Horizontal feed would cover more of our front porch and the neighborhood including people walking up from our driveway on the side, but your examples of missing heads and not being able to see packages are very critical! Great video, thanks!
hard to say for sure but I think he mounted the G4 a little low, it looks like people are reaching down to press the button, if it were at about chest height this would solve the missing heads. as for packages, well presumably we saw a delivery guy on camera/received a notification so it's not really a problem imo. Great video tho I'm probably gonna get one thanks!
Bought it just after midnight on a leap of faith after waiting months… still feeling good after watching your review. I’m wondering if 16.4 will resolve the HomeKit quirks. I’d also prefer the vertical camera perspective but that’s not a dealbreaker for me. I need to get out of my Ring HELL!!! Thank you as always, Shane! Added: arrived today. Zero issues installing, zero issues in use thus far. I have mine direct wired. Second one ordered. 👍
If they made a smaller version only for hardwiring and improved the camera quality dramatically, I would buy this. I’d say they have work to do if they want to compete with other doorbells out there.
Questions: 1- It will be in the direct rain and wind... to choice about that... will that be a problem? 2- LOVE the 24/7 recording... Is is possible to show 24/7 display on the inside of my house, on an iPad? Thank you for all the detail in your videos!!!!
Excellent review! I currently have an Arlo wire free which is about 5 months old and having issues with battery life and a recent update just loops. I receive my Aqara Doorbell tomorrow. I've wanted HomeKit integration forever. Arlo has promised it for a year and a half but so far no avail. As with any doorbell camera there are tradeoffs. Looking forward to getting mine. As always your reviews are EXCELLENT.
This may already been asked for but does it come with a notification on apple watch WITH a picture of who is at the door or/and then a tap for direct online communication with who is at the door?
It’s been almost a year and I just got this device I love it took me 10 minutes to set it up love that updates by now has improved this device and because I have no doorbell at all this was perfect all I did was stick it up lol 😂
We ended up exchanging this model for the slimmer version th-cam.com/users/postUgkx0jZ_lGlDVJhDnmagEU8gn47cmfPNlLQU because it was too wide for the only door trim area that made sense to mount it on. However, we should have just noted the dimensions prior to purchasing. Otherwise, we love the doorbell. It works perfectly, and the video is very clear, even at night.
soooo, personally Id love a small section at the end of your videos when comparing different items in the same category and even give a top 3 each time. All doorbell cameras, all sensors, etc. Love your videos and treat them as gold!!! What is your top rated doorbell camera? Im kinda leaning towards the Logitech so far.
If this performed better with HomeKit, had better dynamic range, and was in portrait or could display a square video that was the best of portrait and landscape, I'd argue it was perfect. Honestly, a rechargeable battery inside would be awesome too. It would be great in wired mode if the battery just took care of itself for power outage and dismantled scenarios. I'm glad the AAs can serve as backup to the wired connection. This is so close to perfect, but I think I'll wait until the next version.
Greetings from the Netherlands 🇳🇱 Shane. Love your vids and learning a bunch. One addition: in Europe (Netherlands at least) a lot of doors on older houses are recessed in brick walls. For my dad’s situation this means the screw that fixes the camera to the backplate cannot be secured as the wall is in the way. That’s a big miss. I guess also for others. Also, one request. I loved that episode where you made your grandpa’s house more secure. I’m currently trying to do that for my 88 year old dad. Any follow up videos on this topic would be greatly appreciated. All the best.
Living in a typical Dutch house too, installed it flawlessly using a wera mini rachet. You could consider the wera mini rachet set as it is useful in countless situations!
Thank you for the honest review. You almost seem deflated that this product doesn’t live up to your expectations. How does a video doorbell make it to market that chops off heads and packages from view? That’s a big miss for me. I literally hate my Google Nest Hello (1st gen with dead defective internal battery so every time the button is pressed it goes offline). I have been waiting for a great Apple Home(kit) video doorbell to hit the market. This one checks nearly every box -but the missing heads and missing packages is a dealbreaker. You covered the temperature range but I am wondering if this device suffers from direct sunlight and goes offline as some of the other options on the market? I enjoy your content. Thanks.
Thank you for the review. While I would love to change out my Ring doorbell, the problems with integration with HomeKit is currently a show stopper. Hopefully that will be corrected in the future. Also horizontal view is much preferred over the wide view.
Wonderfully detailed and comprehensive review, Shane. The doorbell seems to have added in a bunch of niceties but failed to polish the necessities. I am not a fan of the wide-angled doorbells for all of the reasons you have noted: missing heads and missing packages. I don’t see why adding in a a doorbell that can switch between the modes by pivoting the camera 90/-90 degrees. I also appreciated the overall fair critiques. One oddity I don’t think Aqara considered was the cumulative effect of asking their reviewers to launch their videos on the same day. Each review hit on many of the same negatives: horizontal video, poor video quality, and some level of HK.
