1Home Digest May '26: 1Home Touch & Sonos
May was a big one for us. Two things we've been quietly working toward finally came to life: our first hands-on with 1Home Touch, and the long-awaited Sonos integration landing in 1Home. That alone would make the month - but there's plenty more bubbling underneath too: fresh hardware, big names making moves, and the rules starting to catch up with the tech. Let's get into...
First Touch At 1Home Touch
Last week Marcel received a message from engineering: ''Come upstairs and bring a camera''. There it was 1Home Touch, waiting to be touched and tested for the first time.
Of course Marcel couldn't hold back, I mean who could have, right? He tried different themes, light configurations, Sonos integration and more...
It's Here: 1Home Sonos Integration
The wait is over. After plenty of anticipation, Sonos officially landed in 1Home. Marcel gives us a detailed tour of everything the new integration can do, and shows how to make a home not just smart, but genuinely fun and also satisfying.
Watch how fun Sonos in 1Home can be here
The Tiny Connector Behind IKEA's ÅSKVÄDER Strikes Out on Its Own
Every so often a supplier decides it no longer wants to live behind someone else's logo. Sweden's Moduel engineered the palm-sized 16A connector at the heart of IKEA's ÅSKVÄDER power strips - a system that reached 100,000-plus Nordic households on next to no marketing. Now, armed with twelve patents across seven countries, it's stepping out under its own name with Matter connectivity and energy monitoring, selling direct across Europe.
A Visit to the World's First "Smart Home" - and a Lesson in How Little Has Changed
Long before Matter or Thread, there was Cragside - the Northumberland mansion wired for hydroelectric light and Victorian gadgetry that earned it the title of world's first smart home. A worthwhile reminder that the dream of the automated house is nearly 150 years in the making.
Lidl Now Sells a Balcony Solar Battery
The discount-retailer playbook reaches energy storage: Lidl Germany is selling a 2.24 kWh lithium iron phosphate balcony battery under its Tronic brand. With 1,000 W input, 800 W output, and compatibility with 99% of microinverters, it lets balcony-solar owners bank daytime power for the evening - a clear sign that home energy storage is going mainstream.
Apple's Long-Delayed Smart Home Push Finally Has a Launch Window
After more than a year in warehouses, Apple's home ambitions are reportedly moving. Leaked ahead of WWDC 2026 are three devices that matter to our world: a HomeKit hub with a display, an Apple-designed security camera, and a Face ID video doorbell. The hold-up has always been Siri - and Apple is betting its rebuilt, conversational version finally makes the hardware worth shipping.
The EU's New Building Efficiency Rules Take Effect
With buildings driving ~40% of EU energy use and 36% of emissions, the directive targets worst-performing stock, phases out fossil-fuel boilers, and pushes new builds to zero-emission. Key for the industry: automation and control systems now mandatory in non-residential buildings, plus solar integration and smart EV charging.
That's all for this month's digest.
Thanks for reading with us, see you soon!