Wyze Continues with a Stream of New Product
A few weeks ago, it was a smart thermostat and smart doorbell…then came a smart vacuum…and the latest is a smart sprinkler system. The Wyze Sprinkler Controller allows homeowners to sync their lawn watering to local weather forecasts, control scheduling, and types of watering across eight zones through the Wyze app. It is now available for pre-order for $49.99 and is supposed to start shipping in January.
The NPD Take:
- Per usual, Wyze is undercutting competitor pricing, including the Rachio 3 that sells for around $225. The proof is in the pudding though (or the well-watered lawn, as the case may be). While Wyze’s low cost security cameras have been very popular buys, the early reviews of its doorbell, for example, are not as flattering. Low cost sometimes has a price.
Smart Garage Door Controllers Are Key to Key by Amazon Delivery
Following the recent announcement that it was expanding In Garage Delivery from 50 cities to 4,000, Amazon was offering a big discount on Chamberlain’s myQ Smart Garage Door Opener for Black Friday. The device was selling for $25 (about $15 off) – and Amazon coupled it with a $30 promotional credit for Prime consumers placing their first in-garage delivery…in a roundabout sort of way, paying consumers $5 to buy the garage door controller.
The NPD Take:
- The second week of October, the week of Amazon Prime and major deals from other retail giants, was a blockbuster week of sales for smart garage door controllers. Black Friday week sales didn’t match those volumes, but there was still a big spike in sales – nearly 6x over the prior 5 week average. The more consumers who have these devices, the bigger the addressable market for Amazon’s delivery.
ecobee adds HomeKit Secure Video Support for Its Camera
ecobee is rolling out a firmware update for its SmartCamera to bring support for HomeKit Secure Video, enabling users to store their camera footage in iCloud. Although the camera had already supported pieces of HomeKit, Secure Video was not one of them. Secure Video support will now allow users to configure zones through the HomeKit app, as well as leverage facial recognition technology.
The NPD Take:
- Privacy-conscious consumers (who are also faithful members of the Apple ecosystem) will rejoice at this update. The cameras will also continue to work with ecobee’s own Haven platform.