Ring is releasing a new video doorbell that gives you a head-to-toe view of any visitors or intruders at your doorstep.
The battery-powered device is the Amazon-owned company’s first new doorbell in two years. It will cost £160 when it lands on April 13. For that price, Ring is promising the best resolution yet of any of its battery doorbells (1536p to be precise), and a 150x150 field of view.
These elements combined offer “a crisp and clear view of everything happening at your front door,” the company said in its announcement.
For the uninitiated, Amazon’s Ring cameras send you an “instant notification” via an accompanying app when someone presses the button, or triggers its motion sensor. The camera allows users to view a live stream of who is at the door and talk to them remotely.
The new Ring model can run even longer than the previous Ring video doorbell, with a battery life that’s apparently up to three times better.
Ring claims the extra juice is due to its energy-saving features that can conserve power by detecting more important things. This includes settings such as customisable Motion Zones that let you specify where your device detects motion, while ignoring everything outside that area.
In addition, privacy Zones can also exclude areas from your camera’s field of view. These off-limit zones won’t be displayed in the Ring app in Live View and won’t be video recorded.
As with older Ring doorbells, you can still use two-way talk to speak to people at your doorstep, set up quick replies that respond for you when you’re away. Other returning functions include a quick-release, rechargeable battery pack, and the ability to connect to a Ring solar panel for non-stop power.
In 2021, Ring began offering end-to-end encryption for videos for its wired models. It expanded the protection to battery-powered models last year.
The new doorbell will be available to purchase directly from Ring and Amazon.
Earlier this week, Ring came under fire when it was revealed that it was locking some previously free in-app features behind its Ring Protect subscription. The changes, which will be introduced on March 29, affect customers in only the US and Canada, and aren’t being implemented in the UK.
The paywalled features will include digital Alarm notifications and the ability to change Home and Away Modes from your app. Doorbell and Cam customers will still have access to Motion Alerts, Live View, and Two-Way talk without a subscription.
More broadly, Ring’s products have sparked privacy concerns after it was revealed that UK police were using its doorbells as evidence in burglary trials. For its part, Ring says that it does not currently have any partnerships with police forces in the UK.
However, the police can request footage from you. If you refuse to provide it, they can issue a warrant, or in some cases bypass you to submit a request directly to the doorbell manufacturer.
