When I reviewed the $229.99 Ring Battery Doorbell Pro, it earned high marks for its sharp video quality, easy installation, and 3D Motion Detection. With the second-generation Battery Doorbell Pro, you get even sharper video courtesy of Ring’s Retinal 4K technology, as well as a handful of new features, including AI-powered event descriptions and face recognition. It’s completely wire-free and easy to install, but at $249.99, it’s one of the more expensive video doorbells I've tested. It's easy to recommend for existing Ring users who want a premium experience, but if you're looking to spend less, the TP-Link Tapo D225 delivers sharp 2K video, offers local storage, and works with Alexa, Google, and IFTTT for $99.99, making it our Editors' Choice winner.

Design: Sleeker Styling With Flexible Power Options

Available in Deep Silver, Polished Night Navy, Polished Mocha, or Polished Sandstone, the second-gen Battery Doorbell Pro features curved edges and a slice of silver trim, giving it a more refined look than its predecessor. At 5.7 by 2.1 by 1.5 inches (HWD), it’s also a bit bigger than the original model.

(Credit: John R. Delaney)

The front of the doorbell features a camera, a doorbell call button with an LED ring that flashes blue when someone rings, an ambient light sensor, two infrared LEDs for night vision, a microphone, and a removable faceplate. The faceplate pops off to reveal a rechargeable lithium-ion battery pack and a setup button. The battery can be charged using an included USB-C cable (an AC adapter is not included) or with an optional solar charger ($49.99). The removable faceplate is interchangeable with any of the above-mentioned color choices, and extra faceplates go for $14.99 each. There are two speakers on either side of the doorbell, and around back are two wire terminals if you choose to use existing doorbell wiring with an 8-24 VAC transformer rather than battery power.

Features: Retinal 4K Video and Advanced Smart Detection

The camera uses Ring’s Retinal 4K technology, which debuted in 2025 and is also used in the Spotlight Cam Pro and the Wired Doorbell Pro. Retinal 4K offers 3,840-by-2,160-pixel video, a 140-degree head-to-toe viewing angle, and 10x digital zoom. It uses Ring's Adaptive Night Vision technology to capture color video in low-light conditions and deliver high-contrast black-and-white video when it's too dark for color. This camera also supports Ring’s radar-powered 3D Motion Detection technology for precise detection and offers a Bird’s Eye View that lets you see where visitors have traveled on your property.

(Credit: John R. Delaney)

Connectivity is provided by a dual-band Wi-Fi 6 radio and a Bluetooth radio. The second-gen Battery Doorbell Pro works with Amazon Alexa and supports lots of integrations via IFTTT applets, but it doesn't work with Google Home or Apple HomeKit.

Subscription Fees: Flexible Options for Smarter Security

The second-gen Battery Doorbell Pro will record video when it detects motion and when the doorbell button is pressed, but unlike the TP-Link Tapo D225, it doesn’t offer local video storage. That means you have to subscribe to a Ring Protect Plan to view recorded video and unlock certain features. The $4.99 per month/$49.99 per year Solo plan gives you 180 days of video history, intelligent alerts (person, package, vehicle), and extended live view (up to 30 minutes) for a single camera. If you have more than one Ring camera, the $9.99 per month/$99.99 per year Multi plan gives you the same features as the Solo plan for unlimited cameras and includes an extended warranty.

If you require professional monitoring, the $19.99 per month/$199.99 per year Pro plan is the way to go. It offers everything from the Multi plan as well as 24/7 monitoring and AI-powered features, including video descriptions, familiar faces, unusual event alerts (filters notifications to only include unexpected activity), single event alerts (combines similar alerts into a single alert), and active warnings (the camera plays a verbal warning to unwanted visitors). Ring’s most feature-rich plan, the $99 per month Virtual Security Guard, includes everything from the Multi plan, plus live video monitoring, active threat deterrence from professionally trained security staff, and emergency dispatch requests.

App Experience: Intuitive Controls and Useful Smart Features

The Doorbell Pro uses the same Ring mobile app (available for Android and iOS) as every other Ring device and appears in its own panel on the dashboard. The panel displays the last captured image and has three dots in the upper-right corner that open a small screen where you can view the motion alert status (on or off) and access settings. Tap the panel to start a live stream and to view a timeline of recorded events. Here you can download, share, and take a snapshot of each event. There’s also a Calendar button for searching footage by date, and a More button that lets you set filters for video searches. The dashboard screen includes a Neighbors tile for accessing Ring's community app and a History tile for viewing recorded events.

(Credit: Ring/PCMag)

While in live stream mode, you’ll see buttons to end a doorbell call, mute the speaker and microphone, access quick controls for linked Ring devices, and play a prerecorded message when a visitor rings the doorbell or motion is detected.

To access device settings, tap the gear icon in the upper-right corner. This opens a control panel screen where you can turn motion detection and alerts on and off, change motion settings, view the event history screen, configure mode settings (Disarmed, Home, Away), temporarily snooze alerts, and link the doorbell to a Ring Chime ($34.99) and other Ring devices. Here you can also check device health stats (battery level, Wi-Fi connection), configure Wi-Fi and power settings, and enable Smart Responses that let the doorbell play one of four default messages. In the device settings screen, you can configure video resolution, enable features like Bird’s Eye View and Smart Video Search, and access data usage settings.

Installation: Fast Setup With a Fully Wire-Free Design

The Battery Doorbell Pro’s wireless design makes it easy to install. I started by charging the battery, opening the Ring app (you’ll have to download it and create an account if you're new to the brand), and selecting Set Up a Device at the bottom of the Dashboard screen. With the battery installed, I used my phone’s camera to scan the QR code on the back panel, selected my home as the installation location, and gave the doorbell a name. After a few seconds, the doorbell paired with the app, so I selected my Wi-Fi SSID and entered my Wi-Fi password, and it immediately connected to my network. I skipped the installation video, and after a quick firmware update, I took the doorbell outside and mounted it to the siding next to my front door using the included mounting plate and hardware.

Performance: Crisp 4K Video and Reliable Motion Detection

The second-gen Battery Doorbell Pro provided highly detailed 4K video in testing. Daytime video showed well-saturated colors, and black-and-white night video showed excellent contrast. Low-light color was better than average, but not as crisp as what you get in daylight.

3D Motion and Bird’s Eye viewing worked flawlessly, and motion alerts were accurate and timely. Two-way talk was loud and clean, and the doorbell had no trouble streaming video to an Amazon Echo Show smart display. Additionally, my Alexa routine to have an AiDot Linkind Matter Smart Light Bulb turn red when the camera detected motion worked as intended.