Ring’s latest video doorbell, the battery-powered Ring Video Doorbell 4, is basically an incremental update on its predecessor, the Ring Video Doorbell 3 Plus, as the brand continues its assault on the list of the best video doorbells..
As before, it stores four seconds of video captured before motion detection was activated (pre-roll), to help you identify exactly what triggered the alert, , but with the Doorbell 4, thevideo is in color rather than black and white.
This means that it’s easier to see details in the pre-roll footage, especially at night, which is where we found the Ring Video Doorbell 3 Plus struggles. So is this the key feature that makes the Doorbell 4 the best video doorbell?
The color pre-roll feature is already available on the recently launched Ring Video Doorbell Wired, but this is the first-time it’s been available on a battery-powered video doorbell.
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Cut to the chase
- What is it? A new battery-powered video doorbell that stores color footage from four seconds before motion was detected
- How much will it cost? $199.99 / £179 / AU$329
- When will it be out? GThe Ring Video Doorbell 4 release date is set for the US on April 28, in the UK on May 5, and finally in Australia on May 6
Ring Video Doorbell 4 price and release date
The Ring Video Doorbell 4 price is set at $199.99 / £179 / AU$329, which is cheaper than its predecessor. The Ring Video Doorbell 3 Plus (which was the first battery-powered video doorbell to have a pre-roll feature) cost $229.99 / £199 / AU$369 when it launched.
Can't wait for the Ring Video Doorbell 4 to arrive? Then check out the best prices for other Ring Video Doorbells below:
The Ring Video Doorbell 4 will go on sale in the US on April 28, in the UK on May 5 and in Australia on May 6. It is available to pre-order now.
Ring video doorbell 4 design
The Ring Video Doorbell 4 design is, outwardly, identical to the Ring Video Doorbell 3 Plus, with a black and silver plastic design. Both doorbells measure 5.1 x 2.4 1.1 inches / 12.8 x 6.2 x 2.8cm (HxWxD) and have a removable faceplate on the bottom.
As mentioned, the Ring Video Doorbell 4 is battery-powered, meaning it won’t need to be wired in. However, if you are interested in a Ring Video Doorbell 4 with wired power, that will be possible as it supports existing wired doorbell power or Ring’s own Plug-in Adaptor.
However, Ring adds “...the installation must be done according to local electrical regulations, which may require that the installation has to be carried out by a professional”, so it’s worth factoring in whether you can adhere to that standard.
The Ring Video Doorbell 4 is supplied with a silver faceplate but an extra one, in an additional color of your choice, is available free of charge if you want to customize the look of the video doorbell to suit your property. (Ring will provide instructions on how to get this once the doorbell has been installed).
Additional colors are also available to purchase from the Ring website for $14.99 / £13.99 / AU$25.
It’s got the same removable battery as the Ring Video Doorbell 3 Plus, so when it needs recharging, the battery can be removed rather than the whole doorbell itself, rendering it inactive for the duration it's on charge.
On top of this the Ring Doorbell 4 continues with support for both 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi - two different Wi-Fi frequencies to allow it to connect to a wider variety of routers in a more stable way. This should bring an end to the connection issues that have plagued some users, in particular those with slower broadband.
Ring Video Doorbell 4 features
The main upgrade to Ring’s newest battery-powered video doorbell is the inclusion of a color pre-roll. As we’ve mentioned already, this feature stores the four seconds of video recorded before motion is detected to help you identify exactly what triggered the alert.
This video is now in color rather than black-and-white, as is the case on the Ring Video Doorbell 3 Plus, giving more detail on what precisely was the cause of the alert.
It also comes with enhanced night-time recording, as well as apparently being ‘higher quality’ than the Ring Video Doorbell 3 Plus, despite the Doorbell 4 having ‘less than 1080p video capture’ for the color pre-roll. Ring doesn’t explicitly state what quality level this defaults to, however.
You will need to subscribe to Ring Protect, which costs from £2.50 / $3 / AU$4 per month, if you want to access pre-roll and other features, such as being able to review videos recorded by the doorbell for up to 30 days after they were recorded.
We hoped Ring’s most impressive feature, Alexa Greetings, which sees Amazon’s voice assistant answer the door with automated messaging if you can’t get to it in time, and even take a message for you, would be available on this latest doorbell but at present that isn’t the case.
Alexa Greetings is currently only available in the US on the Ring Video Doorbell Pro models, although Ring says more information about the feature and the territories it will be extended too, will be coming soon.
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