Ring the changes and get smart about security
So far my ventures in the world of the smart home have been fairly limited – I have an automated lighting system that has proved a source of both delight (when it works) and frustration (when it goes wrong) over the years.
So testing out a couple of security devices from Amazon has proved something of an eye-opener for me.
I’ve had the Ring Doorbell 4 and the Stick Up Cam Battery looking out for me for around a month now… and so far I am mightily impressed.
DOORBELL 4
This video doorbell is easy to fit, and doesn’t require any wiring – it runs on batteries. Although if you do have an existing doorbell wire, you can use that to power the device.
New for Ring in this doorbell is a four-second pre-roll capture – it captures a rolling loop of footage for four seconds at all times without draining the battery too much.
It means the gap between an event being detected and the camera starting up is plugged, and you’re much more likely to have video of the whole thing.
Aside from that, it’s a pretty standard video doorbell experience – it all centres around an app, of course, which will notify you whenever movement is detected, and of course when the doorbell is activated.
In the app you can make all kinds of adjustments, from changing sensitivity to defining the movement-sensing zones of the camera.
The app can also be used to answer the door if you are too far away, or even out of the house, and you can talk to and hear whoever is knocking.
There is a slight delay in starting up the app to answer the door, which might leave some parcel delivery men with an excuse to scarper, but Ring also has a slimmed-down app that you can use if this becomes a problem.
Battery life is great, too, with around a month of juice on a single charge. A second battery at £20 would be a wise investment, and an add-on chime would be essential if you don’t have an Amazon Alexa device, which can do the same job, in the house.
STICK UP CAM BATTERY
This battery-powered camera offers the same kind of stress-free installation as the Ring doorbell – no wires required means you can put it anywhere inside or out.
We’re onto the third generation now, and there’s no shortage of competition.
What Ring has in its favour, here, of course, is very tight and reliable integration with Amazon’s eco-system. Although if you’re on the Siri or Google Assistant bandwagon you might need to look elsewhere for compatibility.
That said, this is a very good, cheap, reliable camera with excellent battery-life – Amazon rates it’ll go for ‘months’ on a charge, without being too specific, but months is good enough for me.
The video captured is clear and crisp, too. The only real downside is the built-in speaker that supposedly allows you to talk to anyone you see on the camera is a little on the quiet side. If you live on a noisy street you might struggle to be heard.
Like the Doorbell 4, the Stick Up Cam stores video captured on the cloud, and also requires a subscription to Amazon’s Ring Protect service for all features to work – these start at £3.49/month per device, but you get a month free to see if it’s for you when you buy a device.
■ The Ring Doorbell 4 costs £179 (£189 with add-on chime), while the Stick Up Cam Battery is on sale at £59.99 at the moment (usual price £89.99). Visit en-uk.ring.com for more.