To say that home security is enjoying a moment in the spotlight would be a bit of an understatement. The industry is on track to hit $100 billion in less than four years, which means it’s not so much “having” a moment as it is defining a new heyday for the security industry as a whole.
There are many reasons the market is skyrocketing to acclaim. Technological advancements and DIY solutions have made home security systems more financially accessible and more functional, which has significantly increased the industry’s market penetration. This is further facilitated by the fact that many insurance companies now offer sizable discounts on the premiums of homeowners who invest in security systems. But what it really comes down to is that more and more homeowners are concerned about home security and/or excited about the high-tech gadgets and functionalities being produced by the industry.
If you fall into the camp of people who care about home security—whether because it makes you feel safer or because you like playing with no electronic “toys”—then you’ll probably want to keep an eye on the next round of iPhones. Here’s why.
How the New iPhone Might Improve Home Security
Many of today’s home security systems allow for remote control and monitoring via smartphone apps. While this has greatly enhanced the ease with which people utilize their security systems and improved homeowners’ peace of mind while they’re away from their homes, these capabilities have also opened up new security vulnerabilities. If your smartphone isn’t effectively secured, then hackers can access the home security system through this weak access point.
That’s why anyone who utilizes their smartphone to control their home security system should concern themselves with smartphone security. And that’s where the newest round of iPhones might come into play.
If the speculations about the next iPhone iteration are to be believed, Apple is making privacy and security a core focus of the latest round of their soon-to-be-10-year-old device. Rumor has it that a potential iPhone Pro model may feature an edge-to-edge screen that foregoes a fingerprint sensor and home button in favor of face-sensing technology.
That’s right: Facial recognition—long thought to be the stuff of science fiction—may be coming to an iPhone near you. That might make it nearly impossible for someone other than you to hack your smartphone, which means your home security system is much more likely to remain secure even when it’s being accessed remotely.
There’s also the potential that Apple could use this technology to branch into the home security industry down the road. (If the industry keeps growing at its currently projected pace, it’s likely that many major brands are going to start competing for a piece of the pie.)
For now, all of this remains speculation, as Apple isn’t expected to announce its next round of iPhones until the fall of this year. In the meantime, home security aficionados are waiting with baited breath.