Apple ties new AI camera features in Home app to costly iCloud tiers
With iOS 27 and tvOS 27, Apple has added Apple Intelligence features to HomeKit Secure Video, including AI-generated text summaries of camera footage, video search, and the ability to merge clips from multiple cameras. These features require pricier iCloud Plus plans, starting at $9.99 a month for one camera and rising to $59.99 a month for coverage of up to five cameras.
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HomeKit Secure Video previously started as low as $1 a month, so this represents a steep cost increase for smart home users who want AI-enhanced monitoring. The pricing structure effectively gates useful smart home AI tools behind Apple's most expensive storage tiers, raising questions about accessibility and value compared to competitors' offerings.
- Apple Intelligence for Home adds AI video summaries, search, and multi-camera clip stitching to HomeKit Secure Video.
- Pricing scales steeply: $9.99/month for one camera up to $59.99/month for five cameras.
- This marks a major price jump from HomeKit Secure Video's original $1/month entry tier.
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Published there as: “Apple Home’s new security camera features cost up to $60 a month”
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