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[Update: First look] Ecobee camera leaks with clean black and silver design, likely to include voice control

Ecobee has become one of the most popular smart thermostat brands on the market. The company has expanded slightly from its flagship product with a smart light switch, but a potential camera release would be a notable expansion for Ecobee in the smart home market.


Update 7/31: Dave has shared a new image of the yet to be released Ecobee smart camera today on Twitter that offers our first look at the device in the wild.

Unfortunately, seeing the whole camera reveals it’s not as svelte as the previous leaked images made it appear. It features a white back instead of matching the black front or silver base. Still no word on when Ecobee might launch this new smart home offering.

In related news, check out our review of the new Ecobee SmartThermostat. It includes a smart secondary sensor, voice control, HomeKit support, and a glass display. It normally retails for about $250.

https://twitter.com/davezatz/status/1156626090460418048


Dave Zatz at Zatz Not Funny! discovered the new images of the unannounced Ecobee camera. It sports a black design with a silver, conical base. In the two different images (see below), we see the top of the camera features four LEDs, which Zatz notes could be used to indicate the camera’s microphone status, similar to the Ecobee Switch+.

Dave didn’t find any details for pricing, specs, or a release date for the Ecobee camera, but his discoveries have proved accurate in the past. Earlier this year, he uncovered the August View smart doorbell before it was officially unveiled last month.

It’s possible Ecobee’s camera could land with extra functionality like a presence sensor and thermostat to use along with an Ecobee3 lite or Ecobee4. Dave also believes with Amazon’s recent $61 million investment in Ecobee that the new camera will feature Alexa voice control.

As for HomeKit functionality, Dave doesn’t mention it, but Ecobee’s smart thermostats and its Switch+ feature support for the platform. Hopefully, Ecobee sees building in HomeKit to its camera as a great opportunity for itself and users.

HomeKit support for smart home cameras has been slow going. Logitech’s Circle 2 is a popular choice, and D-Link’s Omna (reviewed) was one of the early adopters. It would be awesome to see Ecobee bring a compelling option to the camera market with HomeKit and also spur on other companies.

What do you think? Are you interested in a smart home camera from Ecobee? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Jamf
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Avatar for Michael Potuck Michael Potuck

Michael is an editor for 9to5Mac. Since joining in 2016 he has written more than 3,000 articles including breaking news, reviews, and detailed comparisons and tutorials.


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