All About Interwebz: Ring Video Doorbell Pro vs Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2: which smart doorbell should you choose?

Ring’s latest wired doorbell; the Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2, is available to pre-order now, and at first glance, it looks impressive; it boasts a new higher resolution camera with a wider field of view and some handy new features designed to reduce unwanted motion alerts.

The best video doorbells can be a handy bit of kit for your home, ensuring you never miss a delivery again, while also avoiding cold callers – but you may be wondering exactly how they differ and which one will suit you best? We compare the Ring Video Doorbell Pro to the Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2 to find out what’s changed and help you decide which model’s right for you.

Best Ring Video Doorbell Pro and Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2 deals

Read on to find out just how these two Ring Video Doorbells compare, or if you know which smart doorbell you want, check out the best prices right now for both products below:

FAQ

What is a video doorbell?
A video doorbell replaces your existing doorbell and has a camera, speaker, and microphone built-in, which allows you to see and speak to anyone on your doorstep from an app on your smartphone or tablet.

How do you install them?
The Ring Video Doorbell Pro range of smart doorbells must be connected to your home’s wiring, unlike other Ring Video Doorbells, which are battery powered. They’re best suited to properties that have an existing wired doorbell, and once connected, will trigger an existing chime in your home, if you have one. You may prefer to hire a professional to install it, though everything you need to mount the doorbell on your property is included in the box, even the correct drill bit.

How do you use them?
When you receive an alert on your smartphone, tablet, or smart display, open it to view the doorbell’s camera feed in real time, and you’ll be able to hear the person thanks to the speaker and be able to converse with them through the built-in microphone. The doorbell can also act as a security camera, notifying you about motion near your front door, too.

Do I need a subscription?
You can use a Ring Video Doorbell without a subscription, but it has limited features. For example, you won’t be able to won’t be able to go back and view any footage recorded by the doorbell. To get the most out of the doorbell, it is worth opting to pay for the subscription.

Ring Video Doorbell Pro

Ring has been making video doorbells since 2014, and in that time the company has gone from strength to strength, launching several new models and even being acquired by Amazon in 2018.

The Ring Video Doorbell Pro is the firm’s first wired doorbell and was launched in 2016. It has the same 1080p camera with 160-degree field of view as Ring’s battery-powered doorbells, but a much slimmer and sleeker design, and interchangeable faceplates that let you customize the look of the doorbell.

When someone presses the doorbell, it sends an alert to your smartphone, tablet or smart display. You can logon and see and speak to whoever is at the door. It will also alert you about motion even if the doorbell is not pressed, so you’ll know if anyone is lurking near your door.

It builds on other Ring Video Doorbells with colorized night vision, which uses areas of ambient light in the video to create a simulated color, such as a faint tint of blue on the sky.

Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2

The Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2 is a direct replacement for its predecessor, but has a handful of upgrades, too. The camera records video at an improved resolution of 1536 x 1536, which should make it easier to see details in the footage, and the field of view is 150 x 150 degrees.

This square format offers a ‘head to toe’ view so you can see the full length of someone standing on your doorstep as well as any packages they have too. It also offers the same colorized night vision as the previous version too.

If that’s not enough to tempt you into buying the new version, Ring also promises new radar-related features will reduce the number of unwanted motion alerts and give you a clearer picture of the path a person or object took.

Ring Video Doorbell Pro vs Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2

The two video doorbells look very similar in design with a slimmer profile than Ring’s battery-operated video doorbells, although the Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2 is ever so slightly wider and deeper than the previous version.

They both have interchangeable faceplates so you can customize the look of the doorbell to suit your home; the Ring Video Doorbell Pro comes with four faceplates in the box, while the Ring Video Doorbell only comes with one in the box. However, once the Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2 has been set up, Ring will provide details of how you can obtain an extra faceplate in one of 16 different shades at no extra charge, so there’s more choice when it comes to color.

It’s not just the improved video the new version benefits from either; the Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2 has a radar built-in that is used to set a ‘virtual threshold’, so you’ll only get motion alerts once an object or person crosses this threshold. Ring says this should reduce the number of unwanted motion alerts you receive. The radar is also being used in a new feature called ‘Bird’s Eye View’ that lets you see on an aerial map the path taken by an object or person that triggered a motion alert.

Price and availability

The Ring Video Doorbell Pro currently costs $169.99 / £159 / AU$279 and the Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2 will set you back $249.99 / £219 / AU$399.99. It's possible (though not guaranteed) that the price of the Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2 could be reduced slightly during special events such as Amazon Prime Day 2021.

Whichever version of the doorbell you plump for, remember you will need a subscription to Ring Protect to get the most out of the video doorbell, including being able to review video at a later date. Prices start from $3 / £2.50 / AU$4 per month or $30 / £24.99 / AU$40 for a year – you do get a 30-day free trial of Ring Protect included with the doorbell.

Verdict

The Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2 is a step-up from the Ring Video Doorbell Pro, adding more detailed video, a new full-length aspect, and better motion detection to reduce false positive alerts. If this is your first foray into the world of video doorbells, it makes sense to opt for the newer device, unless the older model is so heavily discounted that it’s too good an opportunity to turn down. However, if you already have a Ring Video Doorbell Pro, it’s probably not worth upgrading yet.