This will be my first HomeKit doorbell ( had eufy and currently have ring using scrypted) Looking forward to seeing how this works out and for the price the risk is low. I prefer the horizontal view because of how my home is situated but can see how with your setup vertical would be appreciated. Great review as always!
Very informative video, thanks for that. I'd have to test it along side the Ring doorbell we have now. A big thing I like about the Rind is that it shows us the floor in front of the door, so we can see packages that have been left there. The G4 may still work with where we have our doorbell mounted, but would have to test. Thanks again for the video
The connection issue is likely due to the fact that you might need a more powerful transformer; I know for Ring and Eufy, I didn't have an issue, but when I upgraded to a more powerful smart doorbell, I needed a better transformer because I was getting those same disconnect/connect notifications
Thanks for the comment. I don't think that's the case, because it's working great in the Aqara app. And I've had the same issues on battery only. It's only HomeKit that gives me problems. And my other hardwired HK doorbells have worked fine. Great point tho for others who may be experiencing issues when hardwired.
@@ShaneCreates Ever had something like this with a Netatmo camera. After completely resetting and reinstalling never had a problem again. So maybe give it a try….
@@ShaneCreatesI have the same problem with my G2 pro’s. I went ahead and got an absolute steal on eBay, a brand new G4 for £25. I have dropouts on all 3 cameras but they all show up in the Aqara app.
Just add this for my back door, so far connectivity has been good and have not seen disconnecting from WiFi as you have described. Will let it go for few days. By the way, I opted for wired option, maybe that has some thing to do with the connectivity since it has the constant handshake with the hub. I have the Logitech in my front entrance, so far, I am fine with either orientation. Being at my back door, the walk way is few steps down, I was able to get the full frontal of anyone ring the doorbell. But I can see your point if this was installed in front entrance, the vertical image is definitely preferred. Thanks again for your review as always.
Thanks for sharing your experience Howard. Good to hear you haven't had any connection issues. I had the same issues when testing on both battery only and hardwired. And again, no issues in the Aqara app, only HomeKit. Hoping it gets better but again, glad to hear all is good with you!
I don’t get why it’s so big. They have a sweet thin stylish door lock and they pair it with something that looks like it was designed in the 80’s. Looks like the iPod Classic.
Thanks @Shane great video as usual !!!!!!! just a very quick question With a Google nest hub you can watch the live stream of the doorbell right ? But are you able to receive the g4 notifications with the image of who is ringing your doorbell through the Google nest hub as well ? I’m running the G4 Chinese version
Thanks Shane, purchased with your link. Although there seem to be some significant cons it’s gotta be better than my old Ring doorbell. Hopefully they can work some of these issues out with a software update.
Gday Shane, got mine about 3 weeks ago in Australia. Pro’s definitely out weigh the con’s. Love the pop up on the Apple TV 4K from the doorbell and the event icons on the HK timeline plus the AI detection. Haven’t had any issues with wifi signal in HK app that you mentioned.
@@ShaneCreates Hi Shane. That code doesn’t seem to be working anymore on Amazon Canada. Anyway to get it extended as I like to try this as an upgrade to our old gen 1 Ring Pro. Thanks!
Nice one fella, been waiting for 🇬🇧 release date so appreciate this with a nice discount 👍 *ordered it before even watching the video * 😳 it’s ok though I’m desperate for a non-wired battery HomeKit enabled doorbell so this will have to do!!
Great info Shane, lots of great features and I agree I would not like the horizontal view. A deal breaker for me is the width of the G4 as I only have 2” width to install it. I will hang on to my old Ring door bell until something better comes around.
This one caught every motion by my front door today didn't miss a thing and if you change the delayed recording to 0 secs instead of 3 secs you will catch the full video clip and not just the person walking away
Just to clarify, when in HKSV mode, the 24/7 local recording is still possible? When hard wired ofc. Thanks Shane! It’s indeed a pity that it’s not a vertical ratio.
Another great video! I would also prefer the vertical view so I can see the person's head and packages. Also, can I borrow your demo unit? lol I'm still on a August Doorbell Cam Gen1
Have had my Aqara doorbell for 3 days now. Horizontal image is good. For now, I'm using it on batteries. Il live on a fairly busy road in the city, so put it on eco mode. Curious how long the batteries will live. Oh yes, I can't find anywhere how to make an automation "when the doorbell rings"....great video thanks!
You can create an automation in the Aqara app when the doorbell button is pressed. If you want to create an automation based on that in HomeKit, you need to use a 3rd party homekit app like Eve or Home+.
