Amazon’s home security arm, Ring, recently announced the Battery Video Doorbell Plus, the latest in its range of smart doorbells. As its name suggests, the doorbell features battery life improvements alongside a video quality upgrade over previous models.
As expected of an Amazon device, the new Ring addition pairs with the Alexa ecosystem. This means you can interact with visitors by using an Echo or Fire TV device, allowing you to see them and use the two-way audio chat.
Video doorbells track who comes to your door, which helps when you’re expecting deliveries or visitors, and for avoiding unwanted guests. In our review of the Ring Video Doorbell 4, Adam Turner praised its advanced features, including Pre-Roll, which lets you see what happened before someone approached the door.
With the Battery Video Doorbell Plus, Ring appears to retain popular features while upgrading a few main areas.
What improvements does the Battery Video Doorbell Plus have?
The most apparent upgrade coming with the newest Ring smart doorbell is a better video resolution. Instead of the 1080p resolution used by the 4, the Battery Video Doorbell Plus captures 1536p HD video, giving greater clarity to recorded footage. Additionally, it also has a wide 150×150-degree field of view, producing a head-to-toe view of visitors while letting you see packages left at the door.
Although Ring didn’t specify the exact battery life of the Plus in the recent announcement, the company claims it’s up to three times better than the first Ring Video Doorbell. Now superseded, the first generation Ring doorbell’s built-in rechargeable battery lasted up to six months. In other words, it’s reasonable to expect the Battery Video Doorbell Plus to last well over a year before needing a recharge.
Returning features include Customisable Motion Zones you can set and receive notifications when it detects motion in designated areas and Quick Replies for giving preset responses when you can’t get to the door. A Ring Support subscription – starting at $4.95 a month in Australia – also adds extra features and notifications like Package Alerts. Another subscription benefit is the ability to save and share video recordings, which might be needed if you need to refer to an incident at a later time.
Out soon, pre-orders for Ring’s new $289 device start on 13 April, ahead of its launch in May 2023. Locally, you’ll be able to grab one from Amazon or Ring’s website once listings go live.
