Amazon's new home delivery camera doubles as an Apple HomeKit security competitor

Amazon on Wednesday announced the Cloud Cam, its first entry into HomeKit-style smarthome products. In parallel it revealed "Amazon Key," an option for Prime members that will let delivery drivers leave a package inside a home.

The indoor-only Cloud Cam sports 1080p resolution, night vision, a 120-degree field of view, and two-way audio. Support for Amazon's Alexa assistant is of course built in, letting owners view a live feed through an Echo Show, Echo Spot, or the company's Fire set-tops and tablets. People without one of those devices can still keep tabs by way of iOS and Android apps, which also provide access to alerts and highlight clips.

By default buyers get 24 hours of cloud storage for up to three Cloud Cams. Many features are gated behind paid subscriptions however, including clip downloads and sharing, person detection (not just motion), and setting zones for cameras to ignore.

The Basic plan also offers up to 7 days of storage, and costs $6.99 per month, or $69.99 per year. A $9.99/$99.99 Extended plan supports up to 5 cameras and doubles coverage to 14 days. A Pro plan, lastly, saves video from up to 10 cameras for 30 days, and costs $19.99 per month or $199.99 per year.

One of the main drives for introducing the Cloud Cam is actually Amazon Key, which requires buying a special $249.99 bundle including a Key Edition Cloud Cam and a Yale or Kwikset smartlock. Amazon is also limiting the option to 37 U.S. cities, and some items might not qualify for Key at checkout.

For security, Amazon verifies that the right delivery driver is arriving at the right place at the right time. This triggers the Cloud Cam and unlocks the door.

Both Key and the Cloud Cam are set to debut on Nov. 8, though preorders are now underway. A single Cloud Cam costs $119.99, while a two-pack is $199.99, and three are available for $289.99. A bundle of a Cloud Cam and an Echo Show is currently available for $299.98.

There are currently just two HomeKit-compatible security cameras: the D-Link Omna 180 Cam HD, and the Logi Circle 2.

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34 Comments

SpamSandwich 19 Years · 32917 comments

About 7 years ago

Utterly insane. A huge security risk.

nht 14 Years · 4491 comments

SpamSandwich said:

Utterly insane. A huge security risk.

Meh, you can break into most houses in 30 seconds by popping a window lock.

Grab the alarm and stick in freezer to quiet it. if there's an external siren or something that's annoying then just leave.

Grab jewelry and cash from master bedroom and do a quick sweep in less than 5 mins.

Leave before any response is going to happen.

Having been on the receiving end of this kind of B&E and talking to the police a lot of what folks think makes their house "safe" doesn't. I keep the alarm system still for night time use. I arm it during the day but it's just a minor annoyance for anyone semi-competent.

jdgaz 9 Years · 406 comments

Those drivers that are married better up their life insurance policies. Would not surprise me to see one or more getting shot opening someones door.

Soli 9 Years · 9981 comments

nht said:

SpamSandwich said:

Utterly insane. A huge security risk.

Meh, you can break into most houses in 30 seconds by popping a window lock.

Grab the alarm and stick in freezer to quiet it. if there's an external siren or something that's annoying then just leave.

Grab jewelry and cash from master bedroom and do a quick sweep in less than 5 mins.

Leave before any response is going to happen.

Having been on the receiving end of this kind of B&E and talking to the police a lot of what folks think makes their house "safe" doesn't. I keep the alarm system still for night time use. I arm it during the day but it's just a minor annoyance for anyone semi-competent.

My first reaction is 100% inline with @SpamSandwich, but you make a great points and having a security camera does mean you can record who at least came up to your house. Still, from Amazon and the delivery service's PoV I'd think this is an issue since people could say that these employees stole something, broke something, let their cat out by accident, or did something gross while in the house. I think that's going to be exceedingly rare, but I think there will be some complaints. Whether justified or not, those accusations seem like a huge hassle.