Hi guys. Very sad that a doorbell does not expose to HomeKit the main purpose of it, which is to press the button 🙄 Do you know if this will be exposed anytime soon? (I use an Aqara bulb to turnaround this limitation)
Very informative videos. My problem with Aqara g4 is after just a few week the hard wire stop working. Only work on battery supply. I connect to a 24v wall ac adapter still not working. Any idea what might be the problem
I see that I can trigger an Apple TV display of the camera with a doorbell button push. Can it do the same on an iPhone or Watch? What about motion detection?
Awesome video. Do you know what happens if the Wifi cuts out? I know recordings can't be uploaded or synced with phone because that needs wifi and internet, but are the recordings still recorded to the SD card? - if so, how are they accessed later?
Hi Shane! As always great video, I’m about to buy my first HomeKit doorbell, and out of the 3 available, this is the most affordable. Do you have any follow up comment about the HomeKit integration issues?
Hi Shane, I just moved to a new house, last year I was about to buy my first doorbell but I wanted to move to the new house before getting it. Just want to follow up, is this still the best doorbell option? Or do you recommend another?
I think this is a great option if the horizontal video feed works for your property. That’s really the only thing that did not work for me personally. I have installed these at multiple family members’ homes where the horizontal feed worked well.
Hi Shane, I got my doorbell, completed the installation like an hour ago. I’m loving it so far. I was wondering, if you know, a way to use the Aqara m1s hub as an extra chime or you are only limited to the included chime plus your HomePod mini. As always thank you for your help.
Ordered! Any insight on when we could see the FP2 presence sensor and the E1 roller shade motor in the US market? Think you’ll get a preview on those too. That presence sensor could be a game changer for automations with its detection zones.
Can an automation be created that triggers when the Aqara doorbell is run? Or is the only option to trigger an automation when the Aqara doorbell detects motion? If only the latter is possible, then can the field be limited so only someone directly in front of the doorbell camera is detected?
I was excited at the beginning of the Video and then when I saw the pixelation, poor night vision and the decision to use horizontal camera instead of vertical completely put me off! :) Great review.
Ok so do they provide a transformer in case you need it like ring did? Also, does the house doorbell still work? Or do you need to use the chime only as the new doorbell chime?
Question of the day? Would i be better off getting the newer nest doorbell wired with starling hub. or get aqara with homekit. from what i heard package detetion is trash on aqara. Video quality is great on nest. Thoughts Shane? what am i losing by going to nest vs aqara as they both technically work with homekit.
Great review as always! But does anyone know how this doorbell holds in direct sunlight in the sense of overheating? I now have a Logitech Circle View and although I love it from a quality perspective it is just crap in direct sunlight. In the summer if always turns itself off because of overheating around 15.00 - 17.00 and (rain?) water also made it inside the device, it still works but the device enclosure looks terrible now. I am thinking of buying this device as a replacement but I need to know if this one doesn't overheat so quickly in direct sunlight...
Hi my g4 picks up everything and even sends notifications when a car drives past the house. I have it on low sensitivity. Any suggestions please without turning notifications off as I still want to be notified when someone actually pulls into my house.
Hi Shane, is it possible to change ringing options cause notification sound is same as movement detection and all notifications on iPhone and I don't notify that someone was pressing button when I'm away
@@ShaneCreates Can you please test the notifications on Apple Watch, respond from the microphone that appears on notifications when someone press the doorbell ? I want to know the microphone and speaker quality🙏 Thank you for your review!
I had to return mine as it broke down after 6months of use, and I found the battery only held for 3weeks or so, even when using rechargeable NiMh batteries or higher quality Energiser Lithium batteries. I went back to using Ring which seems more effective but would like to get a HomeKit enabled battery enabled wireless doorbell.
Can this record 24/7 AND record motion-activated segments to HSV at the same time? Or is it one or the other? Also can you view 24/7 recordings on the SD card away from home? If so, can this be viewed on the Apple Home app or only the Aqara app?
I purchased the video doorbell but have been unsuccessful fetting through set up. Do I also need to purchase the hub for it to work? I only have the doorbell video and the chime. Please, advice.
Thanks! The features on this one is amazing. I wish they all had local SD card storage for example. But I'd probably go with the Logitech Circle View right now because it's been more reliable in HomeKit for me and I like the vertical camera feed.
i like your video's and value your oppinion , which camera doorbell do you use? i am think of using the reolink camera doorbell because i already have the reolink 8 channel nvr
I don't have ethernet access at my doorbell, so I am not able to use any PoE doorbell cameras currently. I am using Logitech Circle View currently. I would probably use the Aqara doorbell, but I prefer the vertical video feed.
