Just as Amazon's Ring smart doorbell is sparking privacy controversies due to its new features, Apple's long-rumored killer smart home product—a smart doorbell with Face ID—seems ready to hit the market and dominate.
Apple has been investing in the smart home field for many years. Although its HomeKit ecosystem is growing stronger, it has always lacked a key entry point device with "visual capabilities" in its own hardware products. However, according to a Bloomberg report, Apple plans to launch as many as five new smart home products this year, the most anticipated of which is a smart doorbell with built-in Face ID facial recognition.
Bring the iPhone's facial recognition unlocking experience to your doorstep.
The core selling point of Apple's rumored smart doorbell is very intuitive: to replicate the smooth facial recognition unlocking experience on the iPhone at your doorstep.
According to a previous Bloomberg report, this doorbell will feature advanced facial recognition technology (Face ID) and can wirelessly connect to and control compatible smart locks. When the homeowner or an authorized family member approaches the door, the doorbell will automatically scan their face to confirm their identity and unlock the door directly, eliminating the need for the user to take out keys, enter a password, or use their phone.
This sounds like something out of a science fiction movie, but technically it's not difficult for Apple, which has been refining Face ID technology on iPhones and iPad Pros for years.
Amazon Ring's "Find My Dog" feature sparks surveillance panic.
Why is now the best time for Apple to enter the market? This is thanks to the "assistance" from its competitor, Amazon.
In a recent Super Bowl ad, Amazon's Ring doorbell brand promoted a new feature called "Search Party." The ad was originally heartwarming, describing how Ring's social network helps owners find their lost dogs.
However, the logic behind this feature—tracking moving objects through ubiquitous cameras and AI in the neighborhood—sent chills down the spines of many viewers.
What was initially seen as a convenient technology was instantly interpreted by the public as a dystopian form of comprehensive surveillance. This strong backlash against privacy has caused many existing Ring users to waver and has led the market to seek more privacy-focused alternatives.
Apple's trump card: Privacy as a service
Compared to Amazon or Google, whose business models are often based on data analytics and advertising, Apple has long regarded "privacy" as the core differentiating advantage of its products.
Apple is betting that while consumers might be willing to sacrifice some privacy for convenience, they would be more willing to trust Apple when it comes to highly sensitive data such as "front door surveillance footage."
In the current Apple Home (HomeKit) architecture, the HomeKit Secure Video (HKSV) feature already mandates that monitor footage must be encrypted and analyzed on the device (such as HomePod or Apple TV) before being uploaded to iCloud storage. Apple itself cannot watch these videos, nor will it use them to train advertising algorithms.
This commitment to "not sell data" is especially valuable now that Ring has run into trouble.
Analysis of viewpoints
The integration of smart doorbells and door locks is the "last mile" of a smart home, and also the link with the highest trust threshold.
For Apple users, being able to "enter the door by facial recognition" is undoubtedly the ultimate convenience. However, for this product to succeed, Apple faces two challenges:
Price: Based on Apple's pricing strategy, this doorbell will definitely not be cheap, and it will likely require an iCloud+ subscription to use the full recording and recognition features.
Ecosystem integration: This doorbell is bound to be highly dependent on the HomeKit/Matter ecosystem. If you don't buy a HomePod as the hub, its functionality may be greatly reduced.
However, Amazon Ring's recent PR crisis has indeed given Apple an excellent angle to exploit. When the public begins to realize that "cheap monitors may be the most expensive" (referring to the sale of privacy), Apple's argument that "expensive but secure" will become very persuasive.
If this Face ID doorbell does indeed launch this year, it could very well become a new engine driving the growth of iCloud subscription services.
