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.
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.
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.