Do you or anyone know of any anti theft door mounts that would fit this? I use one for my ring when I travel. I like to put them on my hotel door. Good for not having to drill or stick to the property walls
I’ve had the same problems with my Wemo video doorbell. It keeps dropping offline for a min or 2. Some nights it drops offline for as much as 2 hours. I thought it was a Wi-Fi issue but signal was 5 nars at the doorbell. Thought it was a wiring issue but I see no signs of actual power loss. Looks like the HomeKit integration for doorbells might just be buggy
This is the first HKSV doorbell available in EU so it doesn’t really have competition here. But yeah I’d prefer 3:4 vertical video. My current doorbell is 9:16 vertical and that’s too much, it even breaks the Home app’s doorbell notification UI and I have to scroll to get to my door lock and other buttons. Were HK connectivity issues happening on battery or when hardwired too?
As this needs to be within 5m of the chime I assume it needs the chime to work? If that’s correct how will it work in a power outage? The chime is mains supplied and for most people so is their Wi-Fi so pretty much it’s all dead isn’t it?
Hey Shane, great videos. Is there any way to get G4 motion detection and doorbell action get priority in my notifications? (without controller/webhooks). Currently the doorbell and motion is treated the same as all notifications in HomeKit - which means if my phone is silenced I can’t get an audible notification alert. Before with Ring i could customize ring notifications to always make a noise.
Thank you. You cannot do this in HomeKit... there is now way to change the priority of notifications for different devices. You may want to look into the Aqara app for a solution. You can create an automation that says when the doorbell is pressed, then send a push alarm notification. This notification would come from the Aqara app, but would be delivered to your devices as a "critical" notification. Maybe that would help you get closer to what you are looking for.
@@ShaneCreates got you. If you wanted to do it on “motion alert” you would need to align your activity zones so that you get a push notification from Aqara at the same time as HomeKit.
Horizontal feed would cover more of our front porch and the neighborhood including people walking up from our driveway on the side, but your examples of missing heads and not being able to see packages are very critical! Great video, thanks!
hard to say for sure but I think he mounted the G4 a little low, it looks like people are reaching down to press the button, if it were at about chest height this would solve the missing heads.
as for packages, well presumably we saw a delivery guy on camera/received a notification so it's not really a problem imo.
Great video tho I'm probably gonna get one thanks!
I agree, I prefer landscape viewing. I think the problem is his camera placement.
Bought it just after midnight on a leap of faith after waiting months… still feeling good after watching your review. I’m wondering if 16.4 will resolve the HomeKit quirks. I’d also prefer the vertical camera perspective but that’s not a dealbreaker for me. I need to get out of my Ring HELL!!! Thank you as always, Shane!
Added: arrived today. Zero issues installing, zero issues in use thus far. I have mine direct wired. Second one ordered. 👍
Video on a Thursday! Awesome review as always. Thanks for your help.
Thanks for watching!
If they made a smaller version only for hardwiring and improved the camera quality dramatically, I would buy this.
I’d say they have work to do if they want to compete with other doorbells out there.
Purchase the Aqara G4 Video Doorbell:
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Promo code: USCAVDG4 (15% OFF, valid from Mar 23 to 25, applicable to Amazon US & CA)
[Amazon UK]
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Promo code: EUDOORBELLG4 (15% OFF, valid from Mar 23 to 25, applicable to Amazon UK)
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Who needs tech support when you have a garbage bin? Aqara doorbell back in action after a quick toss. Thanks for the adventure, Aqara!
Hey Shane, watching a lot of your stuff - one of the best HomeKit channels out there. Keep up the good work
Thank so much for the support! 🙏🏼
Questions: 1- It will be in the direct rain and wind... to choice about that... will that be a problem?
2- LOVE the 24/7 recording... Is is possible to show 24/7 display on the inside of my house, on an iPad?
Thank you for all the detail in your videos!!!!
My partner and I rent so this doorbell is a winner for us. Set it up yesterday and have no gripes with it thus far :)
Great to hear!
Excellent review! I currently have an Arlo wire free which is about 5 months old and having issues with battery life and a recent update just loops. I receive my Aqara Doorbell tomorrow. I've wanted HomeKit integration forever. Arlo has promised it for a year and a half but so far no avail. As with any doorbell camera there are tradeoffs. Looking forward to getting mine. As always your reviews are EXCELLENT.
So what do you think of it? I am thinking of buying it
anything fixed from cons mentioned in this video?
Thank you Shane for very innovative review- the best HomeKit channel.
Wow, thanks!
This may already been asked for but does it come with a notification on apple watch WITH a picture of who is at the door or/and then a tap for direct online communication with who is at the door?
It’s been almost a year and I just got this device I love it took me 10 minutes to set it up love that updates by now has improved this device and because I have no doorbell at all this was perfect all I did was stick it up lol 😂
Great to hear. Thanks for sharing!
