New smart buzzer is also compatible with Alexa and Google Home
The Aqara Video Doorbell G4 has just gone live; a budget battery-powered smart video doorbell that, amongst other things, boasts Apple HomeKit Secure Video certification.
The Chinese brand states that means the G4 is “one of the few battery-powered video doorbells on the market that support Apple’s HomeKit Secure Video” but, by our count, it’s the only battery-powered video doorbell on the market that support Apple’s HomeKit Secure Video.
The only other doorbells within the standard are the Logitech Circle View and the Robin ProLine – both of which are hard-wired models.
- Check out our guide to Apple HomeKit Secure Video to learn more
Not only is the Aqara Video Doorbell G4 HSV-compliant, it is also compatible with both Google Home and Amazon Alexa.
With those two voice assistants synced up, you are also able to stream footage from your doorbell to your smart display, such as an Echo Show or a Nest Hub.
Borrowing the AI-driven face recognition from the Aqara Camera Hub G3, this 1080p HD doorbell also offers pre-recorded voice responses for when you’re not able to answer, and can also act as a motion sensor and siren in an Aqara smart security system.
Aqara has been one of the big players in the early days of Matter and, while the Video Doorbell G4 isn’t yet Matter smart home compatible, we’re told it will be via a OTA update later this year.
Available in either gray or blacjk, the G4 can be wired-in, should you wish, but we’re promised 6 AA batteries will keep it alive for around 4 months.
As well as the iCloud storage options that HomeKit Secure Video offers, the Video Doorbell G4 can also store video in Aqara’s cloud (free for 7 days’ of clips) and there’s also local storage on board, as well; a microSD card (up to 512 GB) can be housed in the indoor chime repeater.
It costs $119.99 / £119.99 and is available through Amazon now with a 15% discount. Use USCAVDG4 to save 15% in the US and Canada, EUDOORBELLG4 is the code for the UK and Europe.
