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The Dropcam home security company is offering owners of its older cameras a free upgrade as it phases out the first iterations.
The company, which is owned by Nest (which in turn is owned by Google), says customers currently rocking a Dropcam Original or a Dropcam Echo are entitled to a free Dropcam HD as a replacement.
The reason? Well, in April 2015 the older models will cease to work as the company continues to roll out new features.
“Original Dropcam and Dropcam Echo models will work until April 15th. After that, they will stop recording and connecting to the Dropcam service,” the company wrote on its support website (via The Verge).
“We’re always trying to improve Dropcam and the software behind it. But that means some features won’t work with our older Dropcam models. As we improve Dropcam, we’ll no longer be able to give Original Dropcam and Dropcam Echo owners an experience that meets our standards. So we decided to stop supporting these products and offer owners a free replacement Dropcam HD camera.”
Customers filling in a replacement form should receive a Dropbox HD camera in around three weeks.
Read more: Best Smart Home Tech of CES 2015
The model Dropcam is sending out isn’t the latest in the series. They Dropcam HD was launched in 2012, but the firm released the Dropcam Pro which features a wider lens, Bluetooth LE connectivity and improved optics.
The decision to replace the hardware is likely centred around Dropcam/Nest’s desire for customers to sign up for one of its cloud recording packages which run from $9.95 a month, right up to $25.95 a month for those super security conscious homemakers.
Of course, they can't do that with a Dropcam that doesn't work anymore!
