These days, smart home goodies are rapidly filling up people’s houses, but apartments have been somewhat left behind. That all changed with the Ring Intercom that lets you speak to visitors and buzz them in, which I scored a full five stars in my review.
I said “Impressively reliable, Ring’s latest goodie brings the smart home experience to apartments solving a major bug bear.” Now, the second-gen adds a huge new feature fans were begging for.
The new Ring Intercom Video lets you see and chat with whoever’s ringing your flat from your phone before letting them in. It pairs with video-enabled intercom systems like the first version did. While I haven’t got my mits on this version yet – as my intercom system is voice only – it looks like a huge upgrade. Maybe one day there’ll be a version that adds a mini Ring camera to your door.
As you’d expect, you control everything through the Ring app on your smartphone. It still allows you to unlock the door and talk to visitors, but now also streams live video from your building entrance. It sits alongside any other Ring devices you may already own. Plus, if you’ve got an Echo Show device, you can do the whole thing hands-free – no smartphone in sight.
Ring Intercom Video also works with Auto-Verified Deliveries. It’s slightly creepy but undeniably convenient feature that I love, that gives time-limited access to Amazon drivers. So if you’re not at home, Amazon drivers can place your packages safely in your building instead of leaving them on your doorstep. Pretty nifty, eh?
The best bit? It’s DIY-friendly and takes under an hour to install. I know, I’ve done it myself. And if you’ve already got the older Ring Intercom (like I do), there’s even a trade-in scheme, so you’re not completely left out in the cold.
Ring Intercom Video is available now for an introductory price of £70. You’ll need an existing video intercom system for the device to work. From 2 December, it’ll jump to £100. The original Ring Intercom Audio is still kicking around too, now with a price cut to £80. There’s no US pricing or availability just yet.
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