The new HomeKit Wemo video doorbell is available!

At CES 2022, Wemo announced the release of the Wemo Smart Video Doorbell, a HomeKit video doorbell that works with HomeKit Secure Video. It joins the Logitech Circle View Camera and Netatmo Smart Video Doorbell as the only HomeKit residential video doorbells currently available.

Wemo Video Doorbell Features

health home automation brand Belkin’s new $250 HomeKit Wemo video doorbell is a short, chunky black device that stands just over 12cm tall. It features a 178-degree vertical field of view, 4MP high-resolution camera with “enhanced night vision and optimal zoom clarity”; according to the brand’s press release. It also features IP55 weather resistance and works with 2.4 and 5 GHz Wi-Fi.

Wemo Video Doorbell Features

The doorbell is HomeKit-enabled only, working with the health home app on iPhone, iPad and Mac; rather than through the Wemo app. This is also the case with that of Logitech. Only the Netatmo doorbell also works with its own app. HomeKit Secure Video requires an Apple health home Hub; like a HomePod Mini. The latter processes video recordings locally and uses the intelligence of the device to locate people, pets or vehicles.

All recording is stored in iCloud. Thus, an iCloud subscription is required to view recorded footage. HKSV also offers a facial recognition feature, which users train with photos from their Photos app.

Matter over Thread support

Matter over Thread support

This smart video doorbell joins the Wemo smart plug among the brand’s products that don’t require the Wemo app. You can buy it now at Belkin.com.

Wemo also announced that it works on Thread versions of the Wemo Smart Plug, Wemo Smart Light Switch, and Wemo Smart Dimmer. They will be released later this year. This will enable support for Matter over Thread. Matter is the new smart health home standard launching later this year. This standard will allow smarthome devices to communicate with any Matter compatible accessory; regardless of the manufacturer.

Matter over Thread support should make Wemo devices more reliable and easier to configure. Two things that I think are a major problem with this brand. Matter over Thread offers faster response times than other protocols. As this is a mesh network, the more devices running this standard in your health home, the better the range and connectivity.