What Does the Smart Home of 2026 Look Like?

One of the reasons we love working in the custom technology industry is that it’s never static. From year to year, we get to expand the services we offer, play with new gadgets, and even expand our mindsets. Through talking to new clients and finding unique ways to meet their needs, we get to explore what smart home upgrades work best.  

In this blog, we will highlight two new technologies set to go fully mainstream in 2026, and more importantly, introduce an important update to our business approach that will lead to better results for all our clients in Portland, OR.

SEE MORE: Luxury Smart Home Living vs. Smart Home Solutions 

Wi-Fi 6 

Wi-FI 6 is made for modern smart homes featuring dozens of connected devices. Though first introduced in 2019 as 802.11ax (can’t imagine why that name didn’t catch on). It’s just now hitting the mainstream. It offers higher speeds and lower latency, making it ideal for streaming video or playing video games. 

There are a few Wi-Fi 6 features that are particularly important for smart home applications. 

• Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDM) enables routers to transmit multiple signals simultaneously, rather than waiting for data transfers. 
• Dual-band support divides your network bandwidth between two frequencies to alleviate traffic and reduce interference. 
• 1024QAM increases the amount of data transmitted by up to 25%. 
• High Efficiency Extended range delivers extensive coverage in large properties.

In all that means less congestion, greater coverage, and quicker speeds. Your connected devices respond when needed from your kitchen to the patio. 

HDMI 2.1a 

We’re going to stay slightly technical for a few minutes before we get to the fun stuff. Our team has taken a lot of time getting trained on this new HDMI standard, which is used for both 4K and 8K content playback common to luxury homes. 

HDMI 2.1a delivers scene-by-scene picture optimization and dynamic HDR for unprecedented accuracy and brightness. With variable refresh rate and low-latency modes, it enables you to broadcast video games and sports broadcasts without motion blurring.

When it comes to luxury installations, it also maintains your signal across larger spaces. This allows us to maintain a clean AV rack for your sources and direct high-end signals to displays throughout your property. 

User-Centric Design 

While we love geeking out on new technology, what we truly care about is providing our clients with unforgettable experiences. When it comes to smart home upgrades for your Portland, OR, home, the goal isn’t to sell you on the latest devices or protocols. Instead, our goal going into the new year is to be less technology or product-focused and instead be more focused on you.

We aim to create personalized experiences that feel unique for each client. It’s why we work with companies like Control4, whose latest X4 platform makes it easier for end users to adjust their settings to match their daily use without added programming. With our decades of combined experience, intrepid curiosity, and extensive knowledge of home technology, we think we can meet our goal. 

That is to say, the shorter answer to “What Are the Top Smart Home Upgrades for 2026?”: that comes down to you and what you want your smart home to achieve. Just let us know, and we’ll make it happen. Schedule a consultation with our team by calling or completing our contact form.