Ring Intercom Review: The Smarthome Gadget Flatdwellers Have Been Waiting For

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In recent years, video calls have become an essential tool for many families for online safety and shopping. They let you monitor who comes and goes at your door, connect with drivers and callers from anywhere while you're away, and remotely locate callers when the doorbell rings.

What if you lived in an apartment? Installing one of the best video doorbells on the front door of your property may not be practical or legal due to wiring or aesthetic issues. Enter the next best thing: Ring Intercom, a growing brand owned by Amazon that offers video calling and other home security products.

The Ring Intercom is a small box that sits on the wall next to your drum phone and is connected to it; It is compatible with modern intercom systems and Ring offers an online compatibility check. When someone rings the front door of your building, whether you're at the gym, at work, on vacation, or sitting on the couch, you'll receive an alert on your phone through the Ring app. You can then talk to Alexa using your phone or one of Amazon's smart speakers or displays, and if needed, open the door remotely to let the caller in.

The intercom is designed for freestanding installation and we have made it very easy to install. The process is a bit confusing in places, but if you can get it working and go through installing and setting up the Ring app, you should be fine. If you are unfamiliar with tools and wiring, we recommend asking a tech-savvy friend to help or hiring a professional. Other than setup, all you need to do is create a Ring account if you don't have one and configure a few settings.

We found Ring Intercom easy to use. Notifications sometimes take a few seconds to arrive on our phone, but not more than your intercom. Communication was clear and the front door opener worked every time. Talking to callers via Alexa also worked well, although I had to memorize the required voice commands in order.

If you regularly receive deliveries from Amazon and businesses and are often away from home; Or if you'd rather not leave your desk, turn off the TV, or answer the intercom, this is the smart home device you've been waiting for. It's good value for money, especially if you use it a lot, and since it's an Amazon device, you can probably grab it for a discount during Prime Day and other sales events.

Ring intercom review. Price and availability

Regular price from £119.99
Packs with additional battery and charging station are available.
Available in UK.

Ring Intercom is currently available in the UK and select EU countries where it is available from Amazon and the Ring Store (Ring is an Amazon company). When not on sale it costs £119.99 and comes in two packs, one with a spare quick change battery for £144.98 and the other with a spare battery and a charging cradle for £170.97.

As mentioned, discounts may be offered during Prime Day and other Amazon sales events, or, for that matter, any time of the year. At the time of writing, you can pick up the Ring Intercom from £49.99 (a saving of £70) when you shop on Amazon or buy directly from Ring. If you see it on sale for full price, it might be worth the wait if you don't need it right away.

Price and accessibility rating: 4/5

Specifications of our Ring Intercom test device

Price from £119.99
Dimensions : 10.9 x 10.9 cm x 3.15 cm (W x H x D)
Color: white
Power source. Quick discharge with rechargeable battery
Wi-Fi: 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi connection at a frequency of 2.4 GHz

Ring intercom review. Design and implementation

Check compatibility online
Discreet wall design
Installation is relatively easy

The Ring intercom is a deep white box measuring 10.9 x 10.9 x 3.2 cm that you mount and plug into the wall next to your intercom. Before you buy, make sure it's compatible with your intercom system - it works with modern intercoms and uses Ring's online compatibility checker to see if it's yours. If you are still not sure you can call them and send them pictures of your intercom and they will tell you if it is compatible.

Before you begin the physical setup, you'll be prompted to charge the portable battery with the included cable, and after installing the Ring app on your phone, you'll need to create a Ring account if you don't have one. To do this, you must enter your name, your e-mail address. mailing address, home address, and phone number, and you'll be prompted to set up two-step verification, then enter a verification code, followed by a one-time PIN. code received. Print or scan the QR code on your device and give your device a name (e.g. "Gateway"). You must enter your phone number to receive notifications and contact callers when you are away.

The Ring Intercom will enter setup mode and should automatically connect to Ring's temporary Wi-Fi network before connecting to your Wi-Fi network. So, optionally, you can configure some additional settings, after which the app will will ask to manually install the intercom.

The intercom box includes three sets of cables to connect the device to different intercom models and a reversible flat-head Phillips screwdriver. The app walks you through the process step-by-step, and a full guide and video are also available on Ring's website.

The installation process is basically very simple. remove the handset from the intercom, shake the faceplate and remove the faceplate and unplug the back plate, then connect the supplied cable to your intercom and reattach the faceplate before plugging the intercom into the wall bracket and plug in the other end. The cable.

The good news is that the process is relatively easy if you're a little fiddly here and there. It helps if you're a skilled DIYer, but if you can plug in an outlet, you'll be fine. Although it is safe to touch electrical wires, if you are unfamiliar with tools and cords, you may want to ask a friend for help or hire the services of a handyman.

To connect the cable to the intercom, you must remove the screws that hold the back plate of the intercom to the wall to detach it from the wall and insert the cable from the back. Be careful not to loosen the screws too much as you don't want to completely remove the back plate. After passing the cable through the rear part of the plinth, it is necessary to connect the various cables to the specific terminals of the intercom. this is where it gets a little tricky.

