Happy Saturday everyone!! In case I didn't say it enough, Free cloud and 24/7 recording to an SD card and it's cheap! More of this please Smart Home industry!! :BUY THE AQARA G4 HERE: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. By buying through any of the links below I will earn commission at no extra cost to you :) UK: amzn.to/40vGQF7 UKG4PAUL (15% OFF for the G4 doorbell; valid from Apr 12th to 14th; only applicable on Amazon UK) US: amzn.to/3nBHwdM
It might be free cloud service 'now', but once the company breaks it's product and the investors start clamouring for a return or is sold what then ? They'll do what every other company has done, change the ToS and make it subscription based. After all, what are you going to do about it ?
No RTSP, no HA integration, and a "Free" cloud. We could really use the fast FireTV integration but I think I am going with the POE Reolink. Hopefully Aqara addresses the video quality and adds these features in the next one. It is much cheaper for them in the long run.
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.
I bought this product because of this video. I have a Google Nest Hub and a Amazon Echo Spot, both have displays. And can't create a routine to cast image when the doorbell button is press. I do not have or want to have Home Assistant. Anyone have ideas or haves the same problem? Thanks!
As it's out of stock I can't see the price. How much is it? Thinking of getting one for a dementia sufferer as face recognition on locking up could play a custom ring reminding them they're not supposed to leave the house alone. Seems truly ideal for me to incorporate into the smart home stuff to help them stay in their own home longer
Another great video Paul. However, on April Fools day I was half expecting you to try a mega windup, something like trying to convince us with something utterly & totally outrageous, like maybe you'd finally become a Philips Hue fan RLOL???
Bought one on a whim, must've been within hours of it going on sale, as our Ring was just doing my head in. Just installed it today and it's great so far, the one small thing that is a pain is the position of the security screw. It would've been much better at the bottom rather than on the side. If you're limited with space around the door this can be a problem. I only just managed secure it with a very small bendy screwdriver otherwise you're screwed, or not as the case may be.
IPX3 is a ridiculous oversight for a doorbell camera. All they had to do was add a gasket between the doorbell and its backplate to make it more water resistant. As it stands, it’s completely vulnerable to rain and I’m so disappointed given how otherwise amazing this thing is. I don’t even think it’s IPX3, that feels like a self-proclaimed rating because rain can clearly easily get in!
@@tharais price point is a valid reason for 1080p not 4K; plastic components as opposed to metal ones; etc. but definitely not something that should be standard for an electronic device intended to be put outside and exposed to the elements.
@@twistsouth514 I don't disagree. An outdoor product should be water an UV protected. I was just saying that was probably why IPX3 standards were not addressed. And Aqara says to mount them under a protected area. It seems that many people here, as well as on Reddits and elsewhere have been using Aqara indoor cameras in protected, outdoor environments and getting away with it.
@@tharais unfortunately I think that’s just luck. I opened mine and there is zero chance this survives 6 months exposed to rain or snow. With the back plate off, the reset button has ~3mm gaps all around it and that’s right through to the circuitry. Also the batteries are just going to rust like crazy. Might fare better if wired but still, I wouldn’t be putting this up as-is. I’m going to buy some 0.6mm rubber sheet and waterproof electrical tape. Hopefully that will keep moisture out! I can’t tell if the speaker has any protection but my guess is that it doesn’t.
@@twistsouth514 Well, not that it would make one feel any better but....I have dozens of solar powered, outdoor lights I've acquired over the years. All of them except for one or two are constructed of plastic and are just as prone to water intrusion as the Aqara G4 doorbell seems to be. Some have survived for ten years or more. Some didn't make it through one rainy season. But the major issue has been plastic degradation from the sunlight. Which is why I get frustrated with all the outdoor patio offerings at home centers and online that have plastic components. From cheap path lights to multi thousand dollar patio furniture sets. The California sun will have them brittle, discolored and breaking within two summers.
Can you have it play a message when it detects someone (that doesn't hit the button) at the door, to tell the stupid ass delivery person to ring the bell?
What if there is a power-outtage? -I heard that then you need to set it all up again... Is this true? in that case, this isn't a very good product. -Can you confirm this?
Another excellent video, Paul, super helpful. But your mate, Lewis, points out it doesn't have RTSP or ONVIV and says it's "almost" amazing. Fight fight fight fight! 😂
Thanks to you , i bought their G3 camera. This doorbell fell into my radar and was hoping for some reviews. Some of my quries are what happens when you wired the doorbell and as well leave battery in there? Did they update the alexa with more routines?
Great Video ... How to I stop the Alexa announcement " Someone is at the Doorbell" each time the doorbell is pushed ? I only want the chime /ringtone . A must from the WFA !!
7 hours later no stock left. No mention of the 16:9 aspect ratio possibly preventing it from seeing parcels left on your doorstep, was that an issue appreciate it has a wide angle but bottom viewing angle is just as important on the doorstep
The Nest does beat Aqara in low light and infrared mode, but overall I would say the Aqara is a really good doorbell, if you don't mind the physical size of the device. It's a bit chunky compared to a lot of other doorbells. Does it run happily on rechargeable batteries? 6 batteries every 4 months is a reasonable battery expense.
