TCL to launch smart home monitoring kit in March 2017

TCL has announced a mobile first smart home monitoring kit that will launch in March 2017.

The company, which produces smartphones under multiple brands including BlackBerry and Alcatel, introduced the multi-piece Life Home Monitoring Kit at CES 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. It includes a camera, motion detector and door and window sensor connected by a ‘home bridge’ device, all of which feature a matching minimal, all-white look. Once set up, users can manipulate the tools using a smartphone application called LifeApp available for phones running iOS 8.0 or Android 4.0 and above.

The Wi-Fi IP camera supports a 100-degree angle view and 720p at 30fps resolution. It also features 4x digital zoom, night view, two-way audio, a microSD slot and 360-degree pan, 180-degree tilt rotation.

The motion detector and door/window sensor stock batteries that boast up to two years of battery life and support the ZigBee suite of communication protocols for low-power personal area networks.

“At TCL, our goal is to gain a significant position in the smart home market. It’s a market that’s taking off, but still faces barriers such as high price, complexity in installation and management, which slow down wider adoption,” said Vittorio Di Mauro, TCL’s senior vice president and smart connectivity division director.

“Life Home Monitoring Kit looks to make smart home technology more accessible by being affordable and user-friendly. You don’t need to be a tech specialist to install it and everything can be managed by a single app on your smartphone.”