Ring Battery Doorbell Pro review: Elegant characteristics, antiquated style

Ring Battery Doorbell Pro review.. When it comes to smart doorbells, Ring is one of the industry leaders. Its product line includes the Battery Doorbell Plus, which offers a lot of capabilities at a reasonable price, and the Doorbell Elite, which has all the bells and whistles but requires a complicated wiring procedure.

Ring Battery Doorbell Pro review

The most sophisticated battery-operated doorbell from the Ring brand is the new Ring Battery Doorbell Pro, which comes with a number of cutting-edge features like an integrated radar. With the help of this capability, it can see footfall from above before the doorbell is rung. In addition, it has a head-to-toe vision that lets you see more clearly who is at your door and any packages that have been placed there.

Ring Battery Doorbell Pro

Price and availability

The Battery Doorbell Pro retails for $230 on Ring’s website, Best Buy, and Amazon.com. Though we can’t promise this one will occur during sale season this year, Ring items are frequently cheap around Prime Days or Black Friday if you’re not in a rush.

Design, hardware, what’s in the box

Quite large, yet really useful

When compared to competitors, the Ring Battery Doorbell Pro’s entire design seems a little clunky and outdated. It’s easy to upgrade from an older model because it’s comparable to Ring’s current battery-operated doorbells. It is easy to repurpose accessories you currently own because the installation templates, faceplates, and battery packs are all the same.
The primary cause of this similarity is that Ring uses the same batteries in all of its gadgets. These occupy the majority of the inner space and are especially useful because they may be switched between Ring items. The fact that they haven’t been updated to use the more modern USB-C connector and instead still have a microUSB port makes them less handy.

The design is functional despite its weight and drab appearance, providing over 20 faceplate variations to accommodate a variety of designs, including holiday themes. Regretfully, Ring no longer offers free faceplate coupons with device activation; therefore, you will need to pay to customize your device.

The doorbell, battery, mounting hardware, microUSB charging cable, wedge mount, and mounting accessories are all included in the extensive packaging.

The doorbell is different from its predecessors, at least in terms of internal components, because it has a camera, sensors, and 3D radar located on top of the device. In fact, it’s nearly hard to distinguish it from the Battery Doorbell Plus, which suggests Ring needs to concentrate on creating some sleeker, more contemporary designs.

Setup, software, and features

Simple to use and install

With the help of an extensive setup guide and in-app instructions, installation is simple. To maximize security against theft, the doorbell is fastened with four mounting screws that are held in place by a specific screw for the faceplate. It may be installed on wooden surfaces, as well as hard, brick walls. The app assists in supplying the right mounting instructions based on the location of the installation.

Pairing and configuring the Doorbell Pro with your Wi-Fi network is made simple by the Ring app. To get started, just scan the QR code and adhere to the instructions.
Zone management and sensitivity changes are only two of the customizable motion detection settings that the Battery Doorbell Pro offers to reduce the number of needless alerts. It also works smoothly with other Ring devices. More sophisticated motion alert features like package sensing and human detection are also offered, however rivals like the Nest Doorbell (Battery) have even wider recognition ranges for things like cars and animals. When it comes to privacy features, these include movable privacy zones that provide an extra layer of discretion when recording and watching live videos.

I’ve discovered that the Battery Doorbell Pro and other Ring devices frequently mistakenly identify humans or insignificant motion as plants, which results in false alerts. Aside from that, though, I really appreciate how adaptable the Battery Doorbell Pro is—not just in terms of the specific zones and sensitivity, but also in terms of the notifications.

Quick Replies are also supported by the Ring Battery Doorbell Pro. These are pre-programmed messages that it can play through the app on demand or after a certain amount of time when someone rings. Although there are many pre-made selections to choose from, including ones with seasonal themes, you are sadly unable to record your own. These responses are now available in additional languages and can be used with Ring Alarm modes.

I greatly like this feature because it allows me to set my Ring alarm’s status to automatically activate doorbell answers that say I’m coming to the door while I’m at home and a different message when I’m away.

Remember that Ring’s Bird’s Eye View and the video pre-roll are the doorbell’s most crucial features. The first one lets you see what someone has done and where they’ve come from by automatically recording the few seconds before they ring the doorbell. The second uses the built-in radar of the Battery Doorbell Pro to plot the footsteps someone has taken on a map that resembles an aerial view.

