Apple working on smart doorbell with FaceID-like camera security feature

Apple's smart door lock-cum-bell will use facial biometric security, similar to FaceID on the iPhone, to scan the user's face to identify if it is the owner or the family member or a guest.

For the last several months, several reports have emerged that Apple will foray into the Internet-of-Things (IoT) sector in 2025. It is said to be almost ready with a hybrid iPad with a HomePod-like speaker, which will work as a dedicated central hub to control all the connected devices at home.

Now, Bloomberg has reported that Apple is exploring another smart home gadget that will make house keys redundant.

Cupertino-based company's new product will work as a smart door lock-cum-bell. It will use facial biometric security, similar to the FaceID on iPhone, to scan the user's face to identify if it is the owner or the family member or a guest.

It should be noted that Apple recently received a patent for a home security camera from the United States Patent and Trade Office (USPTO).

As per the official sketch (below) in the patent application, the new smart home camera is capable of scanning not just the face, but also the upper body to correctly identify the person.

USPTO has granted new new smarthome camera paten to Apple.

It performs FaceID and BodyPrint scanning to register key physical attributes of the subject, particularly around the torso. The scanning will include multiple images and videos of the face and the torso.

The device's security camera will be integrated with Apple's propreitary 'Proxima' chipset. It is said to be a combination of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chips.

And, Apple's new door camera will be compatible with third-party IoT gadgets that support Apple's HomeKit with Matter protocol.

For the uninitiated, Matter is an IoT standard jointly developed by big corporations including Apple, Amazon, Google, iRobot, Signify, and Connectivity Standards Alliance (previously known as Zigbee Alliance).

This allows all smart home devices with different operating systems to work seamlessly with digital assistants such as Siri (with Apple Intelligence), Alexa, and Google Assistant.

The specification for Matter v1.0 standard was first released in 2022 and since then, several certified products have made their way to store shelves.

If things go as planned, Apple's smart doorlock-cum-bell is expected to hit stores in late 2025, most probably during an iPhone event in September or in the following month, when new Macs and iPads are launched.

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