Jamie Siminoff spent a good number of years pioneering the idea of a smart doorbell by crafting his devices to cater to homeowners’ needs, and armed with a clear vision, he launched Doorbot in 2012. The company didn’t stop at doorbells through, as it soon expanded to the home security industry and became Ring. Does that ring a bell? (yep, pun intended) Today, Ring is an Amazon-owned company that’s known for producing some of the best connected security cameras available on the market, including the Ring Spotlight Battery Camera, which is the device we’re reviewing today.
Design and Connectivity
The Ring Spotlight is a successor of the company’s more known security camera, the Ring Floodlight Cam. The new model is available in black and white, and it boasts a smaller design, measuring 4.9″ x 2.7″ x 2.9″. The Ring Spotlight Battery Cam packs a couple of powerful LED spotlights, hence the name.
Unfortunately, there’s no official IP rating of the Ring Spotlight Battery, so if you can shelter it from weather elements, we recommend doing so.
Setup and Installation
Ring’s Spotlight Battery is actually one of a three-device series, with the other variants being the wired and mount models. All of the Spotlight cameras are easy to install, but the procedure depends on the power/mounting type.
The Spotlight Battery model is the one designed for DIY homeowners who want quick and easy installation without the need for professional help. This camera uses– you guessed it – batteries for power. It has two battery bays but only comes with one in the box.
The batteries are easy to change and charge in the Spotlight, as all you have to do is connect it to any 5V USB charger via a micro USB cable. Impressively, each battery can last more than a month on a single charge.
To mount the camera, simply use the provided mount, which screws to any wall via a circular plate and holds the cam via a short arm, thus giving you enough flexibility to fine-tune the position according to your needs.
Once the mounting is done, you’ll need to configure the camera. Doing so is super easy using the Ring app, which is available for Android, iOS, and Windows. The app guides you through the account creation process then the configuration procedure through simple, easy-to-follow video tutorials, which is upper convenient.
Camera Features
Addressing the big elephant in the room; how good is the Spotlight in terms of camera quality?
Short answer? Pretty good.
Despite its low price point, the Ring Spotlight can take the security of your home to the next level by harnessing the power of a full HD, 1080p camera with a 140-degree field of view. The footages produced by this camera are decent, no matter the time of the day, and the motion detection feature works just fine. Once you connect your camera to the app, the live feed will pop up quickly and reliably, thus making for great 24/7 monitoring.
Extra Features
The two spotlight strips are bright and can illuminate the area around the camera for 10 meters. That’s more than enough to scare any intruder, be it a burglar or an animal.
Using the Ring app, you can easily control the camera lights and the 100-decibel siren, both of which contribute to keeping intruders away.
Motion zones are another feature that we dig, as you can set multiple motion zone with the Spotlight’s view. Even the sensitivity is adjustable, as you can configure the camera to send alerts only when people cross into an area rather than when it detects any movement. Sure, the formula isn’t revolutionary, and many competitors implement the same features, but only Ring brings them in this price range.
Price
At the price point, and considering the features you’re getting, the Ring Spotlight Battery Cam is a no-brainer, as the devices that come close to its performance – such as the Arlo Pro 2 and the Nest Outdoor Security Camera – either come at a far higher price or simply lack in certain feature departments.
As with any other security camera system, you need to purchase a monthly subscription from Ring if you want to store your footages on the cloud. You can get a free 30-day trial to get a taste of the service, but once the first month is over, a new bill will be added to your stack. Fortunately, Ring’s subscription isn’t expensive, giving it the edge over its competitors in terms of cloud storage.
Verdict on the Ring Spotlight
Although it started with smart doorbells, Ring’s currently offering a plethora of other security-oriented products, notably its security camera line. The Ring Spotlight Battery Cam is an affordable device that can guarantee an ever-wanted peace of mind through a quality camera, a set of intuitive features, and excellent build quality. If this security camera is within your budget, we totally recommend it.
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