Philips Hue might be expanding its lineup to include a smart doorbell if a leak within the Hue iOS app is any indication. The iOS app added an option to install devices with or without a QR code. Choosing the latter option brings up a list of potential devices to install, including something called the “Hue Secure doorbell.”
That’s a pretty solid indicator that Philips Hue has something up its sleeve, although there’s yet to be an official announcement about the device. Until Hue provides specs, the best we can do is guess — but we can make a pretty solid guess based on the existing lineup.
Philips Hue already has its Secure Camera line: the Philips Hue Secure Flood Light Camera and the Secure Battery Camera. Both top out at 1080p, so we can assume the Hue Secure Doorbell will likely also support 1080p resolution, but not 4K. As for price, we wouldn’t be surprised to see it land around the $200 mark.
The app did reveal some information about the doorbell. Most likely, it will need to be connected to the home’s power supply instead of running on batteries. This means it will probably take the place of your doorbell. And since none of the other items in the Secure Camera line work with Apple HomeKit, this new entry isn’t likely to do so, either.
This is an early leak, and it seems to have already been removed from the Hue app. We couldn’t find it during our testing. Thanks to some eagle-eyed enthusiasts, we have screenshots of the app screens. It’s possible this doorbell is an unannounced item intended to be part of the recent SmartThings collaboration. With any luck, Hue will make an official announcement regarding the doorbell soon.
Few things ruin a quiet evening faster than a robot vacuum roaring through the living room. Most of us end up pausing the cleaning run, which defeats the whole purpose of owning one. Matic thinks it has the answer with its new Serene robot vacuum, and the big selling point is how little noise it makes.
The Matic Serene runs at 52 decibels even when cleaning at full power. To put that in perspective, Matic compares it to the hum of your refrigerator. It is available now for $1,695, which is $200 more than the original Matic’s current price.
Outdoor security cameras are not always practical if you live in an apartment or rental. Drilling into an exterior wall may be off-limits, while pointing a regular indoor camera through a window can create another problem once reflections start showing up after dark.
Baseus is trying to solve both issues with the new PrimeSentinel W1, a $69.99 security camera designed specifically to monitor the outdoors through glass. It mounts directly to a window without drilling and uses a 4K Starlight sensor with an F1.0 aperture for full-color monitoring during the day and at night.
This post is brought to you in paid partnership with Best Buy.
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