The Ring Battery Doorbell (2024) brings head-to-toe 1440×1440 video and a five-minute battery install to Ring's $99.99 entry tier, and hands-on reviewers praise the footage. But video recording needs a Ring Home subscription, the battery isn't removable, and Google Home/Apple Home aren't supported. Best for existing Ring households. Check the current price on Amazon.
— THE VERDICT · JUDGEANY EDITORSA budget Ring doorbell with the Plus's best trick
The Ring Battery Doorbell (2024) is Ring's entry-level battery doorbell, launched in August 2024 at $99.99 to replace the Video Doorbell (2nd Gen). The headline upgrade is head-to-toe HD video: a square 1440×1440 frame with a 150-degree field of view in both directions, a feature previously reserved for the pricier Battery Doorbell Plus and Pro (TechCrunch). This review aggregates manufacturer specs, published hands-on tests, and owner impressions. We don't run a test lab; the scores are editorial judgments built on that evidence.
Head-to-toe video is the reason to buy
PCWorld's hands-on review found the 1440×1440 footage crisp and well saturated with very little barrel distortion, and confirmed packages stay visible on the doorstep when the unit is mounted at the recommended 4-foot height. Android Police, switching from a Google Nest Battery Doorbell, called the full 150-degree coverage game-changing — a package on the ground and a visitor's face in the same frame. Infrared night video is excellent, per PCWorld; color night vision can look washed out without a porch light. Ring says the square frame gives a 66% taller view than the 2nd Gen (TechCrunch).
The subscription question, answered honestly
Without a Ring Home subscription (formerly Ring Protect), you get motion alerts and live view with two-way talk — but nothing is recorded. Android Police's verdict was blunt: the doorbell is "barely useful" without paying a monthly fee in perpetuity. PCWorld's bottom line lands in the same place: a much better pick for the budget-minded "if it wasn't so tied to a subscription plan." Owners agree — the subscription is the most common complaint on Amazon, where the doorbell otherwise holds 4.6 stars across roughly 41,000 ratings. Ring Home Basic is $5 a month ($50 a year) for one device and unlocks recordings, person and package alerts, and up to 180 days of cloud history, with $10 and $20 tiers above it; those are PCWorld's early-2025 figures, so check Ring's site for current pricing. The counterweight: one Ring Home plan covers every Ring camera and doorbell you own, so the math improves for households already in the ecosystem, and every purchase includes a 30-day free trial. If you won't pay a subscription at all, Android Police points to the Reolink Battery Doorbell with local storage, and the Nest Doorbell Battery keeps three hours of event history free.
Battery, charging, and one design compromise
The battery is built in, not swappable. Unlike the Plus and Pro with their Quick Release packs (ZDNet), you detach the whole doorbell from its mount with the included push-pin tool and charge over USB-C on the back. Ring claims up to 23% longer battery life than the previous generation (TechCrunch) and cites a typical range of six to twelve months (via Android Police). The conflict in the evidence: Android Police's own reviewer, whose door sits next to an apartment entrance gate, expected a month or two at best, and busy-door owners report the same. Treat the headline range as a quiet-door number. The fallback is hardwiring — connect an existing 8–24 VAC doorbell transformer and the battery becomes backup power (PCWorld).
Installation, app, and the Alexa-only ecosystem
Installation is the easy part. The Ring app walks through the whole process — PCWorld says no manufacturer guides setup better — and the push-pin mount clicks on in about five minutes. The catch, per Android Police: wedge and no-drill mounts cost extra, about $40 for both, which stings for renters who can't drill. On ecosystems it's Alexa or nothing: live video on Echo Show displays, announcements on Echo speakers, but PCWorld confirms no Apple Home and no Google Home support. Up to three irregular motion zones and two rectangular privacy zones are configurable in the app (PCWorld).
Who should buy it
Buy it if you're already paying for Ring Home and want an inexpensive doorbell for the front door or a secondary entrance — PCWorld reaches exactly that conclusion. Skip it if you won't pay a subscription: the Nest and Reolink battery doorbells record without a monthly fee (Android Police). PCWorld also frames the lineup: the Battery Doorbell Plus (about $150 street, 1536p, removable battery) above it, the $35 Blink Video Doorbell and the $80 Tapo D225 below. The $99.99 list price drops often — 9to5Toys tracked an all-time low of $59.99 during the October 2024 early fall Prime sale, and TechRadar saw $59.99 again that November — so check the current price on Amazon before you buy.