Ring Battery Video Doorbell - Cheap. Easy. Good

When it comes to causing product line confusion, Ring has a lot to answer for.

I've commented on this before; they have a lot of different doorbells and it's not always immediately apparent what differentiates one from another.

And that's before you get to the chimes, security cameras and floodlights.

Luckily for you, I'm here to help.

Today's example is quite different in some ways, yet it has enough in common with other Ring products we've featured before to make it well worth your consideration.

The Ring Battery Video Doorbell stands out from other Ring Battery Doorbells because it doesn't actually have a battery.

See? I told you I'd make things less confusing.

Of course, in reality, it does have a battery but unlike other Rings, this time it's built-in. The only real disadvantage to this all-in-one form factor is you can't simply swap out the battery for a spare one when it goes flat,

Instead, you have to remove the whole device from its mount to recharge it, leaving you without a doorbell in the meantime.

On the up-side, the built-in battery lasts much longer than before and Ring has come up with an ingenious push-pin system to remove the Battery Video Doorbell from its mount. One push with the supplied tool and the doorbell comes free. Then, once fully charged, it's even easier to push back into place with a single click.

In fact, installing the mounting plate only takes a minute or so, using the four self-tapping screws provided.

The Battery Video Doorbell comes in two attractive finishes; Satin Nickel - which is a neutral, silvery colour - and Venetian Bronze - a dark brown which would be more suitable for black or other darker walls or doors. Quick note; because there's no removable battery, there's also no removable faceplate - so you'll be stuck with whichever colour you choose.

I've talked you through the setup process using the Ring app before. As you'd expect, every step is clearly laid out, in some cases with accompanying diagrams or even videos. I reckon most people would have the Battery Video Doorbell up and running in under five minutes.

As with other Ring doorbells and cameras, you have the option of creating customised monitoring zones so you can exclude certain areas - a public footpath perhaps.

The 1440 x 1440p video is clear - and in colour, even at night. Ring describes it as Head-To-Toe video, because the 150° lens is wide-angled both horizontally and vertically. There is quite a bit of fish-eye distortion at the edges but at least you won't miss anything.

Especially if you opt for the Ring Protect subscription. I've complained about this in plenty of previous reviews so I won't moan too much this time around - I just think having to pay to record your videos is a bit stink. However, the plans start at just NZ$4.50 a month and that gets you 180 days of cloud storage, rich notifications - so you can see a preview on your phone or smartwatch - and the option of People Only Mode; so you'll only get notified when the doorbell sees people, not cars or pets. You can also choose to receive Package Alerts so you know if valuable online orders have been left on your doorstep.

As a more budget-friendly option, there are some tricks the Battery Video Doorbell can't perform, unlike its more expensive siblings. If you want the option of Bids-Eye-View, 3D Motion Detection or Pre-Roll recording, you'll have to consider a more premium model.

Still, there are plenty of other great features even without a subscription. I've found the alerts and notifications seem to come through faster than ever with this latest Ring device and there's also no lag at all when making use of the Two-Way Talk functionality. This was particularly useful for me yesterday when a delivery arrived while I was still driving home. I was able to give the courier detailed instructions on where to stash the package all through the Ring app. He heard me, I heard him. Nothing got stolen. Brilliant.

You can even set up pre-selected Quick-Replies, pretty much answering the door for you. This includes asking visitors to leave a message you can listen to later, effectively turning your Battery Video Doorbell into an answering machine.

All for just NZ$169.00, which I think is pretty good value for this amount of innovative tech.

Oh, and by the way... Although this is a battery doorbell you can still do a wired connection if you prefer. See? Not confusing at all.

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the Ring Battery Video Doorbell.