New Ring Sensors Utilize Sidewalk
Ring is launching a new line of smart home sensors that connect through Amazon’s Sidewalk network instead of Wi‑Fi or Z‑Wave. Sidewalk uses BLE, LoRa, and 900MHz signals to provide long‑range, low‑power connectivity without a hub. The lineup includes door, motion, glass‑break, flood, freeze, temperature, and air‑quality sensors, plus smart plugs, switches, and a GPS‑enabled car alarm. The devices arrive in March and integrate directly with the Ring app.
The Circana Take:
- Ring’s expansion of Sidewalk should make compatible smart home systems more resilient and easier to set up since they eschew a central hub.
- Systems connected via Sidewalk will also enjoy an expanded range of connection, adding new use cases for owners. More broadly, Ring and Amazon have strengthened their ecosystem of products with this proprietary connection method.
Belkin Ends Wemo App and Cloud Support
Belkin ended support for most Wemo smart home devices on January 31, 2026, shutting down the Wemo app and cloud services. Upon service ending, affected plugs, switches, and sensors lost remote access, schedules, voice assistant integration, and firmware updates, effectively becoming non‑smart devices. Only models compatible with Apple Home/HomeKit continued functioning if users migrated them before the deadline. Some users with in‑warranty devices became eligible for partial refunds.
The Circana Take:
- Belkin’s discontinuation of the Wemo line underscores the difficulty of sustaining under‑performing or aging smart‑home products.
- While some brands offset ongoing support costs through subscription models, these apply to only a few categories, such as security.
- Wemo entered the market early with a revenue model based solely on hardware sales, leaving no way to monetize its user base. Value‑focused security brands that promote “no monthly subscription” models may face similar challenges once device sales decline.