Belkin is taking the next step with its Wemo portfolio of smart home accessories. At CES 2022 this week, the company has announced a new Wemo Smart Video Doorbell that is designed to work exclusively with HomeKit Secure Video. This marks the first time that Wemo has expanded its smart home lineup to include a home security accessory.
The Smart Video Doorbell features a 178-degree field of view, 4MP high-resolution camera with enhanced night vision capabilities. The company touts that there’s also “optimal zoom clarity to provide users with more insight into what is happening at home.”
For Apple fans, the fact that the Wemo Smart Video Doorbell integrates exclusively with HomeKit Secure Video is a major selling point. This means you don’t have to use the Wemo application at all, as everything is controlled directly in the Home app on your iPhone. There have long been very few options for HomeKit Secure Video-compatible doorbells, so it’s nice to see Wemo entering this market.
Working exclusively with HomeKit Secure Video, the Wemo Smart Video Doorbell is easy to setup and manage through the Home app on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. With HomeKit Secure Video, video is privately analyzed by the user’s HomePod mini, Apple TV or iPad using on-device intelligence to determine if people, pets, or cars are present, and video recordings are end-to-end encrypted and securely stored in iCloud, with an iCloud+ plan. Features like Face Recognition, built on the privacy and security of HomeKit Secure Video, makes it possible for the Wemo Smart Video Doorbell to let users know of visitors based on people tagged in the Photos app or identified in the Home app, and Activity Zones define the areas where motion is detected in a camera’s view.
More specs include:
- 178° Field of View – See a package directly in front of your door with expanded vertical range.
- Enhanced Night Vision – Low-light sensitivity and 4MP camera allows clear views in the dark.
- Dual-Band WiFi Connectivity – 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands offer better range and performance.
- Weather-Resistant – IP55 weatherproof rating protects against rain.
Keep in mind, however, that you’ll need an iCloud+ subscription to take full advantage of HomeKit Secure Video. For $0.99 per month, iCloud+ offers 50GB of iCloud storage and support for recording video from one HomeKit Secure Video camera. For $2.99 per month, iCloud+ will offer 200GB of storage and support for up to five HomeKit Secure Video cameras. For $9.99 per month, you get 2TB of iCloud storage and support for unlimited HomeKit Secure Video cameras.
The new Wemo Smart Video Doorbell is available to order starting today for $249.99 in the United States and Canada. The company says that the Smart Video Doorbell supports existing systems powered by 16-24 V AC transformers with 30 VA or higher power. And if don’t want to take on the task of self-installation, Wemo is also partnering with OnTech for installation options as well.
Belkin has also reveled its plans to launch new accessories with Matter and Thread support, which you can read more about here.
Note: The image below includes an “optional wedge” that is designed to improve the camera’s field of view, but it is not required.
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