Apple to charge up to $60/month for AI-powered HomeKit cameras

Apple has introduced its first paid tier for Apple Intelligence features, significantly increasing the cost of HomeKit Secure Video for users who want AI-powered capabilities, according to Macworld.

With iOS 27, Apple Intelligence has matured to include conversational Siri AI, advanced photo editing, and image generation tools. Until now, these features have been largely free, unlike competitors such as ChatGPT and Claude that impose usage limits or monthly fees.

That's changing, starting with home security.

HomeKit camera fees jump dramatically

Apple has always required iCloud storage for HomeKit Secure Video recording, with pricing based on camera count. The previous structure allowed up to five cameras on a $2.99 monthly 200GB plan.

The new AI-enhanced features—including video descriptions for recorded clips and natural-language search in the Home app—require substantially more expensive plans. A single AI-enabled camera now requires a 2TB plan at $9.99 per month. Users with five cameras must pay $59.99 monthly for a 12TB plan, a 20-fold increase from the previous $2.99 tier.

Macworld reports that Apple attributes these costs to the computational expense of storing and analyzing 4K video continuously. The company also notes that "camera counts and other iCloud+ plan features may change over time," suggesting prices could rise further.

Broader usage limits coming

Apple has posted a support page warning that usage limits will extend beyond HomeKit cameras. The company states it will "implement usage limits on these and other Apple Intelligence and Siri AI features to ensure a high-quality, reliable experience for everyone."

When users hit a limit, the affected feature will become unavailable until after a timeout period. Apple indicates that limits will vary based on feature type, request complexity, system demand, and other factors. Crucially, the company confirms that "increased access to such features will be available for a fee."

The support page specifically mentions Siri AI and Photos as features that will receive usage restrictions, though Apple has not announced timing or pricing for these limitations.

Why it matters

Apple's move signals a fundamental shift in how the company monetizes AI capabilities. While competitors have charged for AI services from the start, Apple initially positioned Apple Intelligence as a premium feature included with device ownership. The HomeKit pricing structure reveals the economic reality: running sophisticated AI models at scale is expensive, and Apple appears unwilling to absorb those costs indefinitely. For enterprise users evaluating Apple's ecosystem, this suggests that AI-dependent workflows may carry ongoing operational costs beyond hardware purchases. The vague warning about future limits also creates uncertainty for organizations planning around Siri AI or Photos features in business applications.

Details first reported by Macworld

These pricing details and the usage limit warnings were first reported by Macworld. The timing and specific fee structure for Siri AI and Photos features remain unannounced.