Nest Doorbell and Battery Review: Google’s wireless doorbell cam beats Ring’s, but it’s not perfect

Chris Monroe / CNET

Google’s $ 180 battery-powered Nest Doorbell isn’t just the wireless version of Nest Hello in 2018. This is a brand new device with a variety of specifications and unique perks. It also does not replace the old video doorbell (now called Nest Doorbell (wired) for those who are tracking it). Both devices are on the market and serve a wide range of customers. The new doorbell is primarily for users who do not already have the doorbell wiring in place.

This approach to video doorbells is nothing new, and it’s not much of the functionality that Nest’s wireless doorbells bring to the front door. You’ve got almost everything you’d expect from a major wireless doorbell in 2021. Two-way talk, high resolution, 3: 4 aspect ratio 145 degree field of view, smart alerts, facial recognition and some other cool perks.

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Read more: Nest Cam 2021 Review

These features make it a great product, especially when compared to Ring’s latest wireless products. I also spent a week testing the new Nest Doorbell and loved the general interface and impressive performance. Despite the great design of the doorbell, I was a little disappointed by the $ 6 / month fee and some matte features. If you’re a Google loyalist or looking for a solid video doorbell without a monthly service, Nest Doorbell (battery) is the perfect fit for your needs. For everyone else, there may be better options.

LikeSmart Notification Free Features Excellent performanceValue (no subscription) Expensive subscriptions you don’t like Slightly limited horizons Basic

The new Nest Doorbell is a $ 180 wireless video doorbell that will soon fall below the prices of competitors such as the Ring Doorbell 4 and Arlo Wire-Free. Both are $ 200. What’s really cool is that many of the best features are out of the box and ready to use. No monthly subscription to NestAware is required. For example, facial recognition requires a subscription, but no person, vehicle, package, or animal-specific notifications. You can also use 3 hours of event storage for free. This means that if you’re busy the moment the event occurs, you can see the recording earlier in the day.

These features worked fine when I tested them. For example, we have effectively distinguished between passing cars and parcel deliveries. In addition, I was impressed by the low latency of the live video stream. When I set up a wireless Nest Doorbell side by side with an Arlo Wire-Free video doorbell (a wireless version of my favorite video doorbell) and moved in front of them while viewing a live stream, Nest was near real time, but Arlo had a 3 second delay. had.

In some situations, it may not make a big difference in a few seconds, but in some cases it can make a big difference, such as when communicating in a two-way conversation.

The battery-powered Nest Doorbell comes in four colors: snow (white), linen (beige), ivy (dark green), and ash (gray) to look great. I like its aesthetic more than the boxer’s ring doorbell and Arlo’s chunky design.

Google’s doorbell also works as expected with Nest smart speakers and displays. These devices can act as doorbell chimes. You can also call your video feed with the Google Assistant on Nest Hub to start a conversation with your visitors. Choose Google’s $ 6 / month Nest Aware program for facial recognition and 30-day event video history.

Good things, bad things, and … well, there’s nothing ugly here

This video doorbell doesn’t upset the industry, but it does some cool features. It’s especially exciting to see these smart notifications, which are gated behind most equivalent doorbell subscriptions, included for free.

What I’m not really into is the field of view and aspect ratio. I’ve tried this in the past, as many major developers seem to have a hard time getting it right (ring devices with wide-angle lenses are especially bad). Fortunately, the new Nest Doorbell offers a better vertical field of view than many other models, including older wired models. This means you can see them from head to toe, even when someone is standing just a foot away from the device.

The Nest Doorbell (battery) has an attractive and minimalist design that looks better than a box-shaped ring or a chunky Arlo.

Chris Monroe / CNET

A 3: 4 aspect ratio means less horizontal coverage. This can be a few or more issues, depending on your setup. The front door of my home is quite small, so losing some horizontal coverage is not a game changer there. However, in CNET smart homes, both the front porch and the side entrance meant a serious blind spot.

If I have to choose between, I prefer vertical coverage to horizontal. But I don’t understand why I have to choose. Arlo’s video doorbells have a 180-degree field of view and a 1: 1 aspect ratio for good coverage in all directions.

Another thing that feels good but not so good is 3 hours of event storage. In most situations 3 hours is enough, but if something happens at 2am, the footage will be unavailable by the time you wake up. This is a shame. Especially for those who are serious about buying a battery-powered Nest Doorbell and are considering abandoning their subscription.

When it comes to subscriptions, NestAware starts at $ 6 per month. This is twice the cost of the equivalent services of Ring and Arlo. For subscribers, this means that the $ 20 price difference between battery-powered Nest Doorbell and its direct competitors will close within seven months of the initial purchase. That said, the facial recognition you get and the 30-day event saver are great features that come with that monthly fee.

How about Nest Hello?

Google fans may be wondering how the new Nest Doorbell overlaps with the old Nest Hello. Fortunately, this is an upgrade at almost every level. The wireless Nest Doorbell has smart features overall and Nest Hello had a better view technically, but the aspect ratio of the new device is better than the area that is more appropriate for most users. It provides a good vision (the cost of the left and right visions). Finally, the old wired Nest Doorbell costs $ 230 and even more.

Nest Doorbell (wired) has one trick that new wireless devices can’t handle. It is a continuous recording 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Tyler Lizenby / CNET

One of the great advantages of the old doorbell is that it allows continuous recording 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. New doorbells cannot be wired. This will be a big issue for some people who need the highest level of security. However, it’s not too difficult for Nest, given that the major wireless video doorbells don’t offer that functionality.

Should you buy it?

Nest Doorbell (battery) is a strong competitor in the increasingly competitive market. Video doorbells are always smarter and more affordable.

If you’re just looking for the best wireless video doorbell, ArloWire-Free is for most people.

If you’re looking for a smart wireless video doorbell that doesn’t depend on that monthly fee, Nest’s new doorbell without a subscription may be a good and affordable alternative for you. The same is true if you are a Google Loyalist and want to use it smoothly on all smart speakers and displays with the Google Assistant. Either way, you won’t be disappointed with what you get.

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