# Home-Controlling Phone Apps This 'Benki' Phone Add-on Gives Even More Power to Smartphones By Laura McQuarrie | Published 2013-06-16 | Tech Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/phone-add-on References: [gadgetsin](http://gadgetsin.com/benki-app-enabled-smart-kit.htm) & [kickstarter](http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/483802388/benki-connected-devices-done-right) The 'Benki App-Enabled Smart Kit' is a phone add-on that permits users to connect appliances to their cellphones. Smartphones already serve a myriad of purposes in our lives from serving as alarm clocks in the morning to cameras and gaming devices -- so why not add another function to these multipurpose devices. This Benki product's mission is to add even more power to cell phones, noting on its website that: "Siri should be able to turn on our rice cooker, not just give us search results about rice cookers." This Kickstarter-backed project contains three components: the 'Socket' can be plugged into a regular outlet to set lamps on timers, 'View' is a camera that also monitors temperature and the 'Break' is a device that tells you where energy is being wasted through crevices in windows and doors. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 4.3/10 - Popularity: 54% | Activity: 68% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 70% men, 30% women - Primary generations: Millennial - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Tech](https://www.trendhunter.com/tech) > [Gadgets](https://www.trendhunter.com/gadgets) ## Key Themes ### What Makes This Trend Stand Out - **Smart Home Control:** The Benki phone add-on demonstrates the potential for smartphones to act as universal controllers for home appliances, suggesting a disruptive innovation opportunity for creating a more interconnected and efficient home. - **Internet of Things Integration:** The Benki product's ability to connect appliances to a phone app highlights the potential for a seamless Internet of Things integration, suggesting a disruptive innovation opportunity for designing more intuitive and connected home systems. - **Multipurpose Phone Accessories:** The Benki app-enabled smart kit embodies the trend towards creating phone add-ons that provide users with versatile and customizable features, suggesting a disruptive innovation opportunity for developing innovative and adaptable phone accessories. ### Sectors Adopting This - **Consumer Electronics:** The consumer electronics industry has an opportunity to integrate smartphones into the home automation market, as seen with the Benki phone add-on, suggesting a disruptive innovation opportunity for developing accessible and versatile household devices. - **Home Improvement:** The home improvement industry has an opportunity to create more intelligent and efficient homes through the integration of technology, as demonstrated by the capabilities of the Benki app-enabled smart kit, suggesting a disruptive innovation opportunity for creating innovative and intuitive home systems. - **Mobile Accessories:** The mobile accessories industry can capitalize on the trend towards creating multipurpose phone add-ons, as seen with the Benki product, suggesting a disruptive innovation opportunity for developing innovative and versatile phone accessories. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Smartphone Use Reduction Accessories](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/burnner.md) - [Modular Phone Breadboards](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/commi-board.md) - [Intentional Disconnection Device Chargers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/share-power.md) - [Aftermarket Home Automation Devices](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/smart-home-automation-switch.md) - [Smartphone-Fuelled Stopwatch Concepts](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sink-concept.md) - [Action Button Smartphone Cases](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/bangcase.md) - [Revolutionary Carplay Android Adapters](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/smartbox.md) - [Power-Providing Smartphone Stands](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/solove-power-bank.md) - [Thermal-Image Smartphone Add-Ons](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/flir-one-edge-pro.md)