Joe Rossignol
Apple is in the early stages of developing a smart home doorbell and lock system with Face ID, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said the doorbell would wirelessly connect to a compatible deadbolt lock, allowing users to automatically unlock the door with Face ID. The doorbell will likely work with third-party HomeKit locks, but Apple could also partner with another brand to offer a complete solution, he said.
Apple's doorbell will compete with Amazon's Ring line of doorbells, but Gurman didn't say whether Apple's solution would capture video.
Apple will almost certainly tout the privacy and security benefits of its own smart home doorbell. If the product ever launches, Gurman expects it to come equipped with Apple's rumored Wi-Fi chip, which is said to have a Secure Enclave to protect user data. And if the doorbell does end up offering video capture, Apple already has a HomeKit Secure Video service with end-to-end encryption to store footage in iCloud.
Gurman believes that Apple's doorbell is unlikely to launch before 2026.
Apple appears to have plans to make a bigger push into the smart home space over the next few years. In addition to the doorbell, the company is expected to release a smart home control hub next year, and is also rumored to be planning its own HomeKit-enabled indoor security camera to compete with products like Logitech's Circle View.
Tag: Mark Gurman [ 77 comments ]
