D-Link unveiled its first HomeKit-enabled smart security camera at CES, joining a select number of manufacturers who have announced similar cameras this week that integrate with Apple’s smart-home platform. Called the Omna 180 Cam HD, it is the first in a planned line of products from D-Link that will be compatible with HomeKit.
As one of the first smart security cameras with HomeKit support, it is nice to see that the Omna 180 looks to be a competitive product. (Actually, it looks like a miniature trash can, but is oddly kind of cute.) On the inside, it packs all the usual features for a high-end smart-home camera, including 1080p video, a 180-degree viewing angle, two-way audio, night vision, motion detection, and local recording to MicroSD card. For remote monitoring, it uses dynamic video streaming to adjust bitrate on the fly to account for changes in bandwidth.
Being a HomeKit device means the Omna 180 can be set up in a flash from the Apple Home app. Users will also receive notifications on their device’s lock screen when the camera detects motion, including a snapshot of what’s going on in their home. End-to-end encryption should also help put homeowners at ease. Naturally, D-Link will also provide its own Omna app that will enable more advanced features.
“D-Link is excited to be providing consumers with our first HomeKit-enabled camera, combining D-Link’s rich experience in IP cameras with Apple’s industry-leading home automation technology” said Anny Wei, president of D-Link, in a statement.
If HomeKit really is industry-leading, Apple has taken its time in getting there. HomeKit was announced alongside iOS 8, but until this week, supported devices ranged from Wi-Fi-enabled power outlets to fancy lightbulbs — all useful products, to be sure, but HomeKit still felt incomplete. If the announcements from D-Link and other home security companies at this year’s CES are any indication, though, HomeKit may yet have a bright future ahead.
D-Link has yet to reveal a price for the Omna 180 Cam HD, but stated it will be available in the first quarter of the year.
