Apple video doorbell release date: Dec. 11-17 and the iCloud catch

The doorbell and its two camera siblings are the first wave, and all three share the same mid-December delivery estimate. That puts them on doorsteps roughly a week before Christmas if the estimate holds.

• LG Video Doorbell: $249.95
• LG Indoor Cam: $199.95
• LG Outdoor Cam: $299.95

Preorders run through Apple’s online store. Apple has said the collection will also be sold in the Apple Store app and in its retail stores, so check your local store closer to December if you’d rather not wait for a courier.

Before you hit the order button, run through a quick checklist:

1. Confirm your iPhone is on the latest software and signed in to iCloud.
2. Look at your iCloud+ storage tier, since it decides how many cameras you can record from.
3. Make sure you have a home hub such as a HomePod or HomeView.
4. Check that your front door has existing doorbell wiring.

Canada and the UK

Canadian prices were set when Apple unveiled the lineup in October. The wired version of the LG Video Doorbell starts at $349.95 CAD, the Indoor Cam at $279.95 CAD and the Outdoor Cam at $399.95 CAD. Apple said in October that the collection goes on sale in December in Canada too, but we haven’t seen a confirmed Canadian order date for this first wave.

For UK readers, the cameras are slated for Britain as well, while the lock and thermostats are planned only for the US and Canada. No pound prices have been published next to the US and Canadian figures, and there’s no word on the rest of Europe. Even the German launch material listed dollar prices only.

The doorbell’s big trick is a second lens. A 2.5K camera faces forward to catch whoever is walking up, and a full HD camera points down at the step to keep an eye on packages. You can open either feed on its own in the Home app.

• A dimmable spotlight plus infrared and low-light color night vision
• Detection of people, pets, vehicles and packages, and recognition of familiar faces
• Two-way talk so you can answer the door from your phone
• A chime that plays through HomeView, HomePod or HomePod mini instead of a separate indoor bell
• Built-in storage, so it keeps recording if your Wi-Fi drops

It also pairs with LG’s upcoming Smart Deadbolt Lock. Once both are installed, you can see who’s at the door and unlock it from the same place. The new HomePod mini 2 can even announce who is at the door using face recognition.

The $199.95 Indoor Cam has the most unusual design in the group. Its lens sits in a motorized cylinder that tilts away when someone in your household gets home, so it isn’t watching the living room while you’re in it, and swings back when everyone leaves. That’s driven by your phone’s location, but you can also flip it in the Home app or with a button on the camera.

The $299.95 Outdoor Cam is hardwired, rated IP65 against rain and dust, and can be angled in several positions. Like the doorbell, it records in 2.5K, has two-way talk and offers color night vision in low light. All of these cameras also have a sleep setting that limits recording to the hours your household is in bed.

There’s no separate camera subscription to pay for, which is the biggest money difference from many doorbells you could buy instead. Instead, event video goes to iCloud+ through HomeKit Secure Video and is kept for 10 days, end-to-end encrypted so that neither Apple nor LG can view it.

The catch is that you do need the right iCloud+ plan:

• 50GB plan: one camera
• 200GB plan: up to five cameras
• 2TB plan: no limit on cameras

So a doorbell plus both new cameras already pushes you past the smallest tier. If you also keep photos and phone backups in iCloud, check how full your current plan is before you order.

You’ll also want a home hub. Every device in the collection uses Thread, a low-power home network, and connects through hubs such as HomeView, a HomePod or a recent Apple TV. Thread keeps the devices talking to each other if your internet goes down, and they update their own Wi-Fi details if you change your router. Some reports say an iPhone that supports Apple Intelligence is required too, so check your phone before buying.

One more limit: the cameras don’t support Matter, the cross-brand smart home standard, at least for now. If anyone in your house uses Android or Alexa, plan on the Home app being the only way in.

For an iPhone household that already pays for iCloud+, the doorbell makes a strong case. Setup is a tap of your iPhone, there’s no extra subscription, and the package camera fixes a common complaint about doorbells that can’t see the doormat.

Wait if you need something specific that isn’t here yet. The LG Floodlight Cam ($399.95) and the LG Smart Deadbolt Lock ($349.95) have prices but no order date or shipping estimate. The same goes for the LG and Schneider Home thermostats, both $199.95, and the $39.95 room sensors. Apple has said some of the lineup will follow in early 2027, without naming which pieces.

Also check your wiring. The Canadian listing names the doorbell as a wired model, so make sure your front door has doorbell wiring before you order.