The top-line feature for Ring’s latest is no doubt its price. No way around that. At $60, it’s $40 cheaper than the standard Video Doorbell – and prices from there go up significantly, with the “Elite” running $350.
Perhaps the company is feeling some pressure from the race the bottom for smart home hardware pricing. Wyze, notably, has done the Wyze thing, launching a $30 doorbell along with a slew of other products in September. Though as of this writing, that device is still listed as a “pre-order.”
The Wyze device was expected to be available this month, but has since been pushed back to February. The Ring Video Doorbell Wired is also currently slated for next month, with a shipping date of the 24th. As the name suggests, the new product is only available in a hardwired option – which could be a deal breaker for some. Other standard features here include 1080p video with night vision, motion zones that trigger notifications and two-way audio with noise cancelation built-in. It’s also the company’s smallest doorbell to date.
The Amazon-owned company is, of course, not without its share of controversy. Earlier this month, we noted a security flaw that exposed the locations and home addresses of people using its Neighbors app. There has also been plenty of concern around the brand’s willingness to partner with the law enforcement. A number of civil rights penned an open letter in 2019. Earlier this year, Ring finally enabled end-to-end encryption that requires user opt-in.
The new doorbell will be available through Amazon (naturally) and will be a Home Depot in-store exclusively through late-March.
