MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT: MobiLinc X for iOS and Android

[Teken]

Thanks Wes. Installed, checked price, removed. Now I know...

@MWareman

On the road right now so can’t download the trial application. Any insight would be appreciated as I lost track last year when this was released regarding the local version and final cost(s).


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[TrojanHorse]

Would also love to know as my current iPhone X is being upgraded soon to the latest. I don't want to find out one of the most expansive Apps installed on my phone is abandon-ware. 

Same here. Would hate to see the prior versions abandoned. Would actually make me less likely to “upgrade” to the X version, not more likely since it would leave a bad taste and make me skeptical of the whole thing.


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[oberkc]

9 hours ago, Teken said:

Any insight would be appreciated

It looks like you will be starting at around $80 (assuming I understand the options correctly) if you want to use it outside the house.  No family sharing.  I assume neither does this translate between/among android and iOS.  I am also not confident that there is an iPad version.  

[Teken]

2 hours ago, oberkc said:

It looks like you will be starting at around $80 (assuming I understand the options correctly) if you want to use it outside the house.  No family sharing.  I assume neither does this translate between/among android and iOS.  I am also not confident that there is an iPad version.  

I'll have to download the trial to see what I get for (approx) $80.00 USD. I don't want to find out it's going to be a sh^t show like Agave where you think you get this vs that. All of these nickle and dime so called Ala cart Apps just drive me insane! The fact people really buy into a so called add on for a thermostat, programs, what ever is crazy. I have no issues with things which are not core features of hardware like remote connection, cloud integration, etc.

What I take issue is being forced to pay for a thermostat and similar core functionality. If the $80.00 includes core features to control the Insteon / Z-Wave hardware devices I'll pay because the hard work to develop said application should be rewarded. But, I'm certainly not going to pay anyone for basic access to hardware that has existed for years!    

[InsteonNut]

Hi @Teken

There are a number of options depending on what connectivity and features you want. Speaking for just the Direct IP/no Cloud option, there are two ways to get started here:

1. Local access only with in-app purchases later to add in additional options like remote access, ELK, Cameras, multi-homes, etc.
2. Recommended: The all-inclusive bundle option. This is the $80 USD option quoted above and includes everything. No other in-app purchases are required.

Wes

[Teken]

1 minute ago, InsteonNut said:

Hi @Teken

There are a number of options depending on what connectivity and features you want. Speaking for just the Direct IP/no Cloud option, there are two ways to get started here:

1. Local access only with in-app purchases later to add in additional options like remote access, ELK, Cameras, multi-homes, etc.
2. Recommended: The all-inclusive bundle option. This is the $80 USD option quoted above and includes everything. No other in-app purchases are required.

Wes

Hi Wes,

Does the $80.00 USD (All Inclusive bundle) option include remote access, camera, multi-home, and ELK?

[InsteonNut]

2 hours ago, oberkc said:

It looks like you will be starting at around $80 (assuming I understand the options correctly) if you want to use it outside the house.  No family sharing.  I assume neither does this translate between/among android and iOS.  I am also not confident that there is an iPad version.  

Hi @oberkc

The Direct IP option / In-app purchase option is shareable via the normal mechanisms of the the App Store or Google Play. So, any device on the respective platform that uses the same account can restore the in-app purchase to that device.

If you have multiple devices with different family members on iOS and Android, the MobiLinc X "Family" subscription was specifically designed to support this and offers family member accounts, and full settings sync between all your mobile devices on your account along with all the benefits of the MobiLinc X subscription like instant on/no syncing with your ISY, custom buttons, and more.

Wes

[InsteonNut]

3 minutes ago, Teken said:

Hi Wes,

Does the $80.00 USD (All Inclusive bundle) option include remote access, camera, multi-home, and ELK?

Yes, it includes everything. See the announcement post for more details: https://forum.universal-devices.com/topic/28240-mobilinc-x-v118-with-direct-ipudi-portal-support-available-now/

 

[InsteonNut]

10 hours ago, TrojanHorse said:

 

Same here. Would hate to see the prior versions abandoned. Would actually make me less likely to “upgrade” to the X version, not more likely since it would leave a bad taste and make me skeptical of the whole thing.