Regardless of how long it runs off the batteries, just get rechargeable AAs and you can just swap between 2 sets of batteries. I honestly LOVE things that run on standardised batteries, I just wish there was, generally, more of a push to use rechargeables instead of disposables.
Rechargeable AA batteries don't last as long as single-use alkaline batteries. Also the 4 month's quoted by Aquara is for only 6 records per day, so if you live in a busy street or have lots of visitors or family going in and out all day, you'd be lucky for it to last 6 to 8 weeks. Apart from the annoying battery issue it does look like a great doorbell. I'm waiting for version 2 though. (No idea when!)
@@remaincalm2 My query was if it would even work on rechargeable batteries. Rechargeables have a slightly lower voltage of 1.2v compared to 1.5 for standard AAs. Some devices just refuse to work on them. 😊 As @Paul Hibbert said, eneloop do last a lot longer and some rechargeable batteries do last longer than standard cells.
Would love to have a more detailed review on the response time, and if there’s a high possibility that it misses capturing the footage of the visitor like a delivery person who comes and goes real quick. I have that problem with my current doorbell and hoping to replace with this. I don’t have the option to wire it.
Great video! just getting to it since your fiasco; hope thats better. Can you hard wire the doorbell and have the batteries in there to act as backup if main power is lost?
How did you manage to get Alexa to announce ‘someone is at the bloody door’? Got most of the way there by naming the device ‘answer the bloody door’ but she adds in at the start ‘someone is at the answer a bloody door’ 🤔
All I'm gonna say is, the police got a real good chuckle out of the door mat I got that says, "come back with a warrant" whilst there with another gov agency that was trying to scare me into opening my door. Joke was on them, I wasn't even home... I would love a door bell that told people to get off my porch. That would be amazing. 🤔 You know I suppose since I already have a camera on my porch, I could just put a push button up there that says doorbell that they could push that could tell them as much. You know like the ones they use for animals and such... Hehe... Twould be quite sure ruse. They would so be baited... 😄😄😄
Good vid, interesting product (looking to get away from the Vivint mistake I made). However, I feel as though something was missing this morning. Like I was properly baited or such. Hmmm... 😂
Never had bought a ringer like this as too much to lose if someone nicks it! Gauntlet laying down time - how about a device that will use your exisiting door peep hole, outside of the door can be a camera unit and push button bell, screwed through the peep hole to inside the door, all the tech to make it work. Bonus points for being able to also connect a small solar panel to keep local battery charged/topped up. Double bonus points for not having to connect to the cloud for video storage (ie: offload to local server) and being able to set camera trigger zones to start recording or takes jpgs quickly. Do you feel lucky?
I agree. its crazy to have such expensive tech outside your home ripe for theft. There are already similar devices such as you describe, two I'm aware of, Yale and a company called Smart detect. they arent doorbells IIRC, just cameras so you can monitor live who is at the door. Just a simple cheap doorbell will suffice to alert you then you check the camera to see who is there...simples! and no expensive tech to steal. I don't think that they are "smart" though, so no notifications or consequential actionable routines. If you dont mind losing the warranty, maybe it is possible to dismantle the camera part to install in a housing on your door, install and wire-in a simple push switch, and then leave the expensive electronic gubbins inside the premises? just a thought. Or, a simple push switch connected to a dismantled door contact sensor, linked to Alexa to show a separate (cheap) external camera when the button is pressed? it would be an interesting project!
@@David-bl1bt It's fiddly to steal, by the time someone had got the little screwdriver into the tiny grub screw you'd already be punching them in the face.
So dissapointed with this doorbell. In the 2 months I've had it the doorbell has locked up 6 times. It stops recording and will not ring when the button is pressed. I'm not the only one with this problem - search "Aqara doorbell flashes blue". No notifications recieved to say it is offline. Only solution to get it going again is to remove the power source. Also notifications, although quick when first enabled, now regullarly take over 2 mins to display on my phone even when the phone is connected t thesame wifi network. The motion detection is via an IR sensor and only has two sensitivity settings. Also there is no pre-triggering of event recording and as Paul said, no motion detection trigger available in Alexa. Overall, i'm missing my 'Wired Ring'. It just worked, the motion detection controls were so much better, trigger pre-record on events, more triggers available for Alexa routines. Just a pity they put up the subscription by 42%. PS you can get the Ring to auto display on a Alexa Show when the button is pressed (or motion detected) with a little alexa routine!
This is my first smart door bell in HomeKit. Works great so far, but the face recognition seems to be a bit slow… the door bell needs to be pressed twice every time before my homepods are able to call out the name of the person pressing the door bell. I checked the Wi-Fi connection doorbell-chime-router, the connection strength is strong and I already upgraded to the latest 4.0.1 firmware. Is it just me or this is a common problem with this G4 doorbell thx.
