Six months after the release of its Floodlight Cam, Ring launched the Spotlight Cam on Monday, July 31, offering many of the same features as its predecessor but in a noticeably smaller package. The new device is also between $30 to $50 cheaper than the Floodlight Cam depending on the model purchased.
Ring will offer three different models: a $199 version that requires a wired connection much like the Floodlight Cam; a battery-operated version that’s also $199; and a bundled package that includes the battery-operated model plus Ring’s solar panel to charge the battery for $229. All three models are available for immediate purchase from Ring’s website, although the battery-powered models won’t ship until the fall.
The wired version of the Spotlight Cam sports many of the same features as the Ring’s original floodlight, including 1080p video and custom motion zones, which Ring has told us previously will limit the false positives that often plague the battery-powered Doorbell and Stick-Up Cam. The battery-powered model uses the same fixed-zone method as other battery powered models (which may still have those same issues), but does offer 1080p video.
That’s an attractive upgrade, and something the strong-selling original battery-powered Doorbell and Stick Up Cam cannot do. In reviews of the original Ring Doorbell, video quality is often cited as one of the device’s primary negatives. Ring has told us in the past that the reason for 720p video has much to do with conserving battery life, which seems to be the case from our own tests.
Like the other devices, the Spotlight Cam comes with two-way communication on demand through a centralized app. The new camera also comes with the 110-decibel siren that the company first debuted with the Floodlight Cam to scare off intruders, and night vision, standard with all of Ring’s products.
“With the new Spotlight Cam, we are empowering our ‘Neighbors’ (how we refer to Ring customers) with a new way to protect the entire perimeter of the home — from the front door to the backyard,” Ring’s founder and inventor Jamie Siminoff said in a written statement.