Anker this week unveiled the EufyCam 2, one of the first security cameras that will support Apple's new HomeKit Secure Video feature, allowing the camera to capture and store recordings securely in iCloud.
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HomeKit Secure Video will only be available to users that pay for 200GB or more of iCloud storage, starting at $2.99 per month. Users with the 200GB plan can store 10 days of recordings from one camera in iCloud at no extra cost, while those with a 2TB plan can store 10 days of recordings from up to five cameras. HomeKit Secure Video recordings do not count towards a user's iCloud storage usage.
With an Apple TV, HomePod, or iPad as the home hub, HomeKit Secure Video uses on-device intelligence to privately analyze activity captured from the EufyCam 2 to detect whether it sees a person, vehicle, or an animal before securely sending it to iCloud, ensuring that users are only alerted to important activity.
A demo of HomeKit Secure Video from an iPad at an Apple Store was recently shared by Zach Truskowski, as noted by HomeKit Hero:
HomeKit Secure Video is billed as a safer option than storing recordings on the servers of third-party accessory makers.
With support for HomeKit in general, the EufyCam 2 can stream live video in the Home app on an iPhone or iPad, complete with Siri support. When the cameras detect motion, they automatically send a push notification to an iPhone or iPad, and users are able to view live video immediately from the lock screen.
EufyCam 2 will be available for pre-order in November from Best Buy in the United States, with pricing starting at $349.99 for a two-camera kit. Key features include 1080p recording, 365-day battery life, and night vision. Google Assistant and Alexa are also supported for voice control.
Top Rated Comments
(View all)And it's Anker, to boot! Now I can watch my cats all day when I'm away!
I think the hub is to allow for decent battery life. It will handle most of the processing to allow minimal battery use by the actual camera. It’s a smart way to do it.There have been too many broken promises regarding homekit. Once I see a Macrumors video showing of Secure Video with this then I might jump in, but not before.
Somebody mentioned on some other tech site that the reason this and Arlo weren't supported before was that Apple wasn't allowing battery-operated cameras to be part of homekit...Luckily they changed their minds. Hopefully that means some doorbells soon too. Maybe by ios 14...
Why the huge hub with all these cameras? Can't it just be fully wireless?
I wonder how secure video support will work with family plan sharing of 2TB data. Will it just be 5 total for family or 5 individually?
This means some compromises. I'm guessing these are:
- LE bluetooth
- not continuous recording
The outside corners of the house where i would want the cameras are definitely not in range of the apple tv or homepod bluetooth, so thats a problem - and apple is still iffy about bluetooth hubs.
Not continous recording but rather 'recording on event/pixel shifting' means some things get missed.
I think I am still waiting for POE cameras that support secure video, or a secure video hub device that can read RTSP streams.