Dear friend, I have the switchbot lock with the first-generation hub. I consider replacing the hub to the second generation Hub2 for adding my switchbot lock support to the apple home support. Also, I interested buying Aqara G4 Doorbell (which is also support the Apple home) My question is if I can combine both products to work together ??? I mean, the moment someone rings the Aqara G4 Doorbell, I will be able to get notification from the apple home app, watch the G4 camera & on the same Apple screen app to open the switchbot lock for opening the door ? I watched the Aqara promotional video and saw that there is an option on both Aqara products (Aqara lock u200 & Aqara G4 Doorbell). Here's the Aqara promotional video, at the 16-second mark th-cam.com/video/lWadY9hohJA/w-d-xo.html I'll be glad if know what you think about my idea Shlomi
Dear friend, I have the switchbot lock with the first-generation hub. I consider replacing the hub to the second generation Hub2 for adding my switchbot lock support to the apple home support. Also, I interested buying Aqara G4 Doorbell (which is also support the Apple home) My question is if I can combine both products to work together ??? I mean, the moment someone rings the Aqara G4 Doorbell, I will be able to get notification from the apple home app, watch the G4 camera & on the same Apple screen app to open the switchbot lock for opening the door ? I watched the Aqara promotional video and saw that there is an option on both Aqara products (Aqara lock u200 & Aqara G4 Doorbell). Here's the Aqara promotional video, at the 16-second mark th-cam.com/video/lWadY9hohJA/w-d-xo.html I'll be glad if know what you think about my idea Shlomi
The bell is supposed to know the Matter protocol. Can't add. It's supposed to be able to do Homekit, but it doesn't expose the entity for the bell button, nor does it detect humans. (faces) Only motion sensor (no settings) and video stream. It simply does not expose the corresponding entities. If you check what's visible via homekit tools, you'll cry. Face detection works poorly. Probably the funniest thing is that it can't rotate the photo properly on the iPhone. If you add a photo directly from the iPhone, it will be mirrored. Some settings don't save very readily. Switching between IR and day mode has major flaws. The button illumination setting is completely useless. It can only be turned off and on. Overall the settings are horribly confusing as is usual with Aqara. Just like you have to endure mentally retarded support that can only solve problems like "oh no I can't find the bell icon". If you need a simple doorbell that responds fairly quickly, it's not bad, but it absolutely doesn't deliver what it promises. It's frustrating because it's not missing much to make it a very good device.
Hey dude, had a thought whilst watching, any chance of getting an overlay or small segment giving your opinion on how friendly/integrated a product is for the native app, alexa, google assistant, and home assitant. e.g a rating out of 10 on how well its worked for you :) This one seemed great for alexa, but the others? :) Keep up the good work!
Anyone else have problems with the doorbell speaker in the Aqara app? As of today, Aug. 29, 2023 I am running the latest version of the app and of the Aqara firmware. The speaker and microphone work fine in the Apple Home app, but they cannot be heard when using the Aqara app. I assume this is an app issue and not a problem with the doorbell itself, but I'm still within the return window and don't think I want a $120 doorbell that doesn't function properly. I've reached out to Aqara twice but haven't even gotten an acknowledgement that they have received my ticket.
I'm having an issue with the latest firmware version .78 that bricked the doorbell apparently... it does not connect to the chime and it lights green intermittently even if I reset both devices. I know this is a common issue and I saw several Reddit comments. Does anyone know if it was resolved?
Batteries are NO GOOD! In minus 20 or worse weather they just Die so you would need to buy expensive energizer lithium batteries🤦♀️. Gah. A Rechargeable option would help!
hmmm been looking for a carport bear-cam. this would announce the bear, deer. wildcat, raccoon, mouse, bird, buddy, neighbour or other interloper on the bedside Echo Show. and therefor whether to get up to confront the visitor. I have an Echo Flex with sensor and a dot yelling at everyone which costs the same, but without the video feed. I would of course now have to get dressed before wrestling the bears.
At 2:58 it says "512 MB SD" - as in half a gig? or 512 GB? At 10:50 you said it takes up to 512 meg SD cards. Are cards that small even sold anymore? 8GB is probably the smallest I've seen these days with 64 GB and 128 GB the most common.
Yeah that surprised me too but then on their website when you put the door bell to basket it suggests 64 and 128Gb card. So probably just a mistake in this review…
Paul, I do think you get this remark all the time but this time you overdid it. My Alexa reacted about 7 times on this video. Very annoying. Do like the video though.
Again a vertical design. In continental europe horizontal doorbells are basically standard. Also i do not get why there have to be batteries in those things. People have no power in their doorbells? Very strange.
I'm so glad they thought to put the alarm on it. That was the first thing I thought looking at the chunk-tastic box. Someone's gonna grab it and just run away. Instead, they'll just smash it to the ground and stomp on it until it's silent.
Great intro: No baiting needed. A doorbell that can use a custom alert message and then display the feed on an Amazon thing _and_ 7 days of free cloud storage to boot. I'm in for the rest of the video for sure. Standard AA batteries: I have mixed feelings on that. On the one hand, as you point out, you're not leaving your doorway vulnerable while it's charging. On the other hand, you're contributing to e-waste. Fortunately they do allow for powering off the 25v doorbell wiring. Plug-in chime: Point for including it. Points off for not being able to ring an existing chime. Points on again for making the chime a repeater hub and storage hub. I really like that. I also like the wealth of triggers that it exposes. [Insert exposure joke here][Insert prurient troll meme here] All told, I agree that this outshines all the other doorbells I'm aware of. I'm seriously tempted to toss my current one in a bin and get this thing. Thanks again for a great review, covering all the important points. See you next week.
