The last few years have seen an explosion of new smart home products, from security cameras and deadbolts to light bulbs and more. You’ve probably noticed your neighbors install ring doorbells while walking on the front porch – and if you haven’t, you probably know at least one. Dozens of different viral videos Captive by them.
Despite the boom in smart gadgets, there is a complete lack of double smart locks like doorbell cameras. The two products seem like a match made in heaven, allowing you to secure your home and monitor it at the same time, but some manufacturers have experimented with the format. However, there are good reasons why these smart lock + video doorbells are so rare.
They exist, in fact
Before doing anything else, it is worth mentioning that these hybrid lock / doorbell cams actually exist. There are only a few notable examples (Locked And UFI), though both allow you to secure your home and monitor it while away. These are not cheap, but the two products prove that we have the technology to make this idea work.
Eufy one, in particular, has achieved a bunch of public interest. Of Kickstarter campaign Exceeded the 50,000 target, earning just over $ 1.2 million. There is a clear interest in this new class of smart home products and customers are willing to pay a premium to get their hands on it.
Having said that, there are a few practical reasons why we haven’t seen a surplus of lock + doorbell cams in the market.
Misleading design for visitors
The most compelling reason these products are not manufactured is that they are confusing to use. People have been ringing the doorbell for decades, and we have become accustomed to seeing a doorbell right next to the door frame. With double door locks like the video doorbell, you are now forcing people to break that habit, because the doorbell is now part of the lock.
This means that any time a new friend, family member or your local DoorDasher shows up at your home, they have to stop and think for a few seconds before announcing their presence. And instead of reaching for a separate doorbell, they will reach out to your doorcomb – which may look like they are trying to open your door without your permission.
New technology takes time to break (and eventually people will get used to the new location), but moving a doorbell a few inches above is a bit more revolutionary than you can imagine.
Awkward camera angle
In addition to retraining the brain to find doorbells near the doorcomb, manufacturers also have to deal with the shaky corners of the camera. Most standalone doorbell cameras have a variety of faceplates that allow you to adjust their position. This allows you to optimize the angles for your particular home, allowing you to mount the camera up, down or sideways.
Combining a camera with a deadbolt makes it a bit more challenging to give users the option to adjust the camera angles. The locking mechanism must keep everything in order for it to work properly, and a workaround engineering is both costly and demanding. And since the camera is now located near the center of the door, it will block most of the peripheral vision of anyone waiting for you to open the door – thus limiting its use.
What about battery life?
Smart locks and doorbell cameras last a long time without the need for battery replacement. Some doorbell cameras can even be hardware installed in your home, completely eliminating the battery. But if you combine both a smart lock with a doorbell camera, you will use twice as much power as before. This means you will need more juice to get the gadget Since there are some hardware options for smart locks, replacing the battery more often than you would like would be omitted.
Too many moving pieces?
For now, it seems that smart locks and doorbell cameras are better than existing products as standalone products. There is no doubt that companies and their intelligent engineers will continue to experiment with technology, and it is possible that they will become a major foundation in the coming decades. But until then, you can rest knowing you have to keep the doorbell.
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