Smart home devices from different brands cannot communicate with each other, forcing consumers to use multiple incompatible apps and ecosystems

Chinese consumers buying smart home and appliance products face fragmentation across brands—Haier, Xiaomi, Midea, and others use proprietary systems that don't interoperate. Users must install separate apps for each brand, can't create unified automation, and waste money on devices that won't work together. Current solutions fail because manufacturers prioritize ecosystem lock-in over user convenience, leaving consumers frustrated with a fragmented, expensive smart home experience.