Eufy Security announces a new doorbell camera that’s also a smart lock

Image: Eufy Security

Eufy Security is a smart home brand. The Eufy Security Video Smart Lock is a video doorbell and smart lock in one and is expected to ship to backers in May 2022, with a general release in June. The two-in-one security device uses facial recognition and a fingerprint reader to open the door, and it can send an alert when someone arrives or leaves, according to the company.

There are obvious issues with a dual product like the Video Smart Lock, which is an apparent amalgamation of Eufy's $260 Eufy Smart Lock Touch and $200 Eufy Video Doorbell 2K.

Most people struggle with video doorbells because they don't realize they are supposed to press the camera to alert the owner at the door. The doorbell button is placed on the door lock where a key would usually go. That is likely to cause confusion.

You can angle a door lock to get a better view of your porch, and from my testing of the main competitor in this space, the Lockly Vision, the view you get from a camera in your door lock.

Image: Eufy Security

There is no mention of battery life. It will be a serious drain to power a door lock and security camera over the internet. The Video Smart Lock will be powered by a 10,000mAh battery pack, but how long it will last is unknown.

Eufy's newest stand-alone doorbell camera has two cameras that can see up top and down. It is possible that the company has some tricks up its sleeves for better viewing angles and longer battery life.

The video doorbell portion will have a 2K camera with night vision, a 160 degree field of view, and a speaker and microphone for two-way talk, according to the details available. PiR and radar can be used to detect motion, as well as human detection and artificial intelligence.

The lock will have an app and voice control. The other lock has a physical key lock. It can lock itself up.

Image: Eufy Security

The company claims that it will be much improved over its existing option, which I have tested and found very reliable, and that it will use artificial intelligence to learn your family's prints for an even faster reaction time.

As with all Eufy's camera products, recordings are stored locally and there is no required fee for viewing recorded footage from the doorbell. It looks like this won't be a requirement, since there is no mention of compatibility with Home Base 2. We've reached out to Eufy for more information about the lock's function.

Eufy is including a plug-in digital chime, but it won't work with an existing doorbell chime.

The company launched the product on the crowd funding site. The early bird special is half price for the first 2,000 backers and will cost $199. It will be available on Amazon in June.