Ring has unveiled a new, softer doorknob camera, with the Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2 loan sensors you might normally expect in smart cars and drones for a major upgrade on motion detection. The new model packs a radar sensor for 3D Motion Detection, for what Ring says is an improvement in detection along with a bird’s eye view of the area around your front door.
Existing video doorbells – both from Amazon-owned Ring and others – typically offer customizable motion alerts. That usually allows you to set different areas where, and does not encourage movement, alert to your phone, and sometimes the ability to differentiate between, say, a passing person or car.
The Doorbell Pro 2 Video Ring, however, promises more accurate tracking of movement, as it can better monitor how far a person or object is from the camera. That means the doorbell can only ring out, and record clips, when someone steps into the building rather than, say, just walking on the pavement.
Meanwhile, the Bird’s Eye View feature shows a map from the top down. On that, Ring can show the history of the movement warnings: you would see, for example, if someone walked in through the gate and up to the house on the way, or if they walked across on the lawn. It will appear as a snapshot when you view the Live View and, if you have a Circle Protection Plan for historical records, like PiP in those cookies.
There’s also Head to Toe video, with higher depth of coverage from the 1536p HD camera. An array microphone, rather than just one, was used for clearer audio.
Ring Smart Responses now includes Quick Answers, which allow you to set the number of automated responders for door-bellies. With a Circle Protection Plan subscription, Alexa Greetings can use Amazon’s flagship assistant to greet callers, take messages, and even provide instructions on where you want a package left over if you are outside or you cannot answer the door.
The Doorbell Pro 2 Video Ring is a wired, rather than wireless, doorbell, which means battery life is not a concern. It also means that the radar sensor can be monitored at all times: in the Ring app, there is the ability to change the 3D Motion Detection thresholds and special zones within the field of view that trigger recordings. On the flip side, Privacy Zones can block specific areas in that area, preventing them from being listed.
The doorbell also supports end-to-end encryption, which Ring currently has in a technical preview. That will be available for everyone to turn on when he graduates to full feature.
The Doorbell Pro 2 Video Ring is available for preorder, priced at $ 249.99. It will be removed from March 31, 2021, Ring says.
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