Hyve’s smart delivery pod has a surprisingly low-tech approach with an emphasis on simplicity and sustainability
- The latest smart delivery pod is called the ‘Hyve’, but it doesn’t scream high-tech.
- It can withstand heavy rain and has space inside to safely store multiple packages.
- Delivery people enter a code that you can generate in an app to open the delivery pod.
There’s a new parcel delivery box on the block – well, announced anyway – as the Hyve makes its debut at CES 2025. This latest smart home delivery pod is surprisingly smart, but hidden behind a fairly low-tech look and feel.
It is a vertical package locker designed to be placed outside your front door, on a porch, a side door, near a garage or wherever you receive deliveries. It is 32 inches high and with a square end it is approximately 20 inches by 20 inches. This means that when you unlock the lid, it pops open and you can stack multiple packages or even bags inside.
When it ships in June for $299 (we don’t know if or when it will launch outside the US), the Hyve delivery pod will be available in two colors – gray or white – and will be made primarily of polypropylene plastic with stainless steel . steel bars on the sides to maintain the correct shape. As you might guess, the entire structure is waterproof to the IP65 standard. A chain and a door frame lock are included in the box, so you can install the Hyve safely.
However, if someone manages to get through the chain or bracket, a built-in accelerometer will sound a siren if it detects that he is being moved. And that’s the start of the smart, intelligent features here.
Essentially, from the Hyve app for Android or iOS, you can generate delivery codes that you can assign to retailer (possibly Amazon or BestBuy – delivery service – UPS, FedEx, DHL, USPS, etc. – or couriers for services like Instacart, Doordash or Uber Eats.
Once you have generated that code, the delivery person can enter the code on the Hyve via a keyboard and the lid will open, allowing him or her to place the package or delivery inside. It has a clear window, which also allows them to provide proof of delivery. And this is what gives the Hyve as a whole a kind of low-tech, high-tech feel – yes, it has Bluetooth and Wi-Fi integration for connectivity, so you can get notified when a package is delivered and when the lid has been opened, but it doesn’t scream high-tech.
Just four AA batteries power the package delivery pod, and Hyve says it should last 18 months, which is likely thanks to a small solar cell that completes the battery. While no smart home integration is planned, Hyve says it will work with select security systems at launch. We’d like to know which ones they are as the launch gets closer.
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There is also the idea of sustainability, with Hyve aiming to work with retailers to assist with product returns to reduce packaging waste, but also in the area of delivery, where people may choose to leave items in their basic packaging instead of having to pack them in different packaging. low, because it is stored safely in the closed Hyve box.
Suffice to say, minimal charges and a simple code generator app make it quite attractive; I’d like to see a smart home integration coming and maybe a few retail partners.