Thank you for this video. I've been considering replacements for my Eufy doorbell due to the recent security issues with them and just frequent missed motion alerts. This might be the one I end up going with.
I have steps going up to my front door. So doorbell cameras see mostly sky. To bad they don’t design them to tilt down a bit because I have no interest in making a custom jig to mount it properly.
Eufy have a dual camera doorbell which has a downward pointing camera to show whether there is a parcel left on the step for example. You would be better with a seperate camera and a simple, cheap doorbell.
FYI, this camera seem to be a bit buggy at the moment..First one I had died after two days of use. Replaced with a new one, now in Homekit I have problems to "stream & record". Just hangs and becomes inaccessible after a short while. Working fine in "stream only" mode. Same problem if I try to access through Aqura app..Anyone else having problem?
Happy Saturday everyone!! In case I didn't say it enough, Free cloud and 24/7 recording to an SD card and it's cheap! More of this please Smart Home industry!! :BUY THE AQARA G4 HERE:
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. By buying through any of the links below I will earn commission at no extra cost to you :)
UK: amzn.to/40vGQF7
UKG4PAUL (15% OFF for the G4 doorbell; valid from Apr 12th to 14th; only applicable on Amazon UK)
US: amzn.to/3nBHwdM
512gb not meg??
Free until it isn't anymore.
Great video, sadly the typical thing has happened, first video doorbell that looks like it would work for me, Amazon: "Currently Unavailable"
It might be free cloud service 'now', but once the company breaks it's product and the investors start clamouring for a return or is sold what then ? They'll do what every other company has done, change the ToS and make it subscription based. After all, what are you going to do about it ?
Objection your honour, speculation, hearsay and it's from one of those stupid frog things.
Max 512MB SD card for 24/7 recording, or perhaps 512GB?
512GB as stated on the Aqara website, Paul must have made a mistake 😊
10:43 ... glad it wasn’t just me. I might still have a 512mb card somewhere but I doubt it would be quick enough to accept decent quality video.
Also glad it wasn't just me that heard this! Thanks for posting. Definitely 512GB.
Is there an integration with Home Assistant?
(you know this question was inevetable ;-)
No RTSP, no HA integration, and a "Free" cloud. We could really use the fast FireTV integration but I think I am going with the POE Reolink. Hopefully Aqara addresses the video quality and adds these features in the next one. It is much cheaper for them in the long run.
Even if I would not give a s*** about domotics, gadgets etc... I would not miss any of your video. you make my day each day you publish a new video 😂
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.
‘The slimmer version’
That’s a completely different product, not a different version of this one.
I bought this product because of this video.
I have a Google Nest Hub and a Amazon Echo Spot, both have displays.
And can't create a routine to cast image when the doorbell button is press.
I do not have or want to have Home Assistant.
Anyone have ideas or haves the same problem?
Thanks!
Same problem! Did you solve it ?
Happy Saturday Paul! Thanks.
Paul, I think it doesn’t have RTSP, so no Home Assistant integration. Why not mentioning this in the review?
Hey Paul. Just checked the user manual. I think you meant to say 512 GB SD card, not 512 MB. April fool's maybe?
512 Meg ??? can you even get that small memory cards anymore :)....Good show Paul, keep em' comming. keep up the good work. :)
You bated me in with the free 24/7 recording
Does is support RTSP ir ONVIF? What about Home Assistant?
As it's out of stock I can't see the price. How much is it? Thinking of getting one for a dementia sufferer as face recognition on locking up could play a custom ring reminding them they're not supposed to leave the house alone.
Seems truly ideal for me to incorporate into the smart home stuff to help them stay in their own home longer
Another great video Paul. However, on April Fools day I was half expecting you to try a mega windup, something like trying to convince us with something utterly & totally outrageous, like maybe you'd finally become a Philips Hue fan RLOL???
Im not a homeassistant fanboy...but...YOU DIDN'T MENTION IF IT HAS THE HOME ASSISTANT INTEGRATION OR NOT!!!!
It doesn’t. You want the Reolink for that. th-cam.com/video/hj8UadXzPVQ/w-d-xo.html
It does not
@@danielruiz4712 *Humps the air
@@paulhibbert Heh
@@danielruiz4712 🤔 "yet" if it works with homekit I guess?
Loved your dainty hands and pink nail varnish 😁
I believe you forgot to mention that the doorbell can be also powered via existing wires when you connect it via the screws on top of the batteries.
He mentioned it could be wired toward the end of the video.
@@kadeschs Missed that, thanks!
Head explosion is in itself worth the subscription
Bought one on a whim, must've been within hours of it going on sale, as our Ring was just doing my head in. Just installed it today and it's great so far, the one small thing that is a pain is the position of the security screw. It would've been much better at the bottom rather than on the side. If you're limited with space around the door this can be a problem. I only just managed secure it with a very small bendy screwdriver otherwise you're screwed, or not as the case may be.
