Ikea unveiled its smart blinds not too long ago. The company was supposed to release them in the United States next month but it has now decided to delay the release. The company will now be releasing its smart blinds later in 2019, it’s going to work on improved firmware in the meantime.
The famous furniture company confirmed to The Verge today that the smart blinds are not going to be released in the United States as previously expected. The company has decided to delay the launch because of “an opportunity for improved functionality.” So it has to update the firmware before the smart blinds are launched.
There will be a benefit to this delay. Ikea has confirmed that the ability to control the blinds through the Ikea Trådfri smart home app and via that with Google Assistant, Siri, and Alexa will be available at launch. Customers would have previously had to wait for a firmware update to arrive for this functionality as it wouldn’t be available at launch.
Kadrilj, Ikea’s smart blinds, are reasonably priced compared to similar products from other companies. The smallest size is priced at around $110 while the Fyrtur blackout shades were reportedly going to cost around $130. Despite confirming the delay today, Ikea hasn’t said precisely when they will be released in the United States.