Vizio says it is adding support for AirPlay 2 and HomeKit to its SmartCast enabled TVs, which can now be controlled using Siri, Alexa, or Google Assistant
Apple is reportedly gearing up for a new streaming TV service to rival Netflix, Amazon and Google this year, but in the meantime …
Context & Ripple Effects
Vizio has been the proving ground for third-party TV casting before: back in 2016 it was the launch partner when Google brought Chromecast-style features directly into TV sets, and its P-Series shipped with built-in Cast support. Now Vizio is doing the same for Apple, adding AirPlay 2 and HomeKit so SmartCast sets respond to Siri alongside Alexa and Google Assistant.
The move lands days before CES-adjacent announcements from rivals and just as Apple is reportedly preparing a streaming TV service to challenge Netflix, Amazon, and Google — meaning Apple needs its protocols on screens it doesn't sell. Sony confirmed within a day that its new Android TV-based 4K and 8K models would get the same treatment.
First-order effects
- Vizio SmartCast owners can now push video via AirPlay 2 and control their sets through Siri, Alexa, or Google Assistant, making the TV a shared endpoint across all three voice ecosystems rather than a Google Cast device alone.
- Sony's commitment to bring AirPlay 2 and HomeKit to its upcoming Android TV lineup means Apple's protocols are no longer gated behind Apple-branded hardware or an Apple TV box.
Second-order effects
- Apple gains a ready-made installed base of living-room screens for the streaming service it is reportedly building this year — a path that materialized when the Apple TV app arrived on Vizio SmartCast sets with bundled Apple TV+ trials in 2020.
- Roku, whose players compete directly with smart-TV casting, was eventually forced to follow suit, rolling out AirPlay 2 and HomeKit across most of its 4K devices in late 2020.
Third-order effects
- If every major TV maker adopts AirPlay 2 and HomeKit, the smart TV becomes multi-ecosystem neutral ground, and Apple's living-room strategy shifts from selling boxes to collecting protocol and services rent on other companies' hardware.
- TV operating systems stop being loyalty locks — a set can serve Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant simultaneously — which pushes competition up the stack toward content services like the one Apple is preparing against Netflix, Amazon, and Google.
The trend: Apple is transitioning from a closed, box-centric living-room strategy to licensing its TV protocols and apps onto rival manufacturers' screens as it readies a subscription streaming service.