Thought Leadership
As part of its smart home offensive, Apple is apparently working on a new doorbell system with integrated facial recognition. As Bloomberg analyst Mark Gurman reports in his newsletter “Power On”, the system will use Face ID to automatically open the door for registered residents.
According to the report, the project is still at an early stage of development. A market launch is not expected until the end of 2025 at the earliest. Technically, the smart doorbell should work in a similar way to Face ID unlocking on the iPhone: as soon as a registered resident stands in front of the door, the camera recognizes the face and automatically unlocks the associated smart lock.
Integration into the Apple ecosystem
As with other Apple devices, the biometric data is to be processed and stored in a separate Secure Enclave chip. For communication with other smart home devices, Apple is reportedly planning to use its own “Proxima” chip, which supports both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
The system should be able to be connected to existing HomeKit-compatible door locks. Apple is also apparently considering a partnership with a lock manufacturer in order to be able to offer a complete solution from the outset.
The doorbell system would put Apple in direct competition with established providers such as Amazon Ring and Google Nest. The project is part of a broader smart home initiative by the company: Apple is reportedly also working on an indoor camera and a new smart home hub. The latter could be launched on the market as early as next year.
Other smart home displays are also said to be in development – including an iPad-like device with a magnetic wall mount and a display on a robotic arm. Apple thus appears to want to significantly expand its position in the lucrative smart home market.
