In an interview on the Decoder podcast this week, Logitech CEO Hanneke Faber sent HomeKit fans into a frenzy when she said the company’s Circle View products were “pretty much gone.”
As it turns out, that’s not the case, but the future of Logitech’s smart home products doesn’t appear to be bright…
During the Decoder interview, Faber repeatedly emphasized that Logitech’s focus is on three categories: personal workspace, video conferencing, and gaming. When asked about Logitech’s smart home products, Faber seemed unaware they even existed.
“I think those are pretty much gone,” she said. “I need to double-check, but I’m not even sure those are still being sold.”
Top comment by Conrad7570
I've had 2 previous Circle View cams that both failed (within the same week)! I replaced both and tried a "hack" I heard about - instead of plugging the AC adapter directly into the outlet, first plug it into an old-school 3-way adapter. Don't know why it works but both new cameras have been solid for the past year. The Circle View Doorbell Cam, however, I won't touch with a 3.3 meter pole. A doorbell camera that falls when the sunshine heats it up? Whoever designed that deserves to be fired.
In a follow-up statement to The Verge, however, Logitech’s global head of communications, Wendy Spander, walked back Faber’s comments. “Circle View products are still in production, and we currently sell them (as do our retail partners). They have not been discontinued. They are in stock and ready to ship,” Spander said.
This includes the Logitech Circle View camera as well as the Logitech Circle View Doorbell. Both of these products feature support for HomeKit as well as Apple’s HomeKit Secure Video platform, making them a popular option among Apple users.
9to5Mac’s Take
It’s a bad sign when the CEO of the company has no idea whether or not a product is still available. And even with this reassurance from Logitech PR, I wouldn’t put too much faith in Logitech’s Circle View smart home products existing for much longer.
There are other HomeKit Secure Video cameras on the market, which I’ve covered in detail in the past.
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