A smart doorbell, also referred to as a WiFi video doorbell, is like a digital receptionist that works for your home. The doorbells not only ring like normal doorbells, but they also allow you to see who is at your doorstep by their built-in camera feature, and you can talk to your guest directly from the smartphone.
Smart doorbells not only allow you to greet visitors but also increase the security of your home. These are equipped to detect the motion in front of your house, ranging from possible burglars to wandering pets. They can send you alerts to take action if needed.
Advantages of having smart doorbells
Convenience
With a two-way audio system, you can speak to the person at your door, whether you are sitting on the sofa or at your office. This way, you will never miss a parcel delivery.
Security
Along with providing you with valuable peace of mind, these WiFi video doorbells also allow you to pretend as if you are home, even if you are not. This feature helps to get rid of unwanted visitors.
Smart doorbells make sure that you never miss a visitor
Since you can receive a remote alert on your phone, you will never miss someone who comes to your home. With the live footage, you will be able to confirm parcels that have to be delivered to your doorstep and know when your kids arrive home.
Compatibility
Along with being compatible with most smartphone devices like Google Home and Amazon Alexa, some smart WiFi doorbells are also smart lock compatible. This way, you can open the door from a remote location to let a visitor in.
Disadvantages of smart WiFi doorbells
Size
The higher-end versions of such doorbells tend to be sleek and blended into the wall or the door. However, if you choose to go for the cheaper model, these are bigger and bulkier than their more expensive counterparts. They may even look obnoxious on your door.
Cost
With so many features, the cost will be a bit high. These doorbells are ten times higher than the average cost of a normal doorbell. Furthermore, you cannot go for the cheap options because they may not work well for you. You have to find an option which is not only good but has enough features and is compatible with your home.
Tricky installation
Installing a battery-powered smart doorbell is easy. However, there are models which may require different types of installation. For such models, you will have to get an electrician to do the work for you. This will add to your budget.
Cost of subscription
The video storage adds additional costs. Most doorbells do not have the option of free online storage. Therefore you have to pay extra to have the videos stored for later viewing purposes. In most cases, you will have to sign up for a monthly or annual subscription. These will be additional factors that increase your budget.
Can a smart doorbell get hacked?
This is another feature that you will have to keep in mind when buying a smart doorbell for your home. If you choose to go for the cheaper options, you may be at potential risk of getting hacked. Therefore, you have to go for a company that not only offers you the doorbell at a good price but also provides enough security options so that the doorbell cannot be hacked. The security options would involve regular updates from the company side and constantly checking your doorbell to check if there is any chance of you getting hacked or not.
Night vision option
You have to make sure that the resolution of the doorbell, as well as night vision, is good. Currently, the maximum resolution available in the case of video doorbells is 480p to 1080p. Some smart doorbells also come with a night vision feature. This will help you keep an eye out when it is dark outside.
Two-way communication
Make sure that the WiFi video doorbell you purchase allows you to communicate with the person outside, whether you are at your home or away buying groceries,shooping or in office.
If the budget is not a problem, then you should go for doorbells from higher-end companies so that you can get the security option as well as not have to pay the additional storage costs for storing the video. Check your budget, go through your needs and then decide if the smart doorbell is the right option for you to go. Yes, I will agree that smart doorbells always come with many amazing advantages for the homeowner. But is it worth the expenditure that you will have to put in? A smart doorbell can cause anincrease your monthly and annual budget by a huge margin.
