Apple's highly anticipated iOS update is now available after a long and extensive beta period for iPad and iPhone. This week's release of iOS 10.2 has brought great changes for Apple's smart home devices.

HomeKit is Apple's exclusive software and hardware smart home platform; it lets users control smart home devices such as lights, door locks, switches, and thermostats. HomeKit devices connect to each other with less effort and can be controlled not only via app, but also with a user's voice via Siri.

With iOS 10.2, the HomeKit's sensor sensitivity has leveled up. Now, it supports more devices --- including occupancy, motion, window coverings, door and window detectors, carbon monoxide, smoke, and water leak sensors. These are the type of useful connected smart home devices that users would want to secure their homes with.

Moreover, the iOS 10.2 lets users customize the HomeKit's notification settings --- whether the accessory will notify them every time a sensor is triggered or not, making users even receive alerts wherever they are. In addition, iOS 10.2 enables HomeKit accessories send notifications to users when an update is available; hence, users can keep their devices running the most recent firmware without the need to update them manually.

Previously introduced smart home devices such as thermostats and kitchen gadgets are really nice to have, but they aren't that important. In the contrary, affordable devices that let users secure their windows, protect their homes against flooding, creating ad hoc motion sensing alarms around their houses appear to be much more essential as it provides all-around home security, COMPUTERWORLD reported.

Apple announced back in October that it is looking forward to having more than 100 HomeKit-compatible accessories available on the market by the end of 2016. In other news, integrating a device maker support has been slow due to Apple's requirements for a proprietary HomeKit chip that helps secure smart home devices.