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When I reviewed Ring's Battery Doorbell Pro earlier this year, I found it replete with high-tech video features but suffering from a doorbell body showing its age. "I also wish that Ring would update its design, now long in the tooth, with a more durable battery case that didn't feel like it could be forced off," was my final summary. Now the Amazon brand is back with a new version of its standard Battery Doorbell, and the design is starting to change at last.
The upgraded Ring Battery Doorbell offers some features once restricted to higher-end Ring doorbells and has a budget price of $100, making it one of Ring's strongest offerings to date.
My favorite new feature is an installation option that lets you snap on the doorbell to its mount, then pop it off with a push-pin tool when you want to charge the battery. It's a simplified design similar to how many compact video doorbells like the Google Nest Doorbell work, and seems much easier to manage than the not-so-quick release of Ring's previous design. I'm looking forward to testing out this new snap-on design and seeing if it solves my primary issue with Ring doorbells.
Smartphone showing delivery person through Ring app.
RingOther added features include Head-to-Toe video, an expanded vertical view with a 150- by 150-degree lens that can capture more space and spot more packages. The battery also received a boost with up to 23% more battery life using common settings.
As with other versions of the Ring Doorbell, you'll need a Ring Protect subscription ($5 per month) to use smart alerts, cloud storage and other important features. Ring products work very well with Alexa devices, but don't offer much in the way of Google support. If you're interested in the latest Ring Battery Doorbell, shipping starts on Sept. 4, and you can preorder now.