Shane your videos are so informative and helpful regarding the homekit ecosystem
Great video. I have ordered one of these and hope that the homekit integration is better for my situation.
We ended up exchanging this model for the slimmer version th-cam.com/users/postUgkx0jZ_lGlDVJhDnmagEU8gn47cmfPNlLQU because it was too wide for the only door trim area that made sense to mount it on. However, we should have just noted the dimensions prior to purchasing. Otherwise, we love the doorbell. It works perfectly, and the video is very clear, even at night.
soooo, personally Id love a small section at the end of your videos when comparing different items in the same category and even give a top 3 each time. All doorbell cameras, all sensors, etc. Love your videos and treat them as gold!!! What is your top rated doorbell camera? Im kinda leaning towards the Logitech so far.
Anyone know can it be shared between 2 appartments.. ie i building 2 apartments and would like to have door bell at the entrance
If this performed better with HomeKit, had better dynamic range, and was in portrait or could display a square video that was the best of portrait and landscape, I'd argue it was perfect. Honestly, a rechargeable battery inside would be awesome too. It would be great in wired mode if the battery just took care of itself for power outage and dismantled scenarios. I'm glad the AAs can serve as backup to the wired connection. This is so close to perfect, but I think I'll wait until the next version.
Greetings from the Netherlands 🇳🇱 Shane. Love your vids and learning a bunch. One addition: in Europe (Netherlands at least) a lot of doors on older houses are recessed in brick walls. For my dad’s situation this means the screw that fixes the camera to the backplate cannot be secured as the wall is in the way. That’s a big miss. I guess also for others.
Also, one request. I loved that episode where you made your grandpa’s house more secure. I’m currently trying to do that for my 88 year old dad. Any follow up videos on this topic would be greatly appreciated. All the best.
Living in a typical Dutch house too, installed it flawlessly using a wera mini rachet. You could consider the wera mini rachet set as it is useful in countless situations!
On Reddit most of the issue with connect and disconnecting oddly only happen to those hardwired not batteries
Thank you for the honest review. You almost seem deflated that this product doesn’t live up to your expectations. How does a video doorbell make it to market that chops off heads and packages from view? That’s a big miss for me. I literally hate my Google Nest Hello (1st gen with dead defective internal battery so every time the button is pressed it goes offline). I have been waiting for a great Apple Home(kit) video doorbell to hit the market. This one checks nearly every box -but the missing heads and missing packages is a dealbreaker. You covered the temperature range but I am wondering if this device suffers from direct sunlight and goes offline as some of the other options on the market? I enjoy your content. Thanks.
Were the homekit connection issues ever fixed?
I fixed that by changing hub from Apple TV to HomePod
Apple Tv I have vpn on it and that's why didn't work
Thank you for the review. While I would love to change out my Ring doorbell, the problems with integration with HomeKit is currently a show stopper. Hopefully that will be corrected in the future. Also horizontal view is much preferred over the wide view.
Wonderfully detailed and comprehensive review, Shane. The doorbell seems to have added in a bunch of niceties but failed to polish the necessities. I am not a fan of the wide-angled doorbells for all of the reasons you have noted: missing heads and missing packages. I don’t see why adding in a a doorbell that can switch between the modes by pivoting the camera 90/-90 degrees. I also appreciated the overall fair critiques.
One oddity I don’t think Aqara considered was the cumulative effect of asking their reviewers to launch their videos on the same day. Each review hit on many of the same negatives: horizontal video, poor video quality, and some level of HK.
This will be my first HomeKit doorbell ( had eufy and currently have ring using scrypted) Looking forward to seeing how this works out and for the price the risk is low. I prefer the horizontal view because of how my home is situated but can see how with your setup vertical would be appreciated. Great review as always!
I have Ring and I hate it. The chime keeps going offline and won't easily reconnect.
Great review of the G4. Hopefully the bugs get worked out over time for connectivity issues.
Very informative video, thanks for that. I'd have to test it along side the Ring doorbell we have now. A big thing I like about the Rind is that it shows us the floor in front of the door, so we can see packages that have been left there.
The G4 may still work with where we have our doorbell mounted, but would have to test. Thanks again for the video
Thanks for watching!
About to order it to play with it. I would prefer vertical to horizontal. But let’s see how it works. Thanks Shane!!
Does recording fail if no internet, power failed or router powered on?
The connection issue is likely due to the fact that you might need a more powerful transformer; I know for Ring and Eufy, I didn't have an issue, but when I upgraded to a more powerful smart doorbell, I needed a better transformer because I was getting those same disconnect/connect notifications
Thanks for the comment. I don't think that's the case, because it's working great in the Aqara app. And I've had the same issues on battery only. It's only HomeKit that gives me problems. And my other hardwired HK doorbells have worked fine. Great point tho for others who may be experiencing issues when hardwired.
