Anker Releases the eufyCam 2 Pro
Anker’s eufy brand just released the eufyCam 2 Pro, a 2K camera with color night vision, a 365-day battery life claim, and local video storage (through the base station). eufyCam 2 Pro is compatible with Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple HomeKit (and with an upgraded iCloud storage plan, is compatible with HomeKit Secure Video). A two-pack camera with base station sells for $350, and single camera add on for $150, both exclusively at Best Buy.
The NPD Take:
- A 2K camera at this price point is competitive. For example, the Arlo Pro 3 is also 2K but usually retails for $500 (though its currently on sale direct for $400). Eufy’s issue is not its price, but in competing with the recognition of bigger name brands.
LIFX Talks the Future of Smart Lighting
Via an interview with the senior director of consumer products at LIFX, Digital Trends discussed the future of smart lighting. Some LIFX products contain technology like ambient light sensors, accelerometers, or infrared – though today these sensors aren’t necessarily active when they ship, for development reasons. Over time, these sensors will evolve to make lighting more intelligent – for example, an infrared sensor operating an air conditioner, or an ambient light sensor automatically detecting sunrise and sunset and adjusting lighting accordingly. LIFX also sees a future where much of the technology would be packed into light switches that would act as hubs for the light bulbs and a time when smartphone apps would be replaced by AI and the sensors working in tandem to learn consumers’ routines.
The NPD Take:
- Today’s smart lighting is really only somewhat smart, still requiring some level of management on our parts to set up the initial routines and limited by the app’s intelligence. Right now, with some of the lowest sales growth within smart home, smart lighting is a segment that is searching for a real consumer need to answer. Truly intelligent smart lighting will certainly make the tech adopters among us begging to upgrade, but broader appeal remains questionable.
Google Reveals Its Prince – the New Nest Speaker
It has the same cloth covering and light indicators as the Google Mini but stands up tall like the Google Home, and is shaped more like a rounded rectangle. Google revealed the design in a teaser video, but didn’t reveal much else about its capabilities. So we now know what it looks like, but that’s about all we know about this supposed competitor to the Sonos One.
The NPD Take:
- Google is ready for a new speaker to drive some new sales energy as demand for its speakers has softened and unit sales are trending downwards. Yet to be released specs (and pricing) will reveal whether current Google speaker owners have a compelling reason to upgrade – and if history repeats itself, pricing discounts won’t be too terribly far behind the initial sales period.