Apple might be pushing further into the world of smart home gadgets.
According to reliable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo in a Medium post, "Apple is making its first foray into the smart home IP camera market." That means you might soon be able to ditch third-party solutions from Eve and Logitech, which Apple currently recommends in its online shop, in lieu of a first-party option that'll undoubtedly integrate better with other Apple products.
Kuo says Apple's long-term goal when it comes to annual shipments is "10+ million units for this product line." Unfortunately, you'll likely have to wait until 2026 to get your hands on a smart camera from Apple.
Could Apple cams leapfrog existing smart cams?
Apple launches consistent model updates for its iPhones, MacBooks, and other devices. But for new products, the company tends to work slowly. It took a while for Apple to break into the AI space, but their steadily paced efforts paid off. I'm hoping it'll be the same story for the company's rumored smart camera and other smart home gadgets.
Despite existing smart camera brands having been around for years, perfecting their products over time, I think Apple could break into the space immediately as a winner.
That's purely due to one thing: the ecosystem.
Some smart camera companies tend to integrate with Apple HomeKit fairly well, like ecobee, Eufy, and Logitech, while others only offer Siri integration or nothing at all. With a proprietary Apple smart camera, iPhone users and those using Apple HomeKit would have unmatched native integration.
Kuo seems to agree as well, writing "I believe the user experience will be significantly enhanced by Apple's great ecosystem and deep integration with Apple Intelligence and Siri.
However, one thing could potentially hold an Apple cam back, especially compared to popular options like Blink smart cams. I'm talking about that exorbitant price tag that usually gets tacked onto Apple products.
Blink's most popular cameras tend to range between $50 and $100, sometimes even cheaper when they're on sale, and it seems unlikely that Apple would launch smart cameras in this price range.
That said, the native integration Apple would offer might be well worth it for many customers. Both of Amazon's smart camera brands — Blink and Ring — don't currently integrate with Apple HomeKit, and I think the launch of smart Apple cams could cause Blink and Ring sales to drop drastically, despite the potential price difference.