The app prompts you to enter your intercom model, then tells you which of the three included cables to use and which cable to plug into the terminal. Then you need to loosen the screws of each terminal, insert the corresponding wire and tighten the screw.

The problem here is that the terminals are small and the wires connecting them to the terminals are brittle and a bit difficult to work with. The terminal label should be small and difficult to read. it is also our intercom system. If you don't have good eyesight, we recommend using a magnifying glass or inexpensive reading glasses so you can see what you're doing. You need to make sure your workspace is well lit and your phone light is adequate as well.

Cores are colored to match terminal letters; It was hard to see the label under each connector, so we had to look carefully and double-check each cable before plugging it in. Note that you must remove the small plastic cap at the end of each cable before connecting it; it's a good idea to keep it in a safe place when you take it out and count the cables after plugging them in. When you think you've finished installing, be sure to uninstall them all so you don't have to start all over again.

After connecting the cable, you can fix the call station to the wall with screws or adhesive tape before inserting the other end of the cable. Then, go through a short Ring app trial process and you're good to go.

You can connect the intercom to your Echo speaker and voice assistant Alexa via Wi-Fi so you can talk to callers through your speaker, and if you want a caller to come, you can ask Alexa to answer the front door for you - more on that later below.

The User Sharing feature allows you to share your calling device with others by allowing family, friends or trusted callers.

Amazon Verified Drivers (i.e. Amazon employees who drive Amazon vehicles, as opposed to independent drivers) may provide temporary access. Drivers go through a screening process before being given a certain amount of time to open the campus entrance and leave packages at the entrance to your building.

Design and installation rating: 4/5

Ring intercom review. Performance:

Notifications are sent instantly
The sound quality is good.
Alexa integration works well

After testing the Ring Intercom app, we ran a few tests before evaluating its actual performance when opening the door to drivers and other callers.

Notifications worked well. We used Ring's default "man at the door" option for the chime, but you can choose from your phone's selection of sounds. Voice quality was good, but sometimes not as clear as direct intercom calls; we could hear callers and they could hear us.

Performance: 5/5

Ring intercom review. Alexa integration:

Ring Intercom is compatible with Amazon Echo speakers and smart displays and promises to make talking to and answering callers quick and easy. In a video posted on the Ring site, the woman can be seen holding her friend behind her and greeting Alexa in a low voice before asking her to open it. . The door for him. In practice, however, the process is a bit more complicated.

Connecting your intercom to your Echo device(s) takes a few steps initially, although you only need to do this once and the app will guide you through the process. First, you'll need to add the Ring skill to the Alexa app, then link your Amazon account to your Ring account and configure a few settings in the Alexa app. If you want to open the outer door with Alexa, you must set a four-digit language code.

After completing the above steps, Alexa will notify you when someone rings the doorbell.

To talk to the caller, say "Alexa, talk to [intercom name]", then start talking. However, it would be easy to skip this step. before you open the door, you need to interrupt the conversation with the caller "Alexa stop" or "Alexa quit" (anyone near the door will hear this command, that's something). Consider whether Amazon will let you give your voice assistant a custom name in the future (for example, you'll want to remove "Sweetie Pie").

Now you can say "Alexa, unblock [intercom name]" and Alexa will ask for your voice code. It's not the most efficient process, and if you plan to use this feature regularly, you'll need a script handy until you get there.

Alexa integration rating: 3.5/5

Ring intercom review. Application:

Easy to navigate
Light on functions

The Ring app can be downloaded from the App Store (iOS) and Google Play (Android). With doorbells like Ring, there's not much you can do with the app because there's no video to see and no audio to record.

You can view event history when you press the doorbell and when the door is opened, and you can add and manage shared users and delivery permissions. Plus, most settings and features are designed to work with the Ring Doorbell and other devices, as well as add-on devices.

You can also use the app to open the door yourself, for example if you enter the house in the dark and don't want to rummage through your pocket for the key.

App Rating: 4/5

Ring intercom review:

Battery life is six to 12 months
Charging cable included but no plug.

Ring Intercom uses the quick-release battery found in other Ring devices, and Ring claims this device will last six to 12 months, depending on usage. Since the intercom has limited capabilities and does not record video, we expect battery life to be above this range. To charge your device, simply press the tab, release the battery and connect with the included micro USB cable.

As mentioned, the Ring Intercom comes with an extra battery if you want to make sure it's up and running without interruption, and it comes with an extra battery and charger if you decide to leave the battery on vacation. Instead of searching for a cable, just plug it in to charge. Since you only need to charge the battery for a few hours overnight and maybe only once or twice a year, we don't think these optional extras are necessary except for other devices Ring and some. The batteries remain charged.

Battery life: 5/5

Should I buy a Ring intercom?

If so, then buy...

If so, don't buy it...

Review of intercom calls. Think again

How I Tried Ring Intercom

The app installation guide includes a test procedure
Test with delivery and other callers

After verifying that the Ring intercom was working properly by following the steps in the Ring app as part of the setup process, I tested the intercom for a few weeks, then opened the door and let callers in with my phone and my Echo speaker.

Since I don't have another Ring device, I downloaded the Ring app first and followed the in-app instructions with the Alex app.