In a nutshell: Ring is moving its wireless doorbell lineup to higher video resolutions and more advanced AI processing, expanding what its battery-powered models can deliver without wired connections. The Amazon-owned company has unveiled new versions of its Battery Video Doorbell range, including its first 2K and 4K battery-powered cameras, scheduled for release on April 29.
The most advanced of the new models, the Ring Battery Video Doorbell Pro 2nd Gen, is priced at $249.99 and features 4K video and a 10x digital zoom. The Battery Video Doorbell Plus 2nd Gen, at $179.99, offers 2K video resolution and 6x zoom. A third model, the $99.99 Battery Video Doorbell 2nd Gen, also records in 2K but differs in design – it includes a built-in battery, while the others use removable ones.
These additions mark a notable upgrade for Ring's wireless cameras, which until now topped out at 1080p HD. The company says the new video quality was made possible by "a redesigned internal architecture" that supports the power demands of high-resolution recording and AI features.
The wired doorbell model is also getting an update: the Wired Video Doorbell 2nd Gen now includes 2K video for $79.99, bringing the same sleeker industrial design introduced with Ring's wired 4K models last year.
Ring's latest emphasis is clearly on improving video performance while deepening its use of AI. Higher-resolution footage will feed new software capabilities, including the company's Retinal Vision feature, an AI-driven tool that fine-tunes captured images to enhance detail and clarity.
Each camera will ship with a trial of Ring AI Pro, a $19.99 monthly subscription service that grants access to advanced detection and recording options. Among the notable features are AI-generated video descriptions, which automatically generate short text summaries of recorded activity.
The system's Familiar Faces tool adds facial recognition, while a new video search lets users query recorded clips with prompts like "kids on bikes" or "black cat on porch." Single Event Alerts, another addition, groups repetitive motion, such as someone mowing a lawn, into a single notification.
Ring says the AI is designed to reduce notification fatigue and streamline how users receive relevant information, a growing issue among smart home devices that send multiple, often redundant, alerts.
The company's heavier reliance on cloud-based AI processing comes amid ongoing scrutiny over data privacy. Some users have expressed concern that video clips are analyzed on Ring's servers, a worry amplified by backlash to the company's previous "Search Party" feature, which also used AI to classify footage.
For those sensitive to cloud processing, competitors such as Reolink and Eufy offer cameras that store and analyze video locally, eliminating ongoing subscription costs and external data transfers.
Alongside the new products, Ring is releasing accessories to help keep cameras powered longer. A $49.99 Ring Solar Charger integrates directly with the doorbell mount, while a $59.99 Ring Solar Panel provides supplemental charging through a separate attachment.
All the new models and accessories are available now for pre-order on Amazon ahead of their April 29 launch.
Ring's new doorbells bring 2K and 4K video to battery models