Seems like quite a few online video/text reviews had complained about this as well
IPX3 is a ridiculous oversight for a doorbell camera. All they had to do was add a gasket between the doorbell and its backplate to make it more water resistant. As it stands, it’s completely vulnerable to rain and I’m so disappointed given how otherwise amazing this thing is. I don’t even think it’s IPX3, that feels like a self-proclaimed rating because rain can clearly easily get in!
Price point?
@@tharais price point is a valid reason for 1080p not 4K; plastic components as opposed to metal ones; etc. but definitely not something that should be standard for an electronic device intended to be put outside and exposed to the elements.
@@twistsouth514 I don't disagree. An outdoor product should be water an UV protected. I was just saying that was probably why IPX3 standards were not addressed. And Aqara says to mount them under a protected area.
It seems that many people here, as well as on Reddits and elsewhere have been using Aqara indoor cameras in protected, outdoor environments and getting away with it.
@@tharais unfortunately I think that’s just luck. I opened mine and there is zero chance this survives 6 months exposed to rain or snow. With the back plate off, the reset button has ~3mm gaps all around it and that’s right through to the circuitry. Also the batteries are just going to rust like crazy. Might fare better if wired but still, I wouldn’t be putting this up as-is. I’m going to buy some 0.6mm rubber sheet and waterproof electrical tape. Hopefully that will keep moisture out! I can’t tell if the speaker has any protection but my guess is that it doesn’t.
@@twistsouth514
Well, not that it would make one feel any better but....I have dozens of solar powered, outdoor lights I've acquired over the years. All of them except for one or two are constructed of plastic and are just as prone to water intrusion as the Aqara G4 doorbell seems to be. Some have survived for ten years or more. Some didn't make it through one rainy season. But the major issue has been plastic degradation from the sunlight. Which is why I get frustrated with all the outdoor patio offerings at home centers and online that have plastic components. From cheap path lights to multi thousand dollar patio furniture sets. The California sun will have them brittle, discolored and breaking within two summers.
Can you have it play a message when it detects someone (that doesn't hit the button) at the door, to tell the stupid ass delivery person to ring the bell?
512mb? Surely you mean gb Paul. Happy Saturday.
Looks good and have a great features for sure, but nothing can beat Ring Wired doorbell yet in my opinion
512MB SD? Did you mean 512GB? Or does it only take a small capacity card?
I spotted that one too 😂
Probably a typo lol, its 512GB
But does it work with Home Assistant?
Nope.
Never been this early.......premature some might say......Ive said too much
I feel I have been baited!
@@paulhibbert by the master.....have you been masterb.....🫠
I bought the Aqara G4 a couple of days ago. Simple to install and very pleased with it so far.
Will definitely consider this if my eufy doorbell ever dies, thanks for the video, p.s. where's the bait from the master lol 😉
What if there is a power-outtage? -I heard that then you need to set it all up again... Is this true? in that case, this isn't a very good product. -Can you confirm this?
Not true.
Another excellent video, Paul, super helpful. But your mate, Lewis, points out it doesn't have RTSP or ONVIV and says it's "almost" amazing. Fight fight fight fight! 😂
Showing off your lovely nails Mr Hibbert.
Thanks to you , i bought their G3 camera. This doorbell fell into my radar and was hoping for some reviews. Some of my quries are what happens when you wired the doorbell and as well leave battery in there? Did they update the alexa with more routines?
Great Video ... How to I stop the Alexa announcement " Someone is at the Doorbell" each time the doorbell is pushed ? I only want the chime /ringtone . A must from the WFA !!
7 hours later no stock left.
No mention of the 16:9 aspect ratio possibly preventing it from seeing parcels left on your doorstep, was that an issue appreciate it has a wide angle but bottom viewing angle is just as important on the doorstep
The Nest does beat Aqara in low light and infrared mode, but overall I would say the Aqara is a really good doorbell, if you don't mind the physical size of the device. It's a bit chunky compared to a lot of other doorbells.
Does it run happily on rechargeable batteries? 6 batteries every 4 months is a reasonable battery expense.
Regardless of how long it runs off the batteries, just get rechargeable AAs and you can just swap between 2 sets of batteries. I honestly LOVE things that run on standardised batteries, I just wish there was, generally, more of a push to use rechargeables instead of disposables.
Rechargeable AA batteries don't last as long as single-use alkaline batteries. Also the 4 month's quoted by Aquara is for only 6 records per day, so if you live in a busy street or have lots of visitors or family going in and out all day, you'd be lucky for it to last 6 to 8 weeks. Apart from the annoying battery issue it does look like a great doorbell. I'm waiting for version 2 though. (No idea when!)
@@remaincalm2 It can be wired! Also worth mentioning that Eneloop batteries will last longer :)
@@remaincalm2 My query was if it would even work on rechargeable batteries. Rechargeables have a slightly lower voltage of 1.2v compared to 1.5 for standard AAs. Some devices just refuse to work on them. 😊
As @Paul Hibbert said, eneloop do last a lot longer and some rechargeable batteries do last longer than standard cells.
