I have been using Ring doorbells for the past two years. It has served my needs and each one has made incremental improvements. The Ring Battery Video Doorbell is said to build on everything good from the OG version.
First Impressions
When the new Battery Video Doorbell presser came across my desk, my first question was will the existing face plates still fit?
Well the short answer is no. The 2024 Ring Battery Video Doorbell is a whole new beast, different dimensions, and well .. other than being rectangular and made by Ring, lots have changed.
Did I mention that the dimensions have changed – the new version is a little shorter, teensy bit skinnier and definitely not as thick. The base plate is literally just that, the base plate. In the OG the bulk of the doorbell is mounted to the wall and the battery is removable.
The new version has a plate mounted on the wall, and the entire doorbell comes off with the new quick-release tool for charging. My long standing complains about Ring is now fixed. Gone is the micro-USB port in the battery and in with USB-C.
With the complete change of design, existing face plates are no longer compatible. There new Battery Video Doorbell comes in the classic Ring Satin Nickel, or Venetian Bronze. At this stage there does not seem to be any interchangeable face plates, the one that comes with the unit is fixed with a heap of security screws. So if you have invested in seasonal face plates, this may get your goat up.
Ring Battery Video Doorbell Plus (left) vs Ring Battery Video Doorbell (right)
Installation
The life of a reviewer. Don’t get me wrong, I am extremely lucky and privileged to be reviewing gadgets for our readers. However with this new doorbell I was out drilling more holes into the façade of my house because none of the existing ones I have lines up with the new plate. Don’t tell my other half but at least I have managed to hide most of the redundant holes.
I had my little helper out with me and didn’t drill one of the holes deep enough but got too lazy to get pliers to pull the plug back out. The end result was that the baseplate was slightly warped when I screwed it in and the doorbell body won’t clip on. Lesson learned on this one. Close enough is not good enough.
Notably, Ring does not include the angle mount with this unit which has been part of previous offerings.
In Use
Battery life is always important. I was getting about a month between charges with the previous doorbell. Ring claims that the 2024 edition has up to 23% longer battery life which would give me up to another seven days.
I have added devices to my Ring network quite regularly. The process hasn’t changed. If this is your first rodeo then the Ring app will take you through it step by step. Look up any of my previous Ring reviews to see the screenshots.
Just like the Ring Battery Video Doorbell Plus I have just removed, Ring has retained the square 150-degree by 150-degree field of view. For me that means no change to my coverage, other than due to the dimensions the camera is positioned a little higher when I have mounted it in about the same location. Something to be aware of.
I would have liked for an angled bracket to point the unit down slightly. I always find it tricky to balance the height to mount a doorbell versus the coverage to the ground. The way mine is set up it won’t get the space right in front of my door. Most couriers put it on the bench I have put there, but a few geniuses likes to put large boxes right in front of an outward swinging door.
The image resolution has been bumped to 1440p (2560×1440) from 1536p (2048×1536), Ring has also added colour night vision into the mix. In my use case where there is very little light outside my place at night, there is barely a splash of colour in the distance where the streetlight is. Personally it is not adding much value for me.
In lieu of the star shaped screwdriver, there is now a new quick release clip that makes it simple to unlatch the doorbell for recharging.
Other Features
The core features all remain in place. The doorbell offers Quick Replies, which is the modern day doorbell version of an answering machine. You can of course have two-way talk with a live view of the action.
Customisable motion zones ensures that you can block off any part of the field of view for privacy reasons or reduce false positives.
Other features are available with a Ring subscription. These include video history up to 180 days, snapshot capture, person alerts, package alerts amongst others.
The cost of the subscription plan is a bit of a bone of contention with DRN editors. The basic plan is $4.95 a month or $49.95 per year (AUD or NZD depending where you live), but is limited to one device.
The plus plan is for $15 a month or $150 per year (again AUD or NZD) and that is for anything from two devices to …. how many have you got at a single address? I definitely hear Sime’s frustration when he has two sets of devices at two addresses.
The plus plan does offer extended warranties for all your Ring devices, but again that is for the one address.
Conclusions
Generally by the time I have put a device through testing and usage, I would have formed a pretty firm opinion on it. However this is one of the very rare occasions where I have come to this point of a review and still feel ambiguous.
If I have been new to the Ring ecosystem, then I think the Battery Video Doorbell (2024) is a great start. The product is solution, with a nice bump in image resolution and that elusive USB-C port that I have been banging on about in every Ring review.
But coming from a Battery Video Doorbell Plus, with the ability to swap face plates and removeable battery, I feel like it is a step backwards. The battery part is the big sticking point because in this configuration, I can interchange with other Ring devices that I have, and have a spare on hand that is fully charged to swap in anytime I need.
I feel that at AUD$149, the RIng Battery Video Doorbell is a great introduction to a smart doorbell. It is a good $100 cheaper than the next device in the line up and $200 cheaper than the top of the range. At time of publishing it is on special at a very attractive $99.
DRN would like to thank Ring for providing the review unit.
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