By will-buy
Amazon is ending support for that Cloud Cam, one of the first Alexa-controlled smart home devices. The Cloud Cam has officially been supplanted by Blink and Ring, brands Amazon acquired not long after introducing the smart home camera in 2023.
Cloud Cam Off
The Cloud Cam and its apps are shutting down and deleting all video recordings on December 2, though owners can download their video history in front of that date. The recorded clips in the Cloud Cam app can be individually downloaded if the owner wish to hold onto them. To make up for bricking the Cloud Cam, Amazon is providing a free Blink Mini camera and a year from the Blink Subscription Plus Plan. The Blink Mini is basically the same kind of camera and may integrate into an Alexa smart device ecosystem like the Cloud Cam. The real difference is incorporated in the subscription, using the Cloud Cam’s tiers based on how many cameras and period of time for storing video, while Blink subscribers require the Plus subscription in excess of one camera and may decide to pay for video storage or go without. The details regarding how to swap cameras will be sent later this season, Amazon said.
“With your help over the last five years, Cloud Cam has served as a reliable indoor home security camera and a hub for Amazon Key-compatible smart locks that actually work with Alexa,” Amazon explained in an email to customers. “As the amount of Alexa smart home devices continues to grow, we're focusing efforts on Ring, Blink, and other technologies that make your house smarter and simplify your day-to-day routines.”
Alexa Evolution
The Cloud Cam is following in the footsteps of other discontinued Alexa devices. Both the Dash Wand and the Echo Look faded away in 2023. The Dash Wand’s barcode scanner and microphone were created to inspire users to ask Alexa to order products, while the Echo Look carried Alexa’s fashion advice right into a user’s closet. Each of those devices had only a narrow selection of tasks and were superseded through the Echo and Echo Show product lines. Similarly, the Cloud Cam is far more limited in features and Alexa integration when compared with Blink and Ring. That’s why Amazon wanted those companies to begin with. The Cloud Cam is a relic from when Amazon wasn’t sure what individuals would use Alexa or how they wanted to market smart home devices. Amazon’s Alexa device strategy has changed into the more sophisticated Construct it program, where the product decision is based on pre-orders. That’s how 1 of 3 colorful designs for the Echo Dot by fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg was chosen, in addition to a smart sticky note printer. Other outdated Alexa devices may stick to the Cloud Cam, however it stands out being an artifact of Amazon’s smart home experiments in 2023.