@@paulhibbert Are they genuinely 2500mAh though? (Eneloop Pro.) Product claims rarely live up to battery tests I've done.
Would love to have a more detailed review on the response time, and if there’s a high possibility that it misses capturing the footage of the visitor like a delivery person who comes and goes real quick. I have that problem with my current doorbell and hoping to replace with this. I don’t have the option to wire it.
Great video! just getting to it since your fiasco; hope thats better.
Can you hard wire the doorbell and have the batteries in there to act as backup if main power is lost?
Can you open a smart door lock based on face recognition trigger from the g4 doorbell?
You used to not say Alexa out loud....no Home Assistant? Hubitat?
How did you manage to get Alexa to announce ‘someone is at the bloody door’?
Got most of the way there by naming the device ‘answer the bloody door’ but she adds in at the start ‘someone is at the answer a bloody door’ 🤔
The real issue is the IP rating, or lack thereof. Living on our rainy islands won't be good for the G4 unless protected from the elements.
Does it support offline recording? Let's say the WiFi goes out, would it still record to the local SD card?
Just to answer myself here, yes, it does! But the timeline of motion recognition and doorbell presses gets messed up after you reconnect it
You misspoke at 10m41s, Paul. Aqara say the MicroSD card can be up to 512GB, not MB.
With this crazy rain we have been having, how is the doorbell holding up? Is your doorbell covered or is it out in the open?
Hi Paul, you made me buy this doorbell. However I am not able to load video stream when someone rings the bell. :o How did you do that?
All I'm gonna say is, the police got a real good chuckle out of the door mat I got that says, "come back with a warrant" whilst there with another gov agency that was trying to scare me into opening my door. Joke was on them, I wasn't even home...
I would love a door bell that told people to get off my porch. That would be amazing. 🤔 You know I suppose since I already have a camera on my porch, I could just put a push button up there that says doorbell that they could push that could tell them as much. You know like the ones they use for animals and such... Hehe...
Twould be quite sure ruse. They would so be baited... 😄😄😄
Google home and nest one seems to load lot quicker to screens, sure in some people usecases this might be fine but for many this would be annoying
Certainly not my experience. My Nest doorbell takes way longer than this!
Do aqara will load picture auto if someone press doorbell? I am using Google nest hub
Not available on Amazon. I assume sold out. What’s the RRP?
119
Good vid, interesting product (looking to get away from the Vivint mistake I made).
However, I feel as though something was missing this morning. Like I was properly baited or such. Hmmm... 😂
Never had bought a ringer like this as too much to lose if someone nicks it! Gauntlet laying down time - how about a device that will use your exisiting door peep hole, outside of the door can be a camera unit and push button bell, screwed through the peep hole to inside the door, all the tech to make it work. Bonus points for being able to also connect a small solar panel to keep local battery charged/topped up. Double bonus points for not having to connect to the cloud for video storage (ie: offload to local server) and being able to set camera trigger zones to start recording or takes jpgs quickly. Do you feel lucky?
I agree. its crazy to have such expensive tech outside your home ripe for theft.
There are already similar devices such as you describe, two I'm aware of, Yale and a company called Smart detect. they arent doorbells IIRC, just cameras so you can monitor live who is at the door. Just a simple cheap doorbell will suffice to alert you then you check the camera to see who is there...simples! and no expensive tech to steal.
I don't think that they are "smart" though, so no notifications or consequential actionable routines.
If you dont mind losing the warranty, maybe it is possible to dismantle the camera part to install in a housing on your door, install and wire-in a simple push switch, and then leave the expensive electronic gubbins inside the premises? just a thought.
Or, a simple push switch connected to a dismantled door contact sensor, linked to Alexa to show a separate (cheap) external camera when the button is pressed? it would be an interesting project!
@@David-bl1bt It's fiddly to steal, by the time someone had got the little screwdriver into the tiny grub screw you'd already be punching them in the face.
@Paul Hibbert (Hibbert Home Tech) however...the most useful tool on a robbers toolbox is a crowbar!
I can't get the doorbell feed to load on my echo show like you did. How did you manage it?
Same 😢
So dissapointed with this doorbell. In the 2 months I've had it the doorbell has locked up 6 times. It stops recording and will not ring when the button is pressed. I'm not the only one with this problem - search "Aqara doorbell flashes blue". No notifications recieved to say it is offline. Only solution to get it going again is to remove the power source. Also notifications, although quick when first enabled, now regullarly take over 2 mins to display on my phone even when the phone is connected t thesame wifi network. The motion detection is via an IR sensor and only has two sensitivity settings. Also there is no pre-triggering of event recording and as Paul said, no motion detection trigger available in Alexa.
Overall, i'm missing my 'Wired Ring'. It just worked, the motion detection controls were so much better, trigger pre-record on events, more triggers available for Alexa routines. Just a pity they put up the subscription by 42%. PS you can get the Ring to auto display on a Alexa Show when the button is pressed (or motion detected) with a little alexa routine!
