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Having recently reviewed the Ring Doorbell and loved it, I thought it would be good to compare the options currently available for a smart doorbell. With Nest Hello now being available, there is a bit more competition on the market and it offers some appealing features over the Ring products if you can justify the cost.
Rather than develop a like for like product, it looks like Nest have deliberately made Hello offer some distinctive features over Ring. This primarily comes in the form of it being hardwired only and doing 24/7 recording, making it more of a CCTV camera than just a smart doorbell.
While 24/7 recording sounds amazing, it comes with some massive downsides. At 1600 x 1200, each Nest Hello could use 150 GB to 600 GB of upload bandwidth per month depending on the video quality setting. At 1600 x 1200, Nest Hello requires 800 to 2000 Kbps of upload bandwidth while streaming video.
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So if you are in the UK where our uploads speeds are not great, you are going to have a device that is permanently eating away at your available uploads. At 2000Kbps I would, in theory, lose over 10% of my upload speeds. Thankfully Virgin doesn’t have a traffic management policy so at least I wouldn’t trigger that.
24/7 recording also means the subscription plan costs a lot more, the cheapest option is 5 days and cost £4pcm. Then you will also need to hardwire the device, as batteries would not work with 24/7 recording.
If the above issues are OK with you then the Ring does offer some other great features apart from 24/7 recording. The detection features appear to offer more functionality than Ring with person, motion and sound alerts to detect visitors. You can also set it up to recognise family and friends, and send a special alert.
It is also worth noting that out of the 4 options the Next is the thinnest, being nearly 2cm thinner than the Doorbell 2 and original Doorbell. This makes placement on doorframes easier. The Doorbell Pro is only marginally wider than the Nest, and is a great option sitting between the Hello and Doorbell 2 in terms of functionality and pricing.
Overall, for me at least, Ring offers all the functionality I need, I have CCTV with local 24/7 recording which works out a lot cheaper than Nest without the bandwidth drains.
However, it is great that Nest is providing some competition while offering something a little different.
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| Nest Hello | Doorbell Pro | Doorbell 2 | Doorbell | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power | 16 V AC–24 V AC, 8 VA transformer, chime and a wired doorbell | Bell wire (16-24V), 8-24 VAC transformer included | Rechargeable Battery / Bell wire (8-24V) | Rechargeable Battery / Bell wire (8-24V) |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, 2.4 GHz | 2.4GHz and 5GHz | 2.4GHz | 2.4GHz |
| 2-way communication | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Video | HD UXGA 1600 x 1200, up to 30 frames/sec, H.264 encoding, HDR | 1080HD incl. Night-View Mode | 1080HD incl. Night-View Mode | 720p HD Video + night |
| Recording | 24/7 - storage limited by subscription | On motion/ring detections. Approximately 30 second clips | On motion/ring detections. Approximately 30 second clips | On motion/ring detections. Approximately 30 second clips |
| Motion Detection | Yes & Sound Alrts | Yes, advanced motion dection incl. defining zones | Yes | Yes |
| Other Detection | Person, motion and sound. Can recognise family and friends, | Object | No | No |
| Video Angle | 160° diagonal | 160° wide angle | 160° wide angle | 180° wide angle |
| Dimensions | 11.7 cm x 4.3 cm x 2.6 cm | 11.43 x 4.67 x 2.03 cm | 12,82 x 6,35 x 2,74 cm | 12.83cm x 6.35cm x 2.74cm |
| Price | £329 | £228.99 | £179 | £89 |
| Subscription Cost | 5 day 24/7 = £4pcm 20 day 24/7 = £8pcm 30-day 24/7 = £24pcm | £2.50 per month 60 days recording | £2.50 per month 60 days recording | £2.50 per month 60 days recording |
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I am James, a UK-based tech enthusiast and the Editor and Owner of Mighty Gadget, which I’ve proudly run since 2007. Passionate about all things technology, my expertise spans from computers and networking to mobile, wearables, and smart home devices.
As a fitness fanatic who loves running and cycling, I also have a keen interest in fitness-related technology, and I take every opportunity to cover this niche on my blog. My diverse interests allow me to bring a unique perspective to tech blogging, merging lifestyle, fitness, and the latest tech trends.
In my academic pursuits, I earned a BSc in Information Systems Design from UCLAN, before advancing my learning with a Master’s Degree in Computing. This advanced study also included Cisco CCNA accreditation, further demonstrating my commitment to understanding and staying ahead of the technology curve.
I’m proud to share that Vuelio has consistently ranked Mighty Gadget as one of the top technology blogs in the UK. With my dedication to technology and drive to share my insights, I aim to continue providing my readers with engaging and informative content.
