Apple said to be working on Ring-like doorbell camera and smart cameras

AppleInsider

Apple is reportedly gearing up for a major push into the smart home market, potentially adding a Ring-like doorbell paired with a smart lock and a smart camera system to a larger suite of connected devices.

Apple is testing a line of smart cameras | Image generated by ChatGPT

A new smart camera, codenamed J450, is currently being tested by Apple. Suppsedly, said camera would be a direct competitor to current devices on the market like those made by Eufy, Vivint, and SimpliSafe.

Multiple cameras are meant to be placed around the house, similar to HomePod mini, and could help automate other HomeKit-compatible gear. It reportedly features facial recognition and infrared sensors to detect who's in a room.

It seems likely these cameras could turn lights on or off as someone enters or leaves a space. This kind of automation would extend HomeKit's smart home capabilities.

According to Bloomberg, Apple is planning to develop multiple types of cameras as part of an entirely new hardware and software lineup. This isn't terribly surprising, considering the company is potentially working on a HomePod with a screen.

That device is purportedly designed to function as a home hub, which would dovetail nicely within a larger home-geared device lineup.

Bloomberg also says that Apple has tested a doorbell that can use facial recognition technology to unlock doors. It would presumably work with iCloud+.



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mike1

Please have a battery option. I'll buy a second battery and swap it out when needed like I do with my Ring.

gobnu

Been waiting for this.  Hopefully it is this year.  Logitech doorbell is getting a little tired, and not very many cameras out there that work well with HomeKit.

anilu_777

I’m really hoping this comes soon as I have a disabled family member I keep watch on and to be able to have lights turn on as the enter a room would help with mobility issues. 

netrox

I would definitely buy them IF they make them Matter compatible and can work on non-Apple devices. 

And we have Eve cameras that can do automations like that, including facial recognition. 

mplsp

I’d love to have a ring-like option that didn’t give all my data to Amazon. 

beowulfschmidt

Gods, I hope they make a wired version I can hook to my existing doorbell.  Changing batteries on a doorbell is not something I'm interested in doing.

john lockwood

netrox said:

I would definitely buy them IF they make them Matter compatible and can work on non-Apple devices. 

And we have Eve cameras that can do automations like that, including facial recognition. 

Matter still does not yet support cameras at all.

I would agree that it makes little sense for Apple to launch HomeKit only devices - which is what would currently be necessary due to the lack of any camera support by Matter. It could be Apple will initially use HomeKit and indicate that Matter will be added 'latter'. Or we can hope that the Matter group are soon to officially support cameras. It is surprising that cameras have not yet been added to Matter since cameras are a popular device category. Perhaps the reason is that too many manufacturers are wanting to force customers to use a paid-for subscription service including Apple and this is making Matter support much more difficult. (Apart from anything else compulsory camera storage subscriptions is counter to the Matter philosophy of local processing.)

mike1

Anilu_777 said:

I’m really hoping this comes soon as I have a disabled family member I keep watch on and to be able to have lights turn on as the enter a room would help with mobility issues. 

There are already many ways to add this functionality to your home, either with cameras or just sensors.

beowulfschmidt said:

Gods, I hope they make a wired version I can hook to my existing doorbell.  Changing batteries on a doorbell is not something I'm interested in doing.

Wired is always an option. Some of us need a battery option which are unavailable, at the moment, with HomeKit connectivity.

yp101

I don't mind Apple Lunch for only HomeKit. I do not want to install other apps to control Apple devices for the sake of compatibility.
I don't think Apple launches its own camera that competes directly with 3rd parties for now. Unless the Apple camera sells like hotcakes.
If Apple brings it this year, then I will get rid of the Wyze cam.

discountopinion

This device space is very crowded and have a lot of low cost devices. Having said this, Apple has a knack of entering such spaces and succeeding with a premium offering.
Also AirTag is an example of a relatively cheap and cost competitive offering that really zings and seems to have gained market traction.

Would i buy an Apple Door bell? Absolutely yes - the front door is about first impressions and having something beautifully designed is a clear pull factor.
Cameras and other IoT? Yes. People buy Bang & Olufsen for audio simply because of their beautiful aesthetics and i can see people decorating their homes with beautiful Apple pieces contributing smart home functionality. Think Orrefors crystals, designer furniture etc. It is a surprisingly deep market with well heeled clientele that mostly already are bought into the Apple ecosystem.

So while i initially was skeptic about this type of play i feel more and more convinced it will be a massive success. Having commodity cameras and other things around the house is like having an ugly beige Dell box in the living room.

Go Apple, go make your best more out there creative designs. Partner with niche designers all over the world. Create a cult following worthy of 50s designer furniture and somehow make it mass market if not mass affluent market.