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Hi @TrojanHorse

The Android/Pro app hadn't been updated since 2015. I've talked about this in several channels, but the root of the problem was after 5 years of trying, I couldn't keep justifying investing into the Android/Pro app since I never made back what I put into it. The iOS side was and has been different. I knew moving forward with what I wanted to do with the new MobiLinc X I had to find a way where I could support both platforms with little to no extra work so that both platforms equally benefit from new features under one development effort. In the mobile app space this was only possible just recently which enabled me to build-out my vision for MobiLinc X keep both platform in feature sync under one development effort and not two like how things were 10 years ago.

Wes

[InsteonNut]

12 hours ago, asbril said:

I fail to understand why Wes does not want to include the Pro Dashboard in X.

Hi @asbril

In MobiLinc X, items tagged as "Favorites" appear on the Home tab in a grid like the Pro Dashboard. MobiLinc X supports more items than Pro did for this feature including adding thermostats and door locks to the Favorites list.

I've heard your other feature request to show devices that are on in rooms that I'm working through how to best support. But as far as the dashboard comment, it's supported in MobiLinc X with more options than Pro had. Is there something else that you are looking for in MobiLinc X?

Wes

[Teken]

32 minutes ago, InsteonNut said:

Yes, it includes everything. See the announcement post for more details: https://forum.universal-devices.com/topic/28240-mobilinc-x-v118-with-direct-ipudi-portal-support-available-now/

 

Hi Wes,

As always, greatly appreciate you taking the time to recycle information which has been asked 999999999 times. I should have taken more time to read through the link thread which would have answered many of the lingering questions. Looks to be a solid product which doesn't nickle & dime me for core features I want to use and see. I have no problem completing the port forwarding to enable remote access for home and ISY Portal.

Only remaining question I have is can both legacy and new application reside and operate on the same hardware? I ask because there may be some edge cases where the older legacy application handles things differently vs the new release. Essentially, I am going to do a long term trial and see what works best given the hardware such as tablet, phone, etc. No problem supporting a long time vendor here in the UDI forums given the $80.00 USD incorporates the bulk of what I need. 

 

[InsteonNut]

4 minutes ago, Teken said:

As always, greatly appreciate you taking the time to recycle information which has been asked 999999999 times.

Hi @Teken No problem at all.

4 minutes ago, Teken said:

Only remaining question I have is can both legacy and new application reside and operate on the same hardware?

Of course. MobiLinc X is a new app. You can absolutely run MobiLinc X and MobiLinc Pro on the same mobile device to connect with the same or different ISYs.

Wes

[Teken]

8 minutes ago, InsteonNut said:

Hi @Teken No problem at all.

Of course. MobiLinc X is a new app. You can absolutely run MobiLinc X and MobiLinc Pro on the same mobile device to connect with the same or different ISYs.

Wes

Awesome - Pawsome! 

[asbril]

1 hour ago, InsteonNut said:

show devices that are on in rooms that I'm working through how to best support

Thanks Wes, this is what I am looking for. In the Pro Dashboard I show mostly Scenes as  Favorites, not because I want to use these as Scenes but because they show the percentage of devices ON in that scene. It gives me an immediate view of my home's status. It does not have to be Scenes and actually would be more useful with Folders/Groups. This practical view in Pro is the only thing that keeps me from using X.

[InsteonNut]

8 minutes ago, asbril said:

It does not have to be Scenes and actually would be more useful with Folders/Groups.

Thanks @asbril

I'm got this on my list to see what the best option is here. I think you ended up using the dashboard for something it wasn't exactly intended for...that's definitely ok, but need to figure out how I can support that need in the new app.

Wes

[DukeofURL]

I don’t much post on this forum, so excuse my lack of credibility due to low post count, but I have an extensive background in application development and fully understand the effort that goes into not just creating but also maintaining an application. I have purchased a number of paid apps on my phone (including a $20 SSH app), and even though the cost of the bundle (at $80) is in rarified App Store air, I think it’s worth it, if it can indeed deliver on all it claims (and I believe it will).

