Video doorbells are nothing new, but motion-detecting video doorbells that stream to your phone are. Amazon-owned Ring is leading the way, streaming not only to iPhone and Android smartphones, but also to the video-enabled Amazon Echo Show and Echo Spot voice assistants (www.snipca.com/30582). Ring doorbells also enable two-way communication, so if a delivery arrives when you're shopping - or on holiday -you can speak to the driver and tell them which neighbour to try. The cheapest, original Ring Video Doorbell (£89 from www.snipca.com/30562) is arguably the most tempting. Although its resolution is lower than newer versions, it's still better than some TV broadcasts and the field of view is wide at 180 degrees (see image below), compared with 160 degrees on the Doorbell 2 (£179 from www.snipca. com/30560) and Doorbell Pro (£229, www.snipca.com/30561). However, it lacks the quick-release rechargeable battery pack of the more expensive devices and instead has an integrated battery that lasts up to a year and takes between five and 10 hours to recharge.
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