Amazon has revealed its new Amazon Key service, which will allow couriers to enter your home and drop off your package inside, even if you are not there.
According to the Verge, Amazon Key “relies on a Amazon’s new Cloud Cam and compatible smart lock.”
“The camera is the hub, connected to the internet via your home Wi-Fi. The camera talks to the lock over Zigbee, a wireless protocol utilized by many smart home devices,” they explained. “When a courier arrives with a package for in-home delivery, they scan the barcode, sending a request to Amazon’s cloud. If everything checks out, the cloud grants permission by sending a message back to the camera, which starts recording. The courier then gets a prompt on their app, swipes the screen, and voilà, your door unlocks.”
“They drop off the package, relock the door with another swipe, and are on their way,” the Verge continued, adding that the homeowner “will get a notification that their delivery has arrived, along with a short video showing the drop-off to confirm everything was done properly.”
The service, which will become available on November 8, will require a $249.99 bundle that includes “a smart lock, the connected camera, and free installation.”
Amazon’s own team will deliver the packages, potentially expanding the service to third parties in the future, and there will be no extra cost for the new delivery service.
Earlier this month, it was reported that Amazon was trying to work out how to deliver packages inside their customers’ homes and car trunks in an attempt to stop package theft.
As well as the now-revealed Amazon Key service, CNBC reported that the company were also in talks to form a partnership with “smart license plates” maker Phrame, whose product “fits around a license plate and contains a secure box that holds the keys to the car,” allowing users the ability to “unlock the box with their smartphone” and “grant access to others — such as delivery drivers — remotely.”
Charlie Nash is a reporter for Breitbart Tech. You can follow him on Twitter @MrNashington and Gab @Nash, or like his page at Facebook.