Amazon-owned Ring has unleashed a few upgraded versions of the six-year-old Ring Video Doorbell over the years, including the $230 Video Doorbell 3 Plus that went on sale in April, yet the original $100 Ring Video Doorbell has remained on sale as a budget option. Now comes word that the $100 model is finally getting its own update.
Available for pre-order now and slated to ship on June 3, the second-generation Ring Video Doorbell will keep the original’s $100 price tag while adding new features such as improved video resolution, privacy zones, an additional “near” motion zone, and more.
Starting with the basics, the revamped Ring Video Doorbell boosts its video resolution to 1080p, versus 720p for the first-generation model, along with “crisper” night vision and “improved” two-way audio quality.
The new Video Doorbell features “privacy zones” that let you specify areas in the camera’s 155-degree field of view that you don’t want recorded or displayed in the Ring App’s live view, while an additional “near zone” allows for motion detection in areas that are between five and 15 feet in front of your home.
The second-gen Ring Video Doorbell also supports Snapshot Capture, a relatively new Ring feature that takes snapshots throughout the day so you can see what happened on your doorstep between recorded events.
Another new Ring feature (as of last March) that the updated Video Doorbell will support is Modes, which lets you quickly switch between Home, Away, and Disarmed modes by tapping a button on the Ring App.
Besides its new security features, the redesigned Ring Video Doorbell comes with new mounting brackets that (according to Ring) will make it easier to remove the rechargeable battery. You can also hardwire the doorbell to your existing doorbell wiring.
Those with the original Video Doorbell should note, however, that the second-generation doorbell isn’t compatible with the first-gen’s mounting hardware (new mounting hardware is included), nor will the new doorbell fit in the existing (and optional) Solar Charger mount. A new Solar Charger that is compatible with the revamped Video Doorbell will go on sale in July for $49.
We’ll have a full review of the new Ring Video Doorbell once we spend some quality time with a review unit.