Doorbells…
Doorbells were front (door?) and center at this year’s virtual CES. Among the doorbell news is Alarm.com’s Touchless Video Doorbell, which the company says eliminates the need to actually press a doorbell button. Instead, visitors simply stand within a virtual zone defined by the homeowner (which means simply standing a doormat, assuming the homeowner has put one out as a welcome) to ring the chime. Via the magic of person detection, the doorbell is activated, which then triggers the existing chime in the home, sends a mobile alert to the homeowner, and starts a video recording. The doorbell will be available through the company’s network of professional security providers, and integrates with other pieces of the Alarm.com security ecosystem.
Arlo also introduced a touchless video doorbell, very similarly called the Touchless Video Doorbell and seeming to operate in a very similar way to the Alarm.com version. Leveraging proximity sensing, once the doorbell detects a person, it lights up and sounds a chime, signaling that the doorbell has been “rung”. Not much more detail is available on this one.
New to the smart doorbell segment is TP-Link, which announced its Kasa Smart Doorbell, which can save footage either to a microSD card or to the cloud with a Kasa Care subscription – but appears to require you to physically ring the button (gasp!). It has no pricing or release date yet.
How about a doorbell that also takes visitors’ temperatures? That is the angle of the Ettie video doorbell from Plott. After a quick health check via infrared temperature sensor, Ettie sends an alert to the person inside, letting them know it is safe (from that perspective) to let their visitor in. Green and red LEDs on the doorbell let said visitor know whether they will be granted entry. Ettie also takes’s the visitor’s picture and take note of arrival times, as well as track headcount and send capacity alerts – which makes this doorbell more targeted for businesses than residences.
In other doorbell news, Ring is now rolling out end-to-end encryption for its doorbells (and security cameras), available on an opt-in basis.
The NPD Take:
- 2020 has clearly been all about staying safe, and touchless doorbells will likely have some appeal among the super germophobes – especially if they come in at price points competitive with what is already on the market. Staying safe from hackers is a definite need, and it is a positive to see Ring rolling out these extra security measures for its customers.
Door Locks (or Strikes)…
One interesting take on smart locks to “appear” at CES is the Den SmartStrike – more of a smart door strike plate, rather than a lock per se, as the name says. The Den SmartStrike makes your existing lock smart by changing the strike plate on the door frame, rather than the deadbolt of your lock. The deadbolt, instead, is housed inside that smart strike plate. The SmartStrike will cost $229 and could launch in Q3.
The NPD Take:
- This is a fresh take on smart locks, and means that you can have the benefits of a smart lock without advertising it to everyone that you do (if that sort of thing is bothersome). It also means not having to change the look of your hardware (if that sort of thing is bothersome). The pricing seems to be on point with other smart locks already on the market.
…And Fancy Doggie Doors
Smart garage door controller company (and regular garage door opener company) Chamberlain showed off a high-tech (and very pricey) doggie door at CES. The myQ Pet Portal is not your average little doggie door flap, but instead an entire exterior door with a motorized elevator-style sliding lower panel, a camera, and a mic and speaker for two-way communication with Rufus. Via the myQ Pet Portal app, pet owners can operate the door manually, or they can attach a sensor to Rufus’ collar, enabling him to open the door all by himself when he approaches, and automatically close it afterwards. The app also allows the pet owner to track Rufus’ activity remotely. The door is manufactured by Kolbe Windows and Doors, and all of this starts at the grand price of $2,999 – not including installation.
The NPD Take:
- Surely the pampered pooch (and its owner) can find room in the budget for a $3,000+ doggie door, in exchange for the luxury of ultimate convenience. Price aside, this is a great example of how the smart home can truly make our lives more convenient, and keep our homes and family (including fur babies) safe.