Ecobee has announced an update to its Smart Doorbell Camera that finally adds integration with Google’s Home app and smart displays. The company’s video doorbell debuted with support for both Apple Home and Amazon Alexa when it launched in late 2023, but integration with Google’s smart home ecosystem was promised as a future update arriving sometime in 2024. Although its Google integration arrives a year later, it adds to the unique functionality of Ecobee’s smart doorbell, which can use the company’s smart thermostat as a video intercom.
The update enables live video from Ecobee’s doorbell camera to be viewed through the Google Home mobile app or smart displays like the Google Nest Hub and accessed using voice commands through Google Assistant. The app and devices can also be used to remotely speak to visitors through the smart doorbell’s speaker, while alerts will be delivered to Google Home devices when the doorbell is pressed.
The new functionality potentially makes Ecobee’s $160 Smart Doorbell Camera a cheaper alternative to the $180 wired Nest Doorbell. But while Google’s doorbell offers three hours of free event recording, Ecobee’s doesn’t include any recorded video gratis — either in the cloud or stored locally. You’ll need to pay $5 per month or $50 per year to store motion-activated video clips in the cloud for 30 days.
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