Amazon's ring and ring-connected security camera systems already allow you to keep an eye on unwanted visitors. Now he wants to rejoice well, and also your house. A recently discovered patent shows that Amazon is developing its own range of smart home lighting under the banner of its Ring Security range of devices. Though details are still few apart from the image below posted by tech journalist Dave Zatz on Twitter, an FCC filing shows that the bulb would come with Bluetooth connectivity, as one might expect from a smart bulb.
Hmmm PAR35 Ring "smart" bulb. Outdoor lighting fixture line? Alarm ring accessory? Both? Neither? :] pic.twitter.com/zGeCiVK0qR December 9, 2019
Interior or exterior?
It wouldn't be the first time the Ring brand has launched lighting products: its motion-sensing security systems have already been complemented by projectors and connected headlamps. But the shape of the bulb in the patent indicates a product that would compete more closely with the myriad of smart home bulbs already on the market, such as the leading brand Philips Hue. The Ring brand choice is interesting: why not Amazon bulbs or even Echo/Alexa? Whether it's to discourage comparison or suggestion of competition with products that support the Alexa ecosystem, or to bolster the reveal of an as-yet-undisclosed Ring-fit safety feature, we'll have to wait and see. There's no official release or pricing information to share at this time, but the timing of the FCC filing suggests a CES 2020 reveal at the start of the new year. We will offer all the details if and when they materialize.