Renting? Two of Apple's new Home Collection devices are worth it, five aren't
A ZDNET buying guide walks through Apple's new Home Collection of nine smart home devices, which runs from $40 for sensors to $400 for security cameras. It argues only two are renter-friendly: the $200 LG Indoor Cam and the $300 LG Outdoor Cam plug-in, since neither requires drilling or hardwiring, both can keep recording during Wi-Fi outages, and both offer AI video search and person recognition. The other five — the $250 wired video doorbell, $400 Floodlight Cam, $350 smart deadbolt, $200-each LG & Schneider smart thermostat and $40-each temperature sensor — replace existing doorbells, fixtures, deadbolts or thermostats, which many leases do not allow. The piece also notes Apple says most AI for the new devices runs on-device, with Private Cloud Compute used only when needed, and that the cameras work with HomeKit Secure Video.
Rental restrictions often decide which smart home setups are even possible, and this list shows the practical limits of Apple's on-device AI home ecosystem for renters.