@@ShaneCreates Ever had something like this with a Netatmo camera. After completely resetting and reinstalling never had a problem again. So maybe give it a try….
@@ShaneCreatesI have the same problem with my G2 pro’s. I went ahead and got an absolute steal on eBay, a brand new G4 for £25. I have dropouts on all 3 cameras but they all show up in the Aqara app.
Just add this for my back door, so far connectivity has been good and have not seen disconnecting from WiFi as you have described. Will let it go for few days. By the way, I opted for wired option, maybe that has some thing to do with the connectivity since it has the constant handshake with the hub. I have the Logitech in my front entrance, so far, I am fine with either orientation. Being at my back door, the walk way is few steps down, I was able to get the full frontal of anyone ring the doorbell. But I can see your point if this was installed in front entrance, the vertical image is definitely preferred. Thanks again for your review as always.
Thanks for sharing your experience Howard. Good to hear you haven't had any connection issues. I had the same issues when testing on both battery only and hardwired. And again, no issues in the Aqara app, only HomeKit. Hoping it gets better but again, glad to hear all is good with you!
I don’t get why it’s so big. They have a sweet thin stylish door lock and they pair it with something that looks like it was designed in the 80’s. Looks like the iPod Classic.
It’s because of the AA batteries that it takes but yeah I agree
Thanks @Shane great video as usual !!!!!!! just a very quick question
With a Google nest hub you can watch the live stream of the doorbell right ? But are you able to receive the g4 notifications with the image of who is ringing your doorbell through the Google nest hub as well ? I’m running the G4 Chinese version
Thanks Shane, purchased with your link. Although there seem to be some significant cons it’s gotta be better than my old Ring doorbell. Hopefully they can work some of these issues out with a software update.
Thanks Chad! I hope you enjoy it! HomeKit reliability can certainly be improved via firmware updates 🤞🏻.
Does the home app support preview images notifications on Apple Watch??
Just ordered mine
Gday Shane, got mine about 3 weeks ago in Australia. Pro’s definitely out weigh the con’s. Love the pop up on the Apple TV 4K from the doorbell and the event icons on the HK timeline plus the AI detection. Haven’t had any issues with wifi signal in HK app that you mentioned.
Thanks for sharing Craig. Glad to hear you are happy with it!
@@ShaneCreates Hi Shane. That code doesn’t seem to be working anymore on Amazon Canada. Anyway to get it extended as I like to try this as an upgrade to our old gen 1 Ring Pro. Thanks!
Nice one fella, been waiting for 🇬🇧 release date so appreciate this with a nice discount 👍
*ordered it before even watching the video * 😳 it’s ok though I’m desperate for a non-wired battery HomeKit enabled doorbell so this will have to do!!
I hope you like it! 😃
Great info Shane, lots of great features and I agree I would not like the horizontal view. A deal breaker for me is the width of the G4 as I only have 2” width to install it. I will hang on to my old Ring door bell until something better comes around.
Thanks for watching Pat!
have you checked how relaible notifications are? most of my other battery powered cameras miss 40% of motions..
This one caught every motion by my front door today didn't miss a thing and if you change the delayed recording to 0 secs instead of 3 secs you will catch the full video clip and not just the person walking away
Just to clarify, when in HKSV mode, the 24/7 local recording is still possible? When hard wired ofc. Thanks Shane! It’s indeed a pity that it’s not a vertical ratio.
Yes, that is correct.
@@ShaneCreates Thanks! Orderd Mine today. The Logitech is NA in The Netherlands
Is it possible to connect the Ring solar charger directly to the Aqara doorbell for reduced battery dependency?
Another great video! I would also prefer the vertical view so I can see the person's head and packages. Also, can I borrow your demo unit? lol I'm still on a August Doorbell Cam Gen1
Have had my Aqara doorbell for 3 days now. Horizontal image is good. For now, I'm using it on batteries. Il live on a fairly busy road in the city, so put it on eco mode. Curious how long the batteries will live. Oh yes, I can't find anywhere how to make an automation "when the doorbell rings"....great video thanks!
You can create an automation in the Aqara app when the doorbell button is pressed. If you want to create an automation based on that in HomeKit, you need to use a 3rd party homekit app like Eve or Home+.
@@ShaneCreates OK thanks! I didn't find it right away!
Hi guys. Very sad that a doorbell does not expose to HomeKit the main purpose of it, which is to press the button 🙄
Do you know if this will be exposed anytime soon? (I use an Aqara bulb to turnaround this limitation)
Can you update this with how to hook up the repeater? They do not include a plug or other way to connect and it is required. Thanks.
BTW - Great and comprehensive review - Thanks Shane: Best HomeKit Channel!