It’s 10am, time for Mr Hibbert 😀
4 am for me, great way to start my day!
@@cltimbes Morning gents! 4AM is insanity! 😮
@@paulhibbert Why?
Is the max sd card size really 512 MB or was that a mistake and meant to say 512 GB?
We knew he meant GB. Well, we ass-u-me-d he did.
Another great review...is there any word if this will be Matter compatable?
"the G4 is planned to receive Matter support via an OTA update".
Nice nail polish...
Doesn’t still record when you start viewing with free
This is my first smart door bell in HomeKit. Works great so far, but the face recognition seems to be a bit slow… the door bell needs to be pressed twice every time before my homepods are able to call out the name of the person pressing the door bell. I checked the Wi-Fi connection doorbell-chime-router, the connection strength is strong and I already upgraded to the latest 4.0.1 firmware. Is it just me or this is a common problem with this G4 doorbell thx.
Dear friend, I have the switchbot lock with the first-generation hub.
I consider replacing the hub to the second generation Hub2 for adding my switchbot lock support to the apple home support.
Also, I interested buying Aqara G4 Doorbell (which is also support the Apple home) My question is if I can combine both products to work together ???
I mean, the moment someone rings the Aqara G4 Doorbell, I will be able to get notification from the apple home app, watch the G4 camera & on the same Apple screen app to open the switchbot lock for opening the door ?
I watched the Aqara promotional video and saw that there is an option on both Aqara products (Aqara lock u200 & Aqara G4 Doorbell). Here's the Aqara promotional video, at the 16-second mark th-cam.com/video/lWadY9hohJA/w-d-xo.html
I'll be glad if know what you think about my idea
Shlomi
Dear friend, I have the switchbot lock with the first-generation hub.
I consider replacing the hub to the second generation Hub2 for adding my switchbot lock support to the apple home support.
Also, I interested buying Aqara G4 Doorbell (which is also support the Apple home) My question is if I can combine both products to work together ???
I mean, the moment someone rings the Aqara G4 Doorbell, I will be able to get notification from the apple home app, watch the G4 camera & on the same Apple screen app to open the switchbot lock for opening the door ?
I watched the Aqara promotional video and saw that there is an option on both Aqara products (Aqara lock u200 & Aqara G4 Doorbell). Here's the Aqara promotional video, at the 16-second mark th-cam.com/video/lWadY9hohJA/w-d-xo.html
I'll be glad if know what you think about my idea Shlomi
The bell is supposed to know the Matter protocol. Can't add.
It's supposed to be able to do Homekit, but it doesn't expose the entity for the bell button, nor does it detect humans. (faces) Only motion sensor (no settings) and video stream. It simply does not expose the corresponding entities. If you check what's visible via homekit tools, you'll cry.
Face detection works poorly. Probably the funniest thing is that it can't rotate the photo properly on the iPhone. If you add a photo directly from the iPhone, it will be mirrored.
Some settings don't save very readily. Switching between IR and day mode has major flaws.
The button illumination setting is completely useless. It can only be turned off and on. Overall the settings are horribly confusing as is usual with Aqara.
Just like you have to endure mentally retarded support that can only solve problems like "oh no I can't find the bell icon".
If you need a simple doorbell that responds fairly quickly, it's not bad, but it absolutely doesn't deliver what it promises.
It's frustrating because it's not missing much to make it a very good device.
Can it display video on google nest hub (max) displays, and visitor announcement in google nest speakers as well?
Yes
Hey dude, had a thought whilst watching, any chance of getting an overlay or small segment giving your opinion on how friendly/integrated a product is for the native app, alexa, google assistant, and home assitant. e.g a rating out of 10 on how well its worked for you :) This one seemed great for alexa, but the others? :)
Keep up the good work!
I'd love to buy one in the UK, but that doesnt seem to be possible at the moment. Amazon dont have them it would seem.
Does it work with Google Nest Hub?
Anyone else have problems with the doorbell speaker in the Aqara app? As of today, Aug. 29, 2023 I am running the latest version of the app and of the Aqara firmware. The speaker and microphone work fine in the Apple Home app, but they cannot be heard when using the Aqara app. I assume this is an app issue and not a problem with the doorbell itself, but I'm still within the return window and don't think I want a $120 doorbell that doesn't function properly. I've reached out to Aqara twice but haven't even gotten an acknowledgement that they have received my ticket.
I'm having an issue with the latest firmware version .78 that bricked the doorbell apparently... it does not connect to the chime and it lights green intermittently even if I reset both devices. I know this is a common issue and I saw several Reddit comments. Does anyone know if it was resolved?
Batteries are NO GOOD! In minus 20 or worse weather they just Die so you would need to buy expensive energizer lithium batteries🤦♀️. Gah. A Rechargeable option would help!
Can you get video feed on Google hub? And do you need an aqara hub to use this? Does it work with home assistant?
Yes. No. Not currently, unfortunately.
