Doorbird Set to Release HomeKit Doorbell in Q4 2019 [UPDATE]
Update: DoorBird have contacted us at HomeKit News to clarify the company’s current position regarding their products and HomeKit integration, stating that whilst there are no firm plans to integrate HomeKit into any of their current lineup of products, it’s something the company has been looking into. There are currently no firm plans regarding this at this time, and any products relating to HomeKit integration are merely speculation at present, with any future HomeKit compatible products being announced as they become relevant.
DoorBird, a company based in Germany that specialises in video doorbells and intercoms, has revealed that they are set to release a HomeKit compatible video doorbell in the last quarter of 2019. This was ‘revealed’ via email correspondence between the company and a user in the r/HomeKit Reddit group, with the company confirming their plans for a said video doorbell in Q4.
The new product will apparently be an update to the current D101 video doorbell (pictured above), which already features a 720p VGA camera, two-way audio, night vision and a 180º passive motion sensor, which is currently priced at around US$384/UK£352 plus shipping, so it’s fair to assume the HomeKit enabled version will be at least the same price if not more. This would be the third video doorbell to get HomeKit, after the already released Robin Video Doorbell, and the forthcoming Netatmo video doorbell, so still not a lot of choices, but certainly an improvement over last year’s total lack of any options.
As the HomeKit version isn’t actually available yet, we can only speculate on the specifications, but we can expect them to also match the current D101 model, for which the specs are (for Apple News readers, please click HERE to see the article including specs);
| Housing | Polycarbonate, UV-resistant |
| Doorbell button | Stainless-steel button with illuminated LED ring |
| Mounting type | Surface-mounted |
| Power supply | 15 V DC (power 110 - 240 V AC) or Power over Ethernet (PoE 802.3af Mode-A) |
| Weight | 271 g |
| Connectors | Power, electric door opener/strike, door chime, door opener button, network |
| Weather protection | Yes, IP65 |
| Approvals | CE, IC, FCC, IP65 |
| Dimension | 157 x 75 x 35 mm (H x W x D) 6,18 x 2,95 x 1,38 in (H x W x D) |
| Operating conditions | -20 to +40°C / -4 to 104°F Humidity 10 to 85 % RH (non condensing) |
| Scope of delivery | Video Door Station, mounting plate, power supply unit (world-wide, 110 - 240 V), DIN-rail power supply sold separately, screw package, quick start guide |
| camera | HDTV 720 p, dynamic (VGA – HDTV) |
| Lens | High-end ultra wide-angle hemispheric lens 180° horizontal, 90° vertical, straightened, IR-capable |
| Night-vision | Yes, light sensor, automatic IR-cut filter, 12 IR-LEDs |
| Audio components | Speaker and microphone, echo and noise canceller |
| Audio streaming | Two-way duplex |
| WiFi | 802.11 b/g/n 2.4 GHz |
| Ethernet | Connector, PoE |
| Type | Passive infrared sensor (PIR) |
| Detection angle | 180º |
| Range | 2 - 8 m (79 - 315 in) depends on environment |
| WiFi (integrated wifi module) | 2,4 GHz, internal antenna |
Honestly, this product is complete rubbish, and if it has similar specs when they release a homekit version, then it will be a joke.
We already have rubbish units like Ring that have some Homekit support, they are also complete rubbish. (on a side note, I smashed my ring with sledge hammer, I hated that thing literally to death)
I have owned around 6 different video doorbells, some with some sort of Homekit support, others with Alexa and Google support, all suck badly, they have terrible resolution, are slow to operate and usual fail or let you down when you really need them.
A better solution is to get a simple ip camera and a battery powered button from the Aqara products, set it up as a doorbell, and have Homekit send you a notification when its pressed, then you can open the app for ip camera and see who is there.
There are many cheap IP cameras with intercom features, mics and speakers all built in that will work perfectly for this application, ranging from $20 to $150.
Even the visual appearance of this Doorbird doorbell sucks badly, and the price is even more horrid,
720p camera = Joke
2.4Ghz Wifi = Joke
$384 US = Joke
Some of the lowest specs I have seen, even a $50 Chinese built video doorbell has far better specs, 720p wouldnt even be good enough for the Police to use in order to catch a suspicious offender.
For $384 US I expect a minimum of:
1080p
10/100/1000 Lan
5Ghz Wifi
Stainless Steel Casing
Attractive Styling
Smart Facial Recognition
RFID/Bluetooth remote door unlocking
I could build something that could do these things for far less than $384 US.
Sorry for the rant, but I have wasted serious amounts of money and time on the subject of video doorbells, this is why I just built my own setup using a 4K vandal proof Dahua camera, and an Aqara Xiaomi Wireless button, camera has 2 feeds, one at a dismal 720p for Homekit and streaming over the web and a 4k stream going to an NVR with advanced motion capture.
Good luck, $384 US hahahah, what a joke, oh plus shipping even funnier.