Thanks Mike! Appreciate the support!
Can this use rechargeable batteries?
Very informative videos. My problem with Aqara g4 is after just a few week the hard wire stop working. Only work on battery supply. I connect to a 24v wall ac adapter still not working. Any idea what might be the problem
Thanks for watching. I’m not sure about this. I would contact Aqara customer support. Maybe it’s a faulty unit.
Thanks for taking your time to look into this.
Hey! Will you ever do an update of this device?
So is there away to make it work with the house chime?
Can this g4 do automation that if it detect a selected face. Your Aqara door lock installed on your door would unlock aswell?
I see that I can trigger an Apple TV display of the camera with a doorbell button push. Can it do the same on an iPhone or Watch? What about motion detection?
Is the IR bulb up high somehow attached to the door cam unit, shadows too strong for no additional light bulb.
Awesome video. Do you know what happens if the Wifi cuts out? I know recordings can't be uploaded or synced with phone because that needs wifi and internet, but are the recordings still recorded to the SD card? - if so, how are they accessed later?
Would you recommend a better HomeKit doorbell?
Does it work with your normal hardwired doorbell chimes or do you need to use the speaker?
Saw the pros and cons… if not this camera which other HomeKit camera is recommended that works with Apple TV.
Hi Shane! As always great video, I’m about to buy my first HomeKit doorbell, and out of the 3 available, this is the most affordable.
Do you have any follow up comment about the HomeKit integration issues?
I have the same question 🙋🏼♂️ 😅
Hi Shane, I just moved to a new house, last year I was about to buy my first doorbell but I wanted to move to the new house before getting it. Just want to follow up, is this still the best doorbell option? Or do you recommend another?
I think this is a great option if the horizontal video feed works for your property. That’s really the only thing that did not work for me personally. I have installed these at multiple family members’ homes where the horizontal feed worked well.
@@ShaneCreates thank you!
Hi Shane, I got my doorbell, completed the installation like an hour ago. I’m loving it so far. I was wondering, if you know, a way to use the Aqara m1s hub as an extra chime or you are only limited to the included chime plus your HomePod mini.
As always thank you for your help.
Quick question, can you do automation where if your door opens the speaker on this doorbell will chime like the speakers on their hubs?
Yes, as long as you have an Aqara Door sensor on the door.
Do you think in the future you will have a video on how to make your own ringtone for this doorbell?
Curious to know if the hub is actually interchangeable with other hubs of the same company so that less hubs/speakers are managed
Ordered! Any insight on when we could see the FP2 presence sensor and the E1 roller shade motor in the US market? Think you’ll get a preview on those too. That presence sensor could be a game changer for automations with its detection zones.
If hard wired how much voltage does it need?
Thoughts on running 2 doorbells(front and side door)? Wondering if one chime can use both. Prob can make it work on the Apple TV/HomePods
Sure I think it would be fine.
Can an automation be created that triggers when the Aqara doorbell is run? Or is the only option to trigger an automation when the Aqara doorbell detects motion? If only the latter is possible, then can the field be limited so only someone directly in front of the doorbell camera is detected?
Hi Shane
In your opinion, what is the best exterior doorbell for homekit? does any one allow remote door opening? Thanks
does the hardwire option allow for it to work with existing chime in the house?
Thanks for the video Shane. I’m happy with my Logitech but this is a good option as far as cost and the fun voice changing options.
Thanks Shane - super helpful video!
I was excited at the beginning of the Video and then when I saw the pixelation, poor night vision and the decision to use horizontal camera instead of vertical completely put me off! :)
Great review.
Ok so do they provide a transformer in case you need it like ring did? Also, does the house doorbell still work? Or do you need to use the chime only as the new doorbell chime?
No transformer included. House doorbell still works if you hard-wire it.
If it’s hardwired will it still sound the original home doorbell chime or does it only play on the one it comes with?
Question of the day? Would i be better off getting the newer nest doorbell wired with starling hub. or get aqara with homekit. from what i heard package detetion is trash on aqara. Video quality is great on nest. Thoughts Shane? what am i losing by going to nest vs aqara as they both technically work with homekit.
In the side-by-side cameras which one was on the left
Great review as always! But does anyone know how this doorbell holds in direct sunlight in the sense of overheating? I now have a Logitech Circle View and although I love it from a quality perspective it is just crap in direct sunlight. In the summer if always turns itself off because of overheating around 15.00 - 17.00 and (rain?) water also made it inside the device, it still works but the device enclosure looks terrible now. I am thinking of buying this device as a replacement but I need to know if this one doesn't overheat so quickly in direct sunlight...
Not sure if I should buy another Logitech doorbell for my new place or get this
Hi my g4 picks up everything and even sends notifications when a car drives past the house. I have it on low sensitivity. Any suggestions please without turning notifications off as I still want to be notified when someone actually pulls into my house.
