Ring’s New Plus Battery Video Doorbell Features Package Detection

Ring has announced the launch of an improved battery-powered video doorbell.

The new doorbell, called Battery Video Doorbell Plus, will have the highest video resolution offered by Ring, a square field of view and better battery life. It’s also more affordable than the previous battery-powered model.

In the United States, it is priced at $179.99. Its predecessor, the Video Doorbell 4, costs $219.99. In the UK it’ll cost £159.99 – again, that’s slightly cheaper than the previous model, which is available for £179.

If you’re in the US, you can pre-order the Battery Doorbell Plus now, directly from Ring or Amazon and it will ship on April 5th. UK users won’t be able to get their hands on it until April 13, when it goes on sale on Amazon and Ring.

The new model may look identical, but will deliver 1536p video, where the Doorbell 4 only offers 1080p resolution. There are also other upgrades. Its battery life is up to three times longer than Ring’s original video doorbell.

But for most people, the key feature is probably the increased 150×150° field of view. Yes, this means that you will be able to see your visitor from head to toe. But more important than admiring their shoes is the fact that you should have a clear view of all the packages left at your doorstep.

This feature is linked to the Package Alerts option. You can create a specific area (i.e. a designated area where a package is usually left) and you will receive an alert to let you know whenever something appears there.

The catch here is that package alerts are only available if you sign up for the Ring Protect subscription plan, which starts at $3.99 per month or $39.99 per year in the US and 3, £49 per month or £34.99 per year in the UK. There are also different subscription tiers, depending on whether you have one device, multiple devices, or, for US users, professional Ring alarm monitoring as well.

Ring has recently come under fire for moving some of its previously free features behind its subscription paywall, including Home and Away modes on the official app. So, if you’re considering buying, we suggest you carefully consider the features that you’ll be able to access with just the hardware and app, and make sure they’re what you want.

Nevertheless, the new Battery Doorbell Plus also comes with all the features you’ve come to expect from previous iterations:

• Color night vision
• Two-way conversations with noise cancellation
• Advanced motion detection
• Real-time notifications
• Customizable motion and privacy zones

To compare this with Ring’s previous battery-powered model, the Ring Video Doorbell 4, check out our review. Or to see video doorbells from all brands and see which ones we recommend, take a look at our roundup of the best video doorbells we’ve tested.