Lorex Enters the Smart Doorbell Segment
Security camera company Lorex has launched the 2K QHD Wired Video Doorbell with Person Detection. As its long (and highly creative) name reveals, this doorbell has 2K resolution and sends person alerts to differentiate between people and other motion activity. The doorbell is hardwired, includes local storage with an included 32 microSD card (but supports up to a 256GB card), and features an integrated LED nightlight that can be motion-activated or turned on and off with a set schedule. It is available for $180.
The NPD Take:
- This price point is above others like the Arlo Wired Video Doorbell, but below Nest Hello or Ring Video Doorbell 3– and has higher resolution than either. Of course, resolution isn’t everything – particularly when brand recognition and retail distribution is a question. These two sticking points will be Lorex’s biggest challenge to overcome.
Signify Switches Off A Smart Lighting Shortcoming
Among other lighting news coming out of CES, Signify announced the upcoming launch of its Wall Switch Module, providing a solution to the conundrum of using smart bulbs that are controlled by dumb switches (which leads to said smart light bulb not working when someone inevitably, and out of habit, turns of the light switch connected to the fixture that the bulb is in). The Wall Switch Module does not make regular bulbs smart, but instead turns the switch receptacle into a wired-in smart switch that can still manage scenes and commands whether the switch is on or off.
The NPD Take:
- At a cost of $40, this little device seems a bit pricey, on top of already pricey Philips bulbs….and especially considering the fact that it is battery powered and will eventually need to be replaced (after 5 years, according to Signify). But, if you share a household with people who are always switching off that light switch…the investment will easily be worth it.