- Apple is said to be developing smart-home locks with face-recognition tech.
- The move aligns with Apple’s growing interest in the home-devices market.
- Apple’s device would compete with Google’s Nest and Amazon’s Ring in home security.
Apple is reportedly working on bringing its facial-recognition technology to home security.
Bloomberg reported on Sunday that the tech giant was developing a smart lock and doorbell that would allow a person to automatically open their home’s door by scanning their face.
The report said that Apple’s doorbell system could work with existing third-party locks or that the company could partner with one lock provider to sell a complete product. It said the technology was in early stages and could be released at the end of 2025 at the earliest.
Apple did not respond to a request for comment sent outside regular business hours.
The smart lock adds to Apple’s growing interest in home devices. Last month Bloomberg reported that Apple was working on an AI-powered wall-mounted tablet. The iPad-like device could be voice-operated, serve as an intercom, and control home appliances. Bloomberg also reported this year that the company was working on home robots.
Not all these developments may come to life. This year Apple scrapped its car project and stopped efforts to develop a subscription model for the iPhone.
The door device could give the company an opportunity to cross-sell home products and devices like the iPhone and the Apple Watch.
It could also allow the iPhone maker to compete with Google’s Nest and Amazon’s Ring. These devices have doorbells with a motion sensor that activates a camera and records a video of the area.
Such a product could draw Apple into new debates about balancing users’ privacy and working with law enforcement. Through emergency requests, police departments have received videos from Ring without the owner’s consent.
Apple and its CEO, Tim Cook, are known for prioritizing user privacy. In 2016, Cook refused to cooperate with the US government to unlock an iPhone used by the gunman in a mass shooting and attempted bombing in San Bernardino, California.