Ring's next Video Doorbell will show what happened before an alert
The Video Doorbell 3 series should have a few welcome upgrades.
You don't have to wonder how Ring will build on the Video Doorbell 2 -- the company has already spoiled its plans in advance. Zatz Not Funny spotted a briefly available product page (you're looking at the cached version) for a Video Doorbell 3 series that promises a few noteworthy upgrades. If you get the higher-end Plus model, you'll get a "Pre-Roll" feature that shows four seconds of video from before a motion alert -- it'll be in black and white, but still helpful if you want to identify a would-be burglar or rambunctious animal. While the concept isn't completely novel (Arlo's Foresight does the same), Ring's model will supposedly be the first battery-powered doorbell to ship with the feature.
Both the Plus and the base model will also support a new "near" motion zone that prevents false events beyond 15 feet, support for 5GHz WiFi network, an easier-to-remove faceplate and automatic chime connection to streamline the setup process. What you won't, see, however, are any major cosmetic changes -- the Video Doorbell 3 appears to be just as chunky and utilitarian as ever.
The page only listed the doorbells as "coming soon," but the presence of the page suggests Ring could unveil them very shortly. The regular model is expected to sell for about $199, while the Plus might go for $229. With that said, Ring may face a tougher time than usual attracting interest. Since the Video Doorbell 2 arrived, investigators and critics have pointed to concerns about Ring's police partnerships' effects on privacy, not to mention device security issues. The Amazon-owned firm might have to show that its worst days are in the past if it wants a smoother launch.
