Ring Expands to Hubs?
Ring has submitted an FCC filing that looks strikingly like a smart home hub, but as the company hasn’t made any announcements as of yet, there are no details on what exactly the hub might be for…An upgrade to the existing base station? A dedicated hub for new Ring devices?
The NPD Take:
- Though Ring’s alarm systems come with the base station that can also act as a hub for all Ring devices in the home as well as Z-Wave products from other companies, they do not have a standalone hub per se. The question is, do they (and we) need one? Smart home devices that require a hub for connectivity are a bit of a nuisance, while standalone hubs like the SmartThings hub that allow for more complex and intelligent automations across different brands and devices have only niche market appeal, as most consumers still use either smartphone apps and/or a smart speaker for smart home device control.
Zooming in On Smart Displays
Video conferencing app Zoom is coming to Amazon, Google, and Facebook smart displays. It will first be available on Portal (but not Portal TV) in September, following by the Amazon Echo Show 8 and Google Nest Hub Max later in the year. As a sidebar, Zoom is also supposed to start selling a dedicated “personal collaboration” Zoom device, though for $599 (with interactive whiteboarding and phone calling capabilities included), it is probably better suited for the newly working from home professional whose company is going to foot the bill.
The NPD Take:
- Smart displays are a smart home hub, an entertainment hub, and (particularly for Facebook Portal), a communication tool. With Zoom, the productivity aspect elevates – for work or school. Displays could easily become an education tool of choice for households that don’t have an extra iPad or computer kicking around (for younger) students who have been forced into taking classes virtually. If any of the display brands market this new capability, it could drive some new smart display sales. Otherwise, the Zoom addition will certainly add utility for those who already own a compatible display.