Ding Dong Ditch
Ring’s bad press is Arlo’s good promotion? It is hard to have not seen, at least for those of us even remotely close to (or interested in) the smart home industry, the recent media coverage for Ring re: privacy issues. Competitor Arlo (coincidentally?) is now running a promotion on its website, offering up to $50 off its Arlo Video Doorbell to anyone who trades in an old video doorbell. Aptly name “Ding Dong Ditch,” the promo specifies that the returned doorbell be among a list of eligible models (the list is quite long) from brands that include Ring, SimpliSafe, August, Eufy, Honeywell, Nest, and Remo+.
The NPD Take:
- As the dominant brand in smart doorbells, Ring is the likeliest target for any bad news that is scrounged up and reported on by the media for all to see. Since these stories broke, the company has actively worked to make it easier for users to take control of their privacy. We believe that the majority of current Ring owners won’t be spooked enough by these stories to jump ship – unless that is, they’ve already had their eyes on Arlo’s 180 degree viewing angle or its built-in siren. In that case, the $50 carrot does look tasty.
Grocery Shopping Made Easier
If talking to (yelling at?) your smart display to add items to your grocery list is not your thing, rejoice in the fact that you can now scan bar codes to add them. Owners of the Echo Show 5 and Echo Show 8 can now hold up items to the screen to scan them in and add them to the list. This could be particularly handy for Prime members who have access to Amazon Fresh free grocery delivery.
The NPD Take:
- The best smart home solutions must offer a clear value proposition – like protecting your family (in the case of security cameras) or by genuinely making life simpler. Enter smart displays as the early (and relatively inexpensive) member of our smart kitchens, helping to solve that age-old question of “what’s for dinner?”.
Ecobee is All in the Family
Ecobee has just released a new software update with Family Accounts, a feature that lets up to 15 family members (that’s a large family!) join and control a Home (aka, their house’s ecobee devices) without needing to know the Home Owner’s credentials. Admin rights, such as adding or removing device or making account changes, will be restricted to the Home Owner.
The NPD Take:
- This new feature is not earth shattering, but does add an extra layer of protection in this age of hyper sensitivity around connected devices and privacy. While we all like to think – and hopefully can (!) – trust our family members, you never know when someone’s smartphone could inadvertently fall into the wrong person’s hands, opening up passwords to an unwanted guest.