Apple takes on Ring with its first home security cameras and video doorbell

Apple is entering the home security hardware market with a privacy-focused range of cameras and a video doorbell, launching in the UK from December.

Apple has moved deeper into the smart home security market with a new line of cameras and a video doorbell that bring the company closer to rivals such as Ring and Google Nest. The Apple Home Collection, announced alongside a new HomeView hub, HomePod Mini 2 and an updated Apple TV 4K, marks a notable shift for a company that has largely left the hardware side of home security to accessory makers until now.

The range has been developed with LG Electronics and is built around Apple’s HomeKit platform. Apple says setup is designed to be almost frictionless, with devices added to the Home app by bringing them close to an iPhone. The company is also placing privacy at the centre of the launch, saying recordings and device access are protected with end-to-end encryption so that only the owner and selected contacts can view footage or control the accessories.

At the top of the line-up is a wired video doorbell priced at £229.95 in the UK. It uses a dual-camera system, capturing 2.5K footage of visitors and a separate 1080p view of parcels left at the door. Apple says the unit includes a dimmable spotlight and can switch between colour low-light recording and infrared night vision in total darkness. Instead of supplying its own chime, the doorbell relies on HomePod speakers or the new HomeView display, while alerts are also sent to an iPhone and other Apple devices. The system can distinguish between people, pets, vehicles and packages, and can identify familiar visitors using a user’s photo library.

Apple and LG are also bringing two outdoor cameras to the collection, one with a floodlight and one without. Both are wired, both record at 2.5K resolution and both use the same night vision system as the doorbell. The cameras are intended to save footage to iCloud, where recordings are stored for 10 days with an iCloud+ subscription and can be searched using natural language. That means owners can look for an event such as a parcel delivery rather than scrubbing manually through video. The cameras also include built-in storage to keep working if Wi-Fi drops out, along with two-way audio, configurable motion zones and IP65 weather resistance. Pricing starts at £279.95 for the standard model and £349.95 for the floodlight version.

An indoor camera completes the UK launch line-up. Priced at £179.95, it is mains-powered, records in 2.5K and also uses colour night vision. It can be placed on a table or mounted to a wall or ceiling, and it includes enough internal storage to continue operating if the network fails. One of its more distinctive features is automatic tilting: it can track activity when the household is empty, then tilt down when the first resident returns home. Apple says the UK will get the doorbell and cameras from December, while the smart lock and thermostat announced alongside them will initially be limited to the US and Canada. The company has also said further selected accessories are due from early 2027.