below my post will be deleted without further notice. If u have any problems with that, plz feel free to contact me in a PM.
  • ComputerbluesComputerblues Member
    @Rocodamelshe Well, for now, I guess there is not much to discuss, is there?
  • ThorarinThorarin Member
    edited May 2018
    I have to say I'm rather allergic to apps demanding access to all my contacts and my call log up front, especially when there is no reason to have access to this type of information to do its job.

    I'm a developer too, so I kinda understand starting out with a lot of permissions and trimming it down later, but I feel I should speak up anyway. I haven't found any reason for several of the requested permissions yet, but even if there is a reason, please consider making the more sensitive permissions optional at the very least. Could save you some GDPR headaches as well :)


  • mbnnmbnn Member
    The current iphone app says it will expire in 2 days (beta), any idea what after that? :)
  • christian1122christian1122 Member
    this app broke my hue system, my KAKU system and my google play music subscription
    the hue system and KAKU system were fixed by a reboot but it seems like my google play music will be dead for good. i was on the phone with the google servicedesk for an hour and they cant fix it. i recommend removing this app and never using it again. this app (and homey itself) have cost me a lot of time and only gave me headaches in return. worst purchase i ever made
  • jjtbsomhorstjjtbsomhorst Member
    How can an app destroy your google play music??
  • christian1122christian1122 Member
    jjtbsomhorst said:
    How can an app destroy your google play music??
    when you try playing music without a speaker connected, homey will keep cycling trough the playlist but never stop and you cant stop it. the google play music subscription only allows 1 device at a time to listen to music and on every device i now get the error that an other device is already streaming music. i turned off homey but that didnt solve it
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