A number of smart locks have been pulled from sale from Apple Stores, both online and offline, among other devices. The
August Smart Lock and the Kwikset Kevo Wireless-Enabled Deadbolt Lock are no longer available to buy from Apple's online store, and though there is no official explanation for why they are no longer being offered directly through Apple, it is suggested the cause could be a lack of
HomeKit support in the devices.
MacRumors notes the Schlage Sense Smart Deadbolt is still being sold, and it does connect to HomeKit, while the non-HomeKit Belkin WeMo Switch and WeMo Light Switch have also suffered from being pulled from the store. This does seem to indicate Apple is preferring to push smart home device manufacturers to support HomeKit in their products.
Neither the Kwikset nor August work with HomeKit, but they were offered previously because they offered functionality via iOS devices in some form. For example, the Kwikset Kevo allowed users to unlock their door using an iPhone app and Bluetooth, with it also offering extra functions through the Works with Nest program. August's Smart Lock may still return to the store in the future, as the recently-launched
second-generation of the device adds HomeKit integration.
Apple has a history of suddenly purging products from retail that either compete with, or do not connect to, Apple's own products and services. For example, it pulled the
Nest thermostat not long after Google revealed its own competition to HomeKit. After the Apple Watch launch, the company removed
Fitbit products, most likely for a combination of being a competing fitness tracking product and not planning to support HealthKit.
Bose was targeted last year, potentially to reduce competition for Beats.
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