What just happened? If you’re in the market for an affordable video doorbell this year, Ring’s latest offering might be worth a look. The Amazon-owned smart-home company just unveiled the new Battery Doorbell, packing a handy upgrade over previous entry-level models that gives you a much better view of who’s at your door.
The headline feature is what Ring calls “Head-to-Toe Video,” which expands the vertical field of view by 66% compared to the last-gen Ring Video Doorbell 2. That translates to the new Battery Doorbell capturing a full 150-degree vertical viewing angle to see visitors from head to toe.
Not having to scrunch down to check who’s there or miss out on spotting packages on your porch is a quality-of-life improvement many will appreciate from a $99.99 video doorbell. Higher-end Ring doorbells like the Pro already offered this wider perspective, but it’s nice to see the capability trickling down to the company’s more affordable option.
A taller field of view isn’t the only upgrade. The new Battery Doorbell also steps up to 1080p HD resolution video and adds color night vision, allowing you to make out finer details in low-light conditions. There’s even a new “push-pin” design that should make installing and removing the doorbell for recharging a bit simpler.
On that note, Ring claims you can expect up to 23% longer battery life between charges versus the previous model. And when it is time to juice up, the new USB-C charging port is a welcome switch from the older micro-USB standard.
The rest of the Battery Doorbell’s features are pretty standard Ring fare – motion detection with customizable zones, Live View, two-way audio to chat with visitors, and optional cloud recording through the Ring Protect subscription plan. Speaking of which, you’ll still need to pony up that $5 monthly fee to unlock richer notifications, longer video history (up to 180 days), and fancy computer vision capabilities like package detection.
For the full premium ring video experience with higher resolution, 3D motion sensing, and a bird’s eye view perspective, you’ll want to spring for the $230 Battery Doorbell Pro instead. But for a simple, solid video doorbell under $100, Ring’s new entry-level offering seems like a decent budget-friendly option. The device is now available to pre-order.
