Apple gearing up for ‘first foray into smart home camera market’

Apple is planning to release a smart home security camera in 2026, according to Ming-Chi Kuo, a prominent figure with contacts in Apple’s supply chain in Asia.

“Apple is making its first foray into the smart home IP camera market, with mass production scheduled for 2026, targeting annual shipments in the tens of millions,” Kuo wrote in an online post shared on Monday, adding that Chinese tech firm GoerTek will be the exclusive assembly supplier.

Kuo said that Apple’s planned smart home camera will integrate seamlessly with other Apple hardware products via wireless connectivity, giving it an advantage over rival camera makers.

“This strategic move demonstrates Apple’s continued exploration of growth opportunities in the home market,” Kuo commented, adding that be believes the user experience “will be significantly enhanced by Apple’s great ecosystem and deep integration with Apple Intelligence and Siri.”

As Kuo suggests, an Apple-made home security camera could become part of a broader smart home ecosystem centered around Apple’s HomeKit platform. Feeds could be viewed via Apple TV or with an iPhone, Apple Watch, and other Apple devices that are able to send instructions and interact with the camera.

A move into the sector by Apple would likely have a noticeable impact on the home security camera market, which currently sees around 35 million shipments a year worth in the region of $7 billion.

Apple’s focus on privacy and security could set a new standard for an industry that has seen many failures over the years, with camera feeds and other associated data compromised by hackers. Its cloud-based HomeKit Secure Video platform already provides end-to-end encryption for feeds from compatible third-party cameras, but if Apple launches its own camera, other competitors would be forced to up their game when it comes to security and privacy. Also, Apple’s strong ecosystem could make life difficult for rivals that fail to innovate and offer something compelling in the face of competition from the tech behemoth.

Apple hasn’t said anything publicly about adding a smart home security camera to its range of devices, but Kuo has called such things right before, so such a product could well be on its way.