Tech That! Ring Video Doorbell 2 review – ✡✡✡
Daniel Elias look at a home solution for those wanting to dip their toes into smart home security!
For years I got by with just a knock to indicate someone was at my front door, but recently I’ve seen video doorbells popping up around my neighbourhood so I decided to jump in and try one out.
Setup
Right out of the box Ring provides everything you need: a customisable face plate to match your wall colour, a screwdriver and obligatory manual which in hindsight would have been good to skim through as I tried (and failed) to set it up on the first go. Luckily it was a breeze on the second try.
After setting up I played with the app (available on iOS, Android, Mac & PC), customised the settings and waited….. for someone (anyone!) to ring.
The experience
It was amusing having my first conversation with someone at my door through my phone. Audio quality was clear but video was average due to my home broadband speed. Keeping that in mind, if your internet speed is basic and sluggish I suggest you invest in a box of Pandol because the whole experience becomes one giant headache. Audio and video will take ages to load, ring times will be massively delayed and you may not even get notifications on your phone until well after the person has left. That said, if your home internet speed is relatively fast and you’re able to stream Netflix on multiple devices, then this product will be a pleasure.
What surprised me
Notifications worked as expected on iPhones, Samsung devices and even a Mac but was hit or miss with my Huawei phone. Even with triple checking of notification settings, I only got an occasional ring. This won’t affect most users but it’s worth noting for people with less mainstream Android phones.
Ring ecosystem
Ring has a world of accessories that are purchased separately. One of these is the Ring Chime which I bought after just one day of using my Video Doorbell. You plug it into a power socket inside your home and it acts as an indoor alert every time someone pushes the bell on your Ring outside. You can even customise the ringtone on the Chime (one of which is ‘I have a Little Dreidel’).
Security recording
Ring Video Doorbell 2 records any motion it detects which is invaluable for security or checking your Amazon order has arrived. You get a 30-day trial of the product’s protection plan which gives you access to all motion recordings, after which you’ll need to cough up a minimum of £2.50/month.
Verdict
The Ring Video Doorbell 2 is a great home solution for those wanting to dip their toes into smart home security. Just make sure your broadband plan doesn’t bottleneck your entire experience.
Star rating
✡ ✡ ✡
Summary
For:
- Easy setup
- App available on mobile and desktop
- Good two way audio quality
- Great Ring accessories available
- Can record any potential criminal activity
Against
- Poor internet speed will bottleneck your experience
- Notifications can be hit and miss on less mainstream phone brands
- Limited free protection plan would be appreciated
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- Ring Video Doorbell 2 RRP: £139 (limited time offer)
- Ring Chime RRP: £29
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