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The Ring Video Doorbell 4 is Ring’s best battery-powered doorbell to date, adding colour pre-roll video snippets and improved motion detection over its predecessor. But is it the right choice given the stiff competition from Nest and Eufy? Here is everything you need to know before buying.
In-Depth Look
Ring Video Doorbell 4
The Ring Video Doorbell 4 delivers crisp 1080p HDR video, colour night vision, and the excellent dual-band Wi-Fi introduced in the Doorbell 3 — but its headline upgrade is Color Pre-Roll, which captures four seconds of colour video before motion is detected so you never miss the moment someone walks up to your door. Two-way audio with noise cancellation is clear and lag-free, and the rechargeable quick-release battery charges from empty in five to six hours.
✅ Pros
- Color Pre-Roll captures 4s before motion trigger
- Dual-band Wi-Fi for reliable connection
- 1080p HDR with colour night vision
- Quick-release battery charges in ~6 hours
- Works natively with Alexa
❌ Cons
- Requires Ring Protect subscription for video history ($3.99/mo)
- No local storage option
- Wide FOV causes notification overload without tuning
- Inferior integration with Google/Apple ecosystems
Ring Video Doorbell 4
The Pre-Roll footage alone justifies the upgrade from earlier models — finally capturing what happens before motion is detected. The best doorbell for Alexa households, full stop.
🛒 Check Price on AmazonWhat to Consider Before Buying
Hardwired installation charges the Ring battery continuously, meaning you never need to remove and charge it — this alone is worth the extra installation effort if you have an existing doorbell wire.
The Ring Protect Basic plan ($3.99/month) is required to save and share video — without it, you get live view and notifications only, with no event history.
Ring doorbells integrate better with Amazon Alexa than with Google Assistant or Apple HomeKit — if your home runs on Google or Apple smart devices, consider the Nest Doorbell instead.
Check the motion zone customization carefully after installation — the wide field of view picks up pavement and street traffic without tuning, leading to notification overload in busy areas.
Verdict
The Ring Video Doorbell 4 is the best Amazon-ecosystem doorbell available, with a feature set that covers everything a typical homeowner needs and an installation process even a complete beginner can handle in under 30 minutes. The subscription cost is the only meaningful sticking point — if you want free cloud storage, look at Eufy or Blink instead.