DIY security startup iSmartAlarm showed its system off at CEDIA this week, including the new iCamera Keep, which stands to upgrade the system's existing iCamera accessory. Due out in November for shoppers in the US and UK, the new camera will cost $149, which converts to about £92.
iSmartAlarm spokesperson Zac Sutton also tells me that the entire system, including the new iCamera Keep, will be making its debut in Australia in Q1 of 2015. The camera's price point converts to roughly AU$165.
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That $149 price point is a pretty appealing one, given that the iCamera Keep looks like a much better device than the original iCamera, which currently sells for the same amount. Among other notable improvements, the iCamera Keep offers 1,280x720 HD resolution, night vision capabilities, and built-in motion and sound sensors that can trigger the camera to automatically begin recording in the event of a break-in.
Another interesting development is that you won't even need an existing iSmartAlarm system in order to use the new camera. Like Dropcam Pro or the Belkin NetCam HD, the iCamera Keep will work on its own as a stand-alone device. That's a smart move, given the surging interest in stand-alone camerasthat we've seen over the past year or so.
A USB jack in the back of camera provides the option for local video storage.
Within a few months of the product's launch, the iCamera Keep will offer local storage thanks to a USB jack in the back of the device -- another improvement over the original iCamera. Sutton tells me that iSmartAlarm also plans on offering options for cloud storage, but is still working the pricing out.
I also asked Sutton about other iSmartAlarm devices we've been waiting to see, most notably the DoorFront doorbell camera which we heard about earlier this year at CES. Sutton explained that iSmartAlarm went back to the drawing board to improve the DoorFront's design after watching how consumers reacted to comparable recent releases, like DoorBot.
After going through a re-design, the DoorFront accessory is expected to be ready by Jan.
As a result, the redesigned DoorFront, which Sutton expects to have ready by January of 2015, will feature a hardwired power source, allowing it to record video whenever it detects motion and not just when someone rings the doorbell.
The iSmartAlarm Smart Switch, another peripheral we heard about back at CES, is also expected out by the end of the year, and will be up for pre-order by the end of the month alongside the iCamera Keep. Sutton tells us that both will be offered with a pre-sale discount before they launch at retailers like Walmart, Amazon, Fry's, and the Apple Store in November.
We're fans of iSmartAlarm's fee-free approach to low-cost, DIY security -- though we found the old iCamera to be a glitchy weak spot when we reviewed the system last year. That makes the iCamera Keep an especially intriguing upgrade, and one that we look forward to testing out. Expect a full review in the coming months.
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