Apple is developing a competitor for the best home security products: Report

On By Littum

  • Apple is said to be developing smart-home locks with facial recognition technology.
  • The move aligns with Apple’s growing interest in the home device market.
  • Apple’s device would compete with Google’s Nest and Amazon’s Ring in home security.

Apple is reportedly working on bringing its facial recognition technology to home security.

Bloomberg reported on Sunday that the tech giant was developing a smart lock and doorbell that would allow a person to automatically open their home’s door by scanning their face.

The report said Apple’s doorbell system could work with existing third-party locks, or the company could partner with a lock provider to sell a complete product. It said the technology was in early stages and could be released by the end of 2025 at the earliest.

Apple did not respond to a request for comment sent outside regular business hours.

The smart lock contributes to Apple’s growing interest in home devices. Last month, Bloomberg reported that Apple was working on an AI-powered wall-mounted tablet. The iPad-like device could be voice-operated, act as an intercom and control household appliances. Bloomberg also reported this year that the company was working on home robots.

Not all of these developments may come to life. This year, Apple scrapped its car project and stopped efforts to develop a subscription model for the iPhone.

The door device could allowing the company to cross-sell home products and devices such as the iPhone and Apple Watch.

It could also allow the iPhone maker to compete with Google’s Nest and Amazon’s Ring. These devices have doorbells with a motion sensor that activates a camera and records a video of the area.

Such a product could draw Apple into new debates about balancing user privacy and cooperation with law enforcement. Through emergency requests, the police have received videos from Ring without the owner’s consent.

Apple and its CEO, Tim Cook, are known for prioritizing user privacy. In 2016, Cook refused to cooperate with the US government to unlock an iPhone used by the gunman in a mass shooting and bombing in San Bernardino, California.