The newest entry in the video doorbell space is Belkin $249 Wemo Smart Video Doorbell. And unlike competing video doorbells from Ring or Arlo, this doorbell is specifically designed for Apple HomeKit, the iPhone maker’s smart home platform – meaning all your recorded video is linked. link and store in your iCloud account.
While going this route means users are locked in from using their iPhones, for those who don’t intend to leave Apple’s walled garden, there’s a lot to like about the Ring Doorbell. Wemo smart picture. In fact, we’d say it’s the best HomeKit-shaped doorbell money can buy right now.
The best Apple HomeKit doorbells
If you’re looking for a HomeKit-shaped doorbell, your options are limited. But after testing both Logitech and Wemo HomeKit-shaped doorbells, we recommend the Wemo Smart Video Doorbell.
Who, What and How:
Who is this for: Belkin’s Wemo smart doorbell is for anyone who wants to add an extra layer of security to their front door via a video doorbell and is willing to do so using Apple’s HomeKit platform.
What you need to know: The Wemo smart doorbell only works with Apple HomeKit, so if you or anyone else in the house has an Android phone, they’re out of luck. You’ll also need an iCloud+ subscription to take advantage of the HomeKit Secure Video service to securely store any recorded video.
How does it compare: There’s not much competition when it comes to HomeKit-shaped doorbells. Through the $199 Logitech Round Doorbell and the $249 Wemo Smart Doorbell both work with Apple’s platform and have identical software features, the biggest difference between the two being the 5 megapixel camera, color night vision, and 160 field of view. degree for Logitech, or 4-megapixel Camera, infrared night vision and 178-degree field of view for Wemo. That means you can see more when viewing the live feed from Wemo, but the picture quality isn’t as clear as Logitech’s. Our current top picks for the best picture doorbells are Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2has more powerful motion detection and it works with Google Home and Amazon Alexa smart home platforms.
Installing the Wemo Smart Video Doorbell doesn’t take long, but you’ll need to be familiar with basic wiring to connect it to power. If you’re unsure about the process, Belkin provides easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions. But if you don’t want to handle the installation yourself, Belkin offers professional installation via OnTech for $99. And about doorbells with bells, you have two options: with or without bells. If you have an existing mechanical alarm already wired and installed in your home, you will need to connect a small adapter that came with the installation.
We followed the instructions that came with Wemo . smart doorbell to replace the Logitech Circle View doorbell near our front door and set up in about 10 minutes. The longest part was getting rid of the old doorbell and connecting its bell.
Included in the box is everything you need for the installation, save for an electric drill to speed up the process. There’s even a corner mounting plate so you can make sure the camera is pointed exactly where you need it.
After powering the doorbell back on, we used the Home app to connect it to our home’s Wi-Fi network, assign it to a room in the HomeKit setup, and customize its recording and alerting options. we. Like we said, easy.
When it comes to video quality, the Wemo doorbell is not as clear or sharp as the Logitech Circle View doorbell. However, we didn’t see a big enough difference to raise an issue. In fact, we prefer Wemo when it comes to the overall image because of the wider field of view, allowing us to see better in the photo.
You’ll get a total field of view of 178 degrees combined with a 4-megapixel camera that shoots HDR video. In low light, the doorbell switches to infrared night vision mode to ensure you can still see who or what is at your door.
Compared to the Logitech Homekit doorbell’s 160-degree field of view, the Wemo’s precise field of view measurements are 178 degrees high x 140 degrees wide. This added visibility means you’ll be able to see a package left on your doorstep, where it can be hidden beneath a Logitech doorbell, as well as see more of it on either side. .
Here are two screenshots. The one on the left is taken from Logitech Field of View, while the one on the right is from the Wemo doorbell. Notice how you can see our porch light and the rest of the porch? That’s the added benefit of a wider field of view.
We also want to point out that we used Logitech Doorbell since its inception and like other owners on forums like Redditwas experiencing an issue with the doorbell overheating and being offline for a long time.
The recent firmware update for the Logitech doorbell is rumored to fix all disconnection issues but since we update it in cooler weather we can’t say for sure. it won’t overheat again when warmer. So far, we have not experienced similar interruptions with the Wemo Smart Video Doorbell. Yes, it did stay relatively cool during the time we tested the doorbell, so if it experiences any overheating issues, we don’t expect those problems to show up until spring or summer. this summer.
If you’re an Apple fan, you’ll love it Belkin . Wemo Smart Doorbell and its reliance on the HomeKit platform. Everything from initial setup to answering doorbells remotely to reviewing recorded video clips and receiving alerts that a package has been left on your front porch, is managed and reached. through the Home app on Iphone, iPad or Mac. You can even view and interact with alerts through the Home app on Apple Watch or Apple TV.
There are a number of settings and options in the Home app that you can cycle through and tweak the doorbell to work the way you want it to. For example, you can set an active area for the camera to specifically track movement or any of the four different objects it can currently identify (vehicles, people, animals, and packages). ).
The doorbell can also be used to trigger other automated activities in the home through the home app. For example, you can use the motion sensor on your doorbell to turn on a porch light or a light in your living room. We think it’s pretty handy.
For those with a HomePod or HomePod Mini, you can use the smart speaker as a digital doorbell for the doorbell. When someone presses the button, you’ll hear a chime on your HomePod, followed by a voice alert from Siri. And if you have facial recognition turned on, you’ll even hear the name of the person being notified if it’s someone you’ve taken the time to identify in the Photos app on your iPhone.
But perhaps the most compelling part of the Wemo Smart Video Doorbell is the security aspect of Apple’s HomeKit Secure Video. All videos captured by the doorbell are encrypted and stored in your iCloud account, which means only your account (and anyone you’ve allowed to access your HomeKit Home) will video can be viewed. That means not even Apple has access. With Ring or Nest doorbells, those videos are uploaded and stored on Ring (actually Amazon) or Nest servers. This is especially helpful for anyone who isn’t comfortable with Amazon or Google having access to video clips shot in and around their home, even though both companies encode the video.
It’s imperative that you’ll need a subscription to iCloud+, Apple’s monthly subscription service to get access to secure video. That starts at $0.99 a month for 50GB of iCloud Drive storage and goes up to $9.99 for 2TB of space. However, although you will have to pay extra for the storage, any video recorded by the doorbell, or any HomeKit Secure Video cam, does not count towards your memory allocation.
Another benefit is that you’ll need to set up an iPad, Apple TV, or HomePod in your home to act as a HomeKit hub.
If you’re looking for a HomeKit-shaped doorbell, your options are limited. But after testing both Logitech and Wemo’s HomeKit video doorbells, we recommend Wemo . smart doorbell. Not only will you have the peace of mind of having a video doorbell, but you’ll also get one that works directly with the rest of your HomeKit-compatible devices.
If you don’t get sold by locking yourself into a device that forces you to use the Apple ecosystem, Ring’s Video Doorbell Pro 2 is currently our top overall pick due to its ease of use, reliability, and advanced motion detection features – all of which make it the clear winner.
