AI doorbells are an increasingly popular smart home device for their myriad features and enhanced security technologies, such as video surveillance and smart home integration.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through the best AI doorbells so you can best stock for the year ahead.
Table of Contents
The business potential of AI doorbells
Different types of AI doorbells
1. Video doorbells
2. Facial recognition
3. Motion detection
What to look for when selecting AI doorbells
1. AI features
2. Video quality
3. Two-way audio
4. Smart home integration
Summary
The business potential of AI doorbells
The global smart doorbell market was valued at USD 16.2 billion in 2023 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 16.7% until 2030 to USD 47.7 billion.
As more consumers integrate doorbells with their other smart home devices, like security cameras and home assistants, seamless user experience is important in whether these doorbells succeed.
Another critical consideration in the smart doorbell market is data privacy: AI doorbell products must guarantee secure cloud storage and prioritize customer data protection.
Different types of AI doorbells
1. Video doorbells
Video doorbells are designed to provide homeowners with added visibility of whatever is on the other side of their door. For most models, when a visitor presses the doorbell, the homeowner is alerted through a mobile notification and the camera provides a live video stream.
With AI, smart video doorbells can detect the difference between human beings, animals, and vehicles to limit false alarms triggered by a variety of movements. Additionally, some AI video doorbells can also recognize whether a person is approaching the door or only walking past it.
2. Facial recognition
AI doorbells with facial recognition are programmable with different facial profiles so that the camera can detect visitors’ identities. This allows for more accurate alerts and the ability to customize them to skip alerts relating to family members, etc. In addition to face detection, facial recognition doorbells can even recognize if a package is delivered to or taken from the door.
Due to the amount of personal information that is stored in smart doorbells with facial recognition, end-to-end encryption is a must so as to maintain personal data privacy.
3. Motion detection
Many AI doorbells don’t record its surroundings until a visitor rings the doorbell or motion is detected within its range. This motion detection is usually activated as soon as a visitor crosses a certain threshold, as set by the homeowner.
However, AI doorbells with 3D motion sensors use radar instead of infrared lights to detect motion. Radar allows the smart doorbell motion detector to map the movement of guests to provide more accurate triggering of instant alerts based on how close the guest is to the door or which direction they are approaching from.
What to look for when selecting AI doorbells
1. AI features
There are a variety of AI features that can come with smart doorbells, and some features will be more important than others depending on what the homeowner prioritizes in their home security setup.
In all in all, facial recognition and motion detection are the two most popular types of AI features in a smart AI doorbell. However, the specific capabilities of the doorbell may differ based on how sophisticated the technology is and the price point of the product. AI doorbells also often have complementary features like push notifications, video recordings, and history logs.
2. Video quality
A good video doorbell should provide homeowners an ultra HD video feed with powerful infrared night vision or color night vision. AI doorbell cameras with at least 1080p resolution are ideal as they boast better video recording quality. This level of resolution also enables homeowners to zoom in on details like facial features.
Furthermore, an AI video doorbell that offers at least a 150° view of surroundings gives an ultra-wide field of vision. Some AI doorbells with cameras can even provide a simulated birdseye view of the front entrance and trace visitors’ paths when they approach the door.
3. Two-way audio
An AI doorbell with two-way audio allows homeowners to speak to visitors, even when they are not at home. This convenient feature makes smart doorbells with speakers a very popular house security product.
Some AI doorbells with speakers can even be integrated with smart home assistants. This means that when a visitor rings the doorbell, a voice assistant can greet them, take messages, or instruct delivery people where to leave packages.
4. Smart home integration
An AI doorbell with smart home integration has the added benefit of connecting with assistants like Alexa or Google Home. Smart home doorbells should also come with a user-friendly app to access the live view and notifications.
When paired with facial recognition or motion detection, smart home AI doorbells may also be able to control other devices in the ecosystem based on who is approaching the door. For example, a smart home assistant can turn up the heat or turn on the lights when it recognizes the homeowner is returning home.
Summary
The AI doorbell trend is a growing opportunity in the home security industry. There are already a wide variety of AI doorbells available in the market, including video doorbells and doorbells with facial recognition or motion detection, but regardless of product type, the quality of an AI doorbell is mostly determined by its AI features, video quality, two-way audio, and smart home integration.
An understanding of what features to consider when stocking AI doorbells is important for developing a successful product range.
