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Apple Adds AI-Powered Video Features to HomeKit Secure Video, but Prices Surge
By Drooid · · How we work
Apple Intelligence Expands HomeKit Secure Video
With the public rollout of iOS 27 and tvOS 27, Apple introduced “Apple Intelligence” for HomeKit Secure Video. The upgrade adds AI-generated video summaries, natural-language search of footage, and the ability to stitch clips from multiple cameras into a single video. The features are optional and can be enabled in the Home app after updating an Apple TV 4K (2nd gen or later) or HomePod to the new software version.
Pricing Structure and Camera Limits
To use Apple Intelligence, customers must subscribe to an iCloud + plan that includes the required storage tier. The Verge reports that a 2 TB iCloud + plan costs $9.99 per month and covers a single camera, while adding a second camera requires the 6 TB plan at $29.99 per month. For up to five cameras, the 12 TB plan is priced at $59.99 per month. Gizmodo describes the same tiers as roughly $10, $30, and $60 per month, respectively. Existing HomeKit Secure Video storage limits remain unchanged; recordings do not count toward the iCloud storage quota.
Competitive Landscape
The Verge notes that Amazon’s Ring and Google Nest charge around $20 per month for subscription tiers that include comparable AI-driven camera features, and both platforms offer more functionalities than Apple currently provides. Gizmodo compares Apple’s pricing to Google’s Home Premium Advanced plan, which also costs $20 per month and imposes no camera-count limit.
Official Statements from Apple
The company has not disclosed how higher-tier iCloud + plans might affect Siri AI or other Apple Intelligence capabilities.