@@JamesScholesUK I haven't been able to get any Aqara products to work with Google 🤨
@@All_Dead_In_Shimoda Lewis over at Smart Home Solver has just reviewed it. He shows it working on a Nest Hub
can be integrated in HA?
hmmm been looking for a carport bear-cam. this would announce the bear, deer. wildcat, raccoon, mouse, bird, buddy, neighbour or other interloper on the bedside Echo Show. and therefor whether to get up to confront the visitor. I have an Echo Flex with sensor and a dot yelling at everyone which costs the same, but without the video feed. I would of course now have to get dressed before wrestling the bears.
At 2:58 it says "512 MB SD" - as in half a gig? or 512 GB? At 10:50 you said it takes up to 512 meg SD cards. Are cards that small even sold anymore? 8GB is probably the smallest I've seen these days with 64 GB and 128 GB the most common.
Yeah that surprised me too but then on their website when you put the door bell to basket it suggests 64 and 128Gb card. So probably just a mistake in this review…
With the Ring subscription going up to £49.99 per year I have ordered one of these. Ring in the skip!
Releay switch for remote door lock opening?
It’s funny and ironic that you equate Apple to the Empire being that Apple folks equate wintel in the same regard. And have always.
Brought one, got a licensed electrician to run the wires, so far so good.
"Free Cloud Storage" makes me concerned. Let's hope they don't become the next Ring and provide your video to whom every has a fancy letterhead.
Paul, I do think you get this remark all the time but this time you overdid it. My Alexa reacted about 7 times on this video. Very annoying. Do like the video though.
Sold out, but at that price I'm not surprised. Will get one when back in stock
Looks ugly and bulky. 6 batteries for only 4 months nah not impressed
It can be hardwired alongside the batteries :)
Again a vertical design. In continental europe horizontal doorbells are basically standard.
Also i do not get why there have to be batteries in those things. People have no power in their doorbells?
Very strange.
Paul, I just wanted to mention a typo at 3:00 and 10:40 : the SD card can go up to 512 GB, not 512 MB ;-)
I was about to mention that! 🤣😂🤣 Imagine trying to get hold of a 512mb card these days 😂😂
Does this work well with Home Assistant ?
Biased sponsored review. Almost no mention of the downsides; including nil HA integration, nil onvif and rtsp, etc. Disappointing
Sorry did you say 512MB of storage on the doorbell, if so that is aweful as 512MB wouldn't hold much data on it
SkyBell has done free cloud storage for years!
Why is Zak Dingle at your front door?
I'm so glad they thought to put the alarm on it. That was the first thing I thought looking at the chunk-tastic box. Someone's gonna grab it and just run away. Instead, they'll just smash it to the ground and stomp on it until it's silent.
It's fiddly enough to remove that you will have punched them in the face by the time they'd got the grub screw out
it’s not 512MB, it’s 512GB…
Great intro: No baiting needed. A doorbell that can use a custom alert message and then display the feed on an Amazon thing _and_ 7 days of free cloud storage to boot. I'm in for the rest of the video for sure.
Standard AA batteries: I have mixed feelings on that. On the one hand, as you point out, you're not leaving your doorway vulnerable while it's charging. On the other hand, you're contributing to e-waste. Fortunately they do allow for powering off the 25v doorbell wiring.
Plug-in chime: Point for including it. Points off for not being able to ring an existing chime. Points on again for making the chime a repeater hub and storage hub. I really like that.
I also like the wealth of triggers that it exposes. [Insert exposure joke here][Insert prurient troll meme here]
All told, I agree that this outshines all the other doorbells I'm aware of. I'm seriously tempted to toss my current one in a bin and get this thing.
Thanks again for a great review, covering all the important points. See you next week.
Thanks as always man. I do like having my triggers exposed!
How well does it work with a nest hub max? Can the doorbell video start automatically on the hub max when a face or doorbell press is detected?
To my knowledge Nest / Google don't have this level of automation yet. It's the main reason I prefer Alexa. :(
Thank you for this video. I've been considering replacements for my Eufy doorbell due to the recent security issues with them and just frequent missed motion alerts. This might be the one I end up going with.
I need to read their privacy policy. Then I might get one.
It'll take a few weeks.... If it's the length of most that are out there now.
I have steps going up to my front door. So doorbell cameras see mostly sky. To bad they don’t design them to tilt down a bit because I have no interest in making a custom jig to mount it properly.
Eufy have a dual camera doorbell which has a downward pointing camera to show whether there is a parcel left on the step for example. You would be better with a seperate camera and a simple, cheap doorbell.
@David-bl1bt Good to know. Thank you.
Uncle voice and robot voice are great. Clown voice too, but I don't think Paul Hibbert needs it.
FYI, this camera seem to be a bit buggy at the moment..First one I had died after two days of use. Replaced with a new one, now in Homekit I have problems to "stream & record". Just hangs and becomes inaccessible after a short while. Working fine in "stream only" mode. Same problem if I try to access through Aqura app..Anyone else having problem?
seriously buggy, more stability less fancy features please
512MB SD card? That’ll store a days worth of footage if that. I think you made a typo. Great vid though!
Indeed, its 512GB
Can link with google nest hub?
10:42 not 512MB but 512GB max.
Paul, do the Reolink doorbell.