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Amazon is reportedly developing a doorbell that could give delivery drivers one-time access to your home

Amazon is reportedly developing a doorbell that could give delivery drivers one-time access to your home

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Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

CNBC reports today that Amazon is trying to figure out ways to ensure deliveries make it to their destinations. The company is reportedly in talks to partner with Phrame, a maker of “smart” license plate frames that serve as a secure box for car key storage. CNBC notes that people could remotely unlock the box and give delivery drivers access to their car's trunk so a package can be securely left behind. Phrame notes on its website that users can give "secured one-time and time-limited access for a courier to open your trunk and deliver your package."

This is what the Phrame device looks like:

Phrame

CNBC also says that Amazon is developing a smart doorbell device that could give delivery drivers one-time access to a person's home to drop off a package. This is something that’s already possible with existing smart home lock and doorbell combination systems from companies like August. Neither Amazon nor Phrame commented on either of the rumored plans.

It's easy to imagine Amazon strongly considering these types of products. Lost and stolen packages present a problem for all delivery services, so any way to cut down on those product losses would be beneficial. Bloomberg previously reported that Amazon was testing a new delivery service that could reduce overcrowding in its factory warehouses and bring two-day Prime shipping to more of its products. These reports suggest Amazon recognizes the importance of both timely deliveries and the reliability of them showing up.