I installed it to get it a test run (the free 14-day), but noticed the full package bundle doesn’t include the ability to control 2 ISYs, push notifications, as well as others, and due to the way it is billed (via in-app purchase), I would have to pay this 3 times for my wife and mother to be able to control the same single ISY. The only worse option is the Family subscription, which costs nearly this amount every year, but includes the missing features.

I have been using the included UDAjax front end for years through a gateway I created - it’s obviously not the prettiest, and is far from fully featured, but it does the job. I was considering one of the free ISY phone apps, which are marginally better, but would love something a little more polished, and was willing to pay for the experience, but I just don’t think I can bring myself to commit to what amounts to a nearly 4-figure investment over the projected service life.

[asbril]

8 minutes ago, InsteonNut said:

you ended up using the dashboard for something it wasn't exactly intended for

It is not my fault that I find Pro very useful ?.

This being said, if you built it into Pro, why would it be so difficult to include it in X as well ?

[InsteonNut]

HI @DukeofURL

(Love the name BTW)

3 minutes ago, DukeofURL said:

but noticed the full package bundle doesn’t include the ability to control 2 ISYs, push notifications

Just to clarify, the All-inclusive bundle for Direct IP supports any number of ISY. You can add unlimited profiles to control whatever direct IP ISYs you have access to under Settings->Current Account->+.

Push notifications were never supported with direct IP access in any app I've offered. Push requires a pretty complex server setup to develop and maintain and has always been a part of a subscription offering. MobiLinc Connect for the the older apps and with MobiLinc X, our IFTTT channel integration supports notifications. Eventually this will be supported natively in MobiLinc X. 

Wes

 

[InsteonNut]

2 minutes ago, asbril said:

This being said, if you built it into Pro, why would it be so difficult to include it in X as well ?

@asbril

The specific feature you are referring to is scene percentage. After getting extensive feedback on this with the Pro app, most folks prefer to toggle the scene on/off. The percentages were confusing since it wasn't really intuitive what a scene percentage actually meant. Also, the ISY doesn't support this. It was all calculated in the Pro app. So, moving into MobiLinc X, I opted to support the clean view of scenes. On/Off only.

Wes

[asbril]

8 minutes ago, InsteonNut said:

The specific feature you are referring to is scene percentage. After getting extensive feedback on this with the Pro app, most folks prefer to toggle the scene on/off. The percentages were confusing since it wasn't really intuitive what a scene percentage actually meant. Also, the ISY doesn't support this. It was all calculated in the Pro app. So, moving into MobiLinc X, I opted to support the clean view of scenes. On/Off only.

Wes, as long as I can use Pro I am ok, but I wonder whether in X it is difficult to include the % in Folders/Group.

[eyaniv]

14 hours ago, asbril said:

Wes, as long as I can use Pro I am ok, but I wonder whether in X it is difficult to include the % in Folders/Group.

+1 on percentages. I also like the quick status on my different areas of the house using scene percentages. I'll be happy to even see that as a graph / progress bar / color code or something else if you want to keep the clean look of the X

[BoomerangThree]

Hi Wes,

1. Want to confirm something.  I have MobiLinc HD and MobiLinc Connect.  Does MobiLinc HD support the Polisy / Polyglot LOCAL or do I need MobiLinc X?

2. I just discovered the LIFX devices via Polisy in MobiLinc HD, BUT I cannot turn them on or off, thus the support question above?

 

[InsteonNut]

Hi @BoomerangThree

MobiLinc HD and X have limited support for the Polisy/polyglot local. If a device identifies itself as an on/off light then it should work. There's been some long discussions on "hints" and how poly-makers can communicate capabilities to user interfaces like MobiLinc. This is an area that's still very fluid and we (MobiLinc) don't have a universal solution in place yet to adequately display or allow control of the wide range of polyglot items. When I'm able to invest the time/resources to do this work it will come to MobiLinc X. 

Wes