Let's dive into the world of smart home security and explore the latest offering from Ring, the Video Doorbell Pro 3. This device is a significant upgrade to Ring's popular video doorbell range, and it's an exciting development in the world of home surveillance.
A Sleek Upgrade with a Focus on Performance
The new Video Doorbell Pro 3 boasts a modern design, maintaining Ring's signature two-tone color scheme, but with a slimmer profile. Despite its sleek appearance, this doorbell packs a punch with its 4K camera, a notable improvement over previous models. The camera's fine detail capture is impressive, making it easier to identify visitors and even read name badges. But what truly sets it apart is its low-light performance. In challenging lighting conditions, where other cameras might struggle, the Pro 3 excels, thanks to its infrared-illuminated mode. This feature ensures crisp footage, allowing you to see every movement, be it a person or an animal, approaching your door.
Advanced Features and Customization
One of the standout features is the radar-based motion tracking. This technology provides an aerial view of your driveway, tracing the movement of people or vehicles. While it might not be as useful for shorter drives, it offers a unique perspective and allows for customized motion detection zones. This level of customization extends to privacy settings, enabling you to block out specific areas of the field of view, ensuring your neighbors' privacy is respected.
The upgrade to dual-band Wi-Fi 6 connectivity is another significant improvement. While it might not be the latest Wi-Fi 7 standard, Wi-Fi 6 offers increased bandwidth and lower latency, ensuring a more reliable connection, especially in areas with weaker signals. This upgrade means you no longer need a Wi-Fi booster to reach the doorbell, and live view sessions start faster, providing a more responsive user experience.
Wired vs. Battery: A Choice of Convenience
The Doorbell Pro is available in both wired and battery versions, offering different benefits. The wired model, which comes with a traditional low-voltage transformer or Ring's plug-in adapter, eliminates the need to remember to charge a battery. It also provides six seconds of full-color, HD pre-roll video with sound before an event recording, giving you a more comprehensive view of what happened. On the other hand, the battery model offers four seconds of lower-definition pre-roll video without sound, which may be sufficient for many users.
The Role of Subscriptions
Like other Ring products, the Doorbell Pro can be used without a subscription for basic notifications and live view. However, to unlock its full potential, a subscription is required. The Ring Solo plan, starting at £4.99 per month, provides extended live view sessions and the ability to customize alerts. The Ring Multi plan offers the same benefits for multiple cameras, while the Ring Pro plan, at £15.99 per month, adds AI-powered features, including video descriptions and facial recognition. These AI features can also be added to lower-priced plans for an additional fee.
Sustainability and Price
Ring has committed to providing software updates for the doorbell until at least the end of 2030, and the device is made from 25% recycled materials. The company also operates trade-in and recycling schemes. As for pricing, the Ring Wired Video Doorbell Pro (third gen) retails for £219.99, with other models in the range starting from £49.99.
Final Thoughts
The new Video Doorbell Pro 3 is a welcome upgrade, offering improved performance and a range of features that enhance the user experience. From its 4K camera and low-light capabilities to its customizable motion detection and AI-powered alerts, it's a device that takes home security to the next level. While it requires a subscription to unlock its full potential, the benefits it offers make it a compelling choice for those seeking advanced home surveillance.