To change the orientation can you just mount the camera horizontal instead of vertical?
That wouldn't change the orientation in the apps.
Would love a comparison on the Aqara G4 vs Nest Doorbell (via Starling) for best HKSV doorbell!
Hi Shane, is it possible to change ringing options cause notification sound is same as movement detection and all notifications on iPhone and I don't notify that someone was pressing button when I'm away
Great video. Congrats! Looking forward to get a G4. How about a video about automations with facial recognition? Cheers from Brazil!
Thanks for the suggestion!
@@ShaneCreates Can you please test the notifications on Apple Watch, respond from the microphone that appears on notifications when someone press the doorbell ? I want to know the microphone and speaker quality🙏
Thank you for your review!
How do I get the HomeKit, to pop-up with a notifikation when the doorbell is pushed ?
Until now, it only pop-up with Aqara
Make sure your home app notifications are turned on as well as your notifications for the specific camera
Can you answer a the doorbell from the Apple Watch? Thanks
yes
I had to return mine as it broke down after 6months of use, and I found the battery only held for 3weeks or so, even when using rechargeable NiMh batteries or higher quality Energiser Lithium batteries. I went back to using Ring which seems more effective but would like to get a HomeKit enabled battery enabled wireless doorbell.
Shane, thanks for the video. Can I know if you need an Aqara M2 hub to make the door bell work?
Thanks for watching. No need for a hub.
Can this record 24/7 AND record motion-activated segments to HSV at the same time? Or is it one or the other? Also can you view 24/7 recordings on the SD card away from home? If so, can this be viewed on the Apple Home app or only the Aqara app?
I purchased the video doorbell but have been unsuccessful fetting through set up. Do I also need to purchase the hub for it to work? I only have the doorbell video and the chime. Please, advice.
Quick question did you have to do anything to the old doorbell when you connected the power to the Aqara doorbell.
No
Excellent review! Of the video door bells that work in HomeKit, what would you say is your favorite?
Thanks! The features on this one is amazing. I wish they all had local SD card storage for example. But I'd probably go with the Logitech Circle View right now because it's been more reliable in HomeKit for me and I like the vertical camera feed.
i like your video's and value your oppinion , which camera doorbell do you use? i am think of using the reolink camera doorbell because i already have the reolink 8 channel nvr
I don't have ethernet access at my doorbell, so I am not able to use any PoE doorbell cameras currently. I am using Logitech Circle View currently. I would probably use the Aqara doorbell, but I prefer the vertical video feed.
Do you or anyone know of any anti theft door mounts that would fit this? I use one for my ring when I travel. I like to put them on my hotel door. Good for not having to drill or stick to the property walls
Do you have any updates on this video doorbell?
I’ve had the same problems with my Wemo video doorbell. It keeps dropping offline for a min or 2. Some nights it drops offline for as much as 2 hours. I thought it was a Wi-Fi issue but signal was 5 nars at the doorbell. Thought it was a wiring issue but I see no signs of actual power loss. Looks like the HomeKit integration for doorbells might just be buggy
How can I only get notifications on HomeKit an not the Aqara app.?
This is the first HKSV doorbell available in EU so it doesn’t really have competition here. But yeah I’d prefer 3:4 vertical video. My current doorbell is 9:16 vertical and that’s too much, it even breaks the Home app’s doorbell notification UI and I have to scroll to get to my door lock and other buttons.
Were HK connectivity issues happening on battery or when hardwired too?
My issues were both on battery and hardwired.
As this needs to be within 5m of the chime I assume it needs the chime to work? If that’s correct how will it work in a power outage? The chime is mains supplied and for most people so is their Wi-Fi so pretty much it’s all dead isn’t it?
Hey Shane, great videos. Is there any way to get G4 motion detection and doorbell action get priority in my notifications? (without controller/webhooks).
Currently the doorbell and motion is treated the same as all notifications in HomeKit - which means if my phone is silenced I can’t get an audible notification alert. Before with Ring i could customize ring notifications to always make a noise.
Thank you. You cannot do this in HomeKit... there is now way to change the priority of notifications for different devices.
You may want to look into the Aqara app for a solution. You can create an automation that says when the doorbell is pressed, then send a push alarm notification. This notification would come from the Aqara app, but would be delivered to your devices as a "critical" notification. Maybe that would help you get closer to what you are looking for.
@@ShaneCreates got you. If you wanted to do it on “motion alert” you would need to align your activity zones so that you get a push notification from Aqara at the same time as HomeKit.
Thank you Shane. Good review. Just curious, does this G4 end up being a hub/bridge for Aqara?
Thanks for watching Gregg. No this device does not act as a hub for Aqara child devices.