The Ring app makes sure you notice when someone rings the doorbell by providing constant vibration warnings on cellphones. You can also see a picture preview right in your notifications if you have a Ring Protect membership. The app displays live feeds straight on the screen of your device and works with Alexa and Echo Show smart displays.
With one charge, the battery lasts for roughly two months, which is good. If you already have cables installed, you can hardwire the gadget as well. In that scenario, though, you should definitely go with the Ring Doorbell Pro 2, which has comparable functions without the heft of the battery.

Advanced features that cost extra

Even though the Battery Doorbell Pro has a ton of capabilities, some of them call for a Ring Protect subscription that costs money. It offers improved notifications, alerts for person identification, and cloud storage for video archives.

After the 30-day trial period, the doorbell costs $3.99 per month or $39.99 annually for a Ring Protect membership. A Ring Protect plan is advantageous for people who have invested in the Ring ecosystem because it includes not just the Doorbell Pro but also additional Ring devices, such as cameras and alarms.

You still get alerts when motion is detected even if you don’t have Ring Protect. You cannot, however, record or retain these events for later review, restrict notifications to live events only, or receive smart notifications for persons detection or packages.

Video and sound quality

crisp audio and visuals

The Battery Doorbell Pro has two-way Audio+ communication with noise cancellation and 1536p HD+ video that is improved with HDR and color night vision features. Its broad 150º vertical and horizontal field of view gives you a head-to-toe view of your doorstep and any packages that might have been left on your porch.
It does, however, offer a unique viewing experience because of its square format, which is similar to a peephole and has black borders all around, making faces appear farther away. But it does deliver on Ring’s promise to take full-body photos, so you can see your entire body and the ground outside your door.

In the event that the doorbell is not activated, the app notifies you when a delivery is delivered as well. Unfortunately, it doesn’t notify you when a package is found or might be taken. Fortunately, the doorbell has the ability to alert you when it detects movement, allowing you to know if someone is tampering with anything outside your door.

The IR beam is well-adjusted so that it doesn’t reflect off of people’s faces too harshly, providing good night vision performance. Unfortunately, the color night vision feature is somewhat worthless as it just colors a monochrome video, leaving some areas gray.

If your doorbell faces the street so that it can see where people are coming from, Ring’s bird’s-eye feature may come in handy. It also requires precise satellite photos of your region in order to plot people’s journeys efficiently.

Instead of watching a map of people’s footsteps, I can watch an actual video of what happened just before someone rang my doorbell by turning off Bird’s Eye View and using pre-roll. Depending on your needs, I think a security camera’s Bird’s Eye View function is more helpful than a doorbell.

Competition: Arlo and Nest may be better for some

There is an abundance of options when it comes to video doorbells.

There is fierce rivalry for the Ring Battery Doorbell Pro in the market, particularly from two upscale competitors. The $130 2nd Gen Arlo Video Doorbell 2K is the first. Because of its more affordable pricing, enhanced image quality, and comparable functionality, it’s a strong substitute. While some of its functions require a monthly subscription and it does not come with a built-in radar, it does have the benefit of being compatible with both Google Assistant and Alexa.

A notable rival of the Ring Battery Doorbell Pro is the $180 Nest Doorbell (Battery), which has certain features similar to package detection and human sensing.

The Nest Doorbell has a more aesthetically pleasing appearance than the Ring, even though it may not equal the Ring in terms of image quality and radar-based bird’s-eye perspective. It also has the benefit of not requiring a separate subscription for the majority of its functionalities, which include car, animal, and person detection.

Should you buy the RIng Battery Doorbell Pro?

It might go much worse

With radar-powered “bird’s eye view” monitoring and head-to-toe coverage, Ring’s Battery Doorbell Pro ups the ante in the competition between battery-powered and smart doorbells. Its antiquated microUSB port and awkward shape, however, are disappointing. It stings to remove the free faceplates and charge a subscription for full features.

Fortunately, there are many great things about the device, such as its sophisticated (but expensive) package detection alerts, connectivity with other Ring devices and the Alexa ecosystem, long battery life, and additional capabilities like pre-roll and bird’s eye view. Due to its wide range of customization options, this product respects both your privacy and that of your neighbors.

The Battery Doorbell pro stands out from competitors thanks to its special features, even if it costs more and requires a subscription. It’s a good choice if you’re well-versed in the Ring environment or adore the Pro’s unique features.