Pearl Automation Shuts Down After Poor Sales of Its $500 Vehicle Backup Camera - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Pearl Automation Shuts Down After Poor Sales of Its $500 Vehicle Backup Camera

by

Pearl Automation, the vehicle accessory company founded by ex-Apple engineers and which debuted its $500 "RearVision" wireless backup camera system just one year ago, has shut down following poor sales of the device, reports Axios.

pearl rearvision device

What happened: Early product sales disappointed, which was exacerbated by a high burn rate.

What next? The Pearl Automation team received several "acqui-hire" offers, but opted instead to shut down and part ways, according to a source close to the situation.

RearVision, which went on sale last September, was a license plate frame with dual HD cameras, solar power, and Bluetooth to wirelessly connect to an OBD port hub and an iPhone or Android phone. While it was a slick and easy to install system, the $500 price tag undoubtedly contributed to its downfall.

Pearl appears to have had larger ambitions related to autonomous driving technology and driver safety, but with its initial project suffering from poor sales, the company lacked the resources to push forward on its follow-up products.

Top Rated Comments

wlossw Avatar
116 months ago
The kind of people willing to spend 500$ on this kind of thing already drive a car with a backup camera...
Score: 29 Votes (Like | Disagree)
zorinlynx Avatar
116 months ago
Yeeeah, backup cameras are mature technology that shouldn't cost $500. Not surprised it failed.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Apple_Robert Avatar
116 months ago
I think at $125.00, they would have faired much better, especially for those who would like to have the new technology fot a slightly older car.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mouse man Avatar
116 months ago
Yep. Saw that one comin'. ('https://forums.macrumors.com/posts/23043116/')
We should give you a cookie
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
116 months ago
Being all new cars will be required to have a backup camera by 2018, they should've seen the writing on the wall for this.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
oneMadRssn Avatar
116 months ago
Yea, when a wireless license-plate frame backup camera with a wireless 7" LCD screen costs about $60-75, this product was immediately a non-starter. I don't care how much better their design and software was, nobody is going to pay nearly 10x for it.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 27 on iPhone 17 1

iOS 27 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Saturday May 2, 2026 8:43 am PDT by
Apple is expected to unveil iOS 27 during its WWDC 2026 keynote on June 8, and there are already many rumored features and changes for iPhones. The first developer beta of iOS 27 will likely be available immediately following the keynote, and a public beta typically follows in July. Following beta testing, the software update should be released to all users with a compatible iPhone in...
Apple MacBook Pro M4 hero

Why You Might Want to Wait to Buy a MacBook Pro

Friday May 1, 2026 3:43 pm PDT by
Apple refreshed the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro with M5 Pro and M5 Max models in March 2026, but depending on your needs and interests, you might want to skip this generation because there's something better in the works. The M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro models have faster chips, but the same design that Apple has used since 2021. An updated design with new display technology and faster ...
Apple Announces 2026 Pride Band Watch Face and iPhone Wallpaper Article 2

iOS 26.5 Coming Soon With These New Features

Monday May 4, 2026 8:40 am PDT by
iOS 26.5 is expected to be released next week, following more than a month of beta testing. The update is relatively minor, but there are a couple of new features and changes across the operating system that we have recapped below. iOS 26.5 lays the groundwork for end-to-end encryption for RCS in the Messages app and ads in the Apple Maps app, and it will include a new Pride wallpaper and a...