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.