Lutron faceplates

The company is also expanding the functionality of its iOS and Android control apps.

The new keypad options consist of a designer-oriented Palladiom keypad; a new Grafik T dimmer that is now phase-selectable for use with almost all types of lighting loads; and a new seeTouch C.L. hybrid keypad that adds LED-light-control ability.

The Grafik T product series also gets its first hybrid keypad, providing local-zone dimming as well as whole-home scene-based control.

New app-control capabilities for both systems include geo-fencing and Apple Watch notification.

All new keypads and features will be available in early 2016.

Here’s what’s coming:

Lutron Connect App, Connect Bridge: The company’s new $299-suggested Connect Bridge, which now connects to the cloud, and the new Lutron Connect App will add such new features as free remote access, geo-fencing, support for Apple and Android widgets, and the like.

With AppleWatch connectivity, users will be able to make changes to, and receive alerts from, RadioRA 2 or HomeWorks QS system from a remote location. With geo-fencing, lighting and shade scenes and thermostat changes will be triggered from a smartphone when the systems detect that a user is within a select distance from home.

With support for Apple and Android widgets, users will get quick access to the Lutron Connect app without unlocking their phone.

Also new is integration with Nest and Honeywell Wi-Fi thermostat support, enabling control of the thermostats through Lutron’s systems.

The app will also display the battery status of Lutron’s Radio Powr Savr occupancy sensors, Serena battery-powered shades, and the Pico wireless remote control.

The Palladiom keypad, starting at $300 depending on finish, connects to a HomeWorks QS system and offers a new aesthetic with minimalist design said to complement any décor. It also features buttons and faceplates made of the same material, whether plastic, glass or metal. The keypads feature large, tactile buttons with backlit, engraved text and backlighting that changes intensity automatically with ambient light conditions.