Consumers are getting more concerned about home security. For this reason, the sale of smart doorbells is steadily on the rise.
According to reports, the global smart doorbells market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 33.4 percent from 2023 to 2030, making a great leap from their market value of USD 3,480.1 million in 2022.
The search for the perfect smart doorbell is, however, not always easy. That’s why this article guides businesses through the key factors to consider before choosing smart doorbells to ensure profit for their business in 2023.
Table of Contents
What are smart doorbells and how do they work?
Benefits of smart doorbells
Things to consider when choosing smart doorbells
Rounding up
What are smart doorbells and how do they work?
Smart doorbells reduce worry by providing an elevated sense of home security. They are internet-connected devices designed to enhance the safety of users’ properties.
Smart doorbells are equipped with advanced protection technology that permits consumers remote access to their doors without stress. With their motion detection software, smart doorbells serve as high-alert devices that raise alarms responding to suspicious movements and activities at the user’s doorstep.
Unlike traditional doorbells, which leave users guessing, smart doorbells are set apart by a home integration system that connects its video surveillance technology to the consumer’s devices. It means that smart doorbell users are always aware of who is standing at their doorstep, no matter their location.
Where there is cause for alarm, and the user is not with their device, smart doorbells have recording and playback functions that ensure good security coverage.
Smart doorbells seem to be gaining momentum in 2023. According to Google Ads, they attracted 823000 searches in September 2023 and have maintained that value pushing into October 2023.
Benefits of smart doorbells
With the increasing world crime rate, consumers are more concerned about safeguarding their lives and property. Because of this concern, the popularity of smart doorbells has skyrocketed.
Here are some benefits consumers will gain from using smart doorbells in 2023.
- Smart doorbells secure homes with their video surveillance technology.
- Smart doorbells have an identification system that grants access to verified visitors.
- Smart doorbells have inbuilt storage that backs up video data.
- Smart doorbells aid law enforcement agencies with their recording and playback technologies when there is an investigation at hand.
- Smart doorbells provide convenience to their users as they connect with phones and tablets to identify who is at the door at any time of day.
Things to consider when choosing smart doorbells
Power
Smart doorbells are a great home security solution for consumers. However, it is important to understand that smart doorbells require a power source. On this note, they can operate using main power (wired) or battery power (wireless).
Below is a table comparing mains power smart doorbells and battery power smart doorbells.
| Main power (wired) smart doorbells | Battery power (wireless) smart doorbells |
| Requires technical assistance to install | It does not require technical assistance to install |
| Less susceptible to hacking and interference | Susceptible to hacking and interference |
| Less affected by weather conditions | Greatly affected by weather conditions and extreme temperature |
| Operates for long hours | It relies on battery that requires constant change |
| Cannot operate during power outage | Operates during a power outage |
Video
Consumers opt for smart doorbells because of their video surveillance features. But it’s important to note that not all smart doorbells are equipped with video surveillance or offer the best quality.
Video surveillance features in smart doorbells are what give them enhanced security capabilities. But camera qualities differ, so businesses must consider three factors when examining video surveillance in a smart doorbell: video quality, field of view, and zoom area.
Video quality is all about resolution. Smart doorbells range from low-quality resolution (360p,480p) to HD resolutions (1080p, 2560p). 1080p or higher are the best resolutions for the identity verification and recording features.
The field of view is the specific area the camera can capture in one frame. Some cameras have a limited field of view, while some have broader angles to capture. The latter is preferable.
A field of zoom on a smart doorbell camera is a function that permits the user to zoom into images. This capability can vary between cameras.
The Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2 is one of the most popular smart doorbells, and it’s well-known for its excellent video surveillance quality. The doorbell has a 1536p resolution camera that can capture sharp and clear videos, even in low light conditions. It also has a wide view so users can see more of their porch and driveway.
Night vision
Smart doorbells work 24/7 to capture what goes on at the user’s door. Hence, the doorbells come with night vision capabilities, but this feature comes in two major types: infrared night vision and colored night vision.
Infrared night vision utilizes LED sensors to capture movement in black-and-white images. Although it is the most popular option among consumers, the lack of color gives minimal detail to the pictures captured.
Colored night vision, in contrast, offers more detailed images with colors included. Unfortunately, this option is less popular because it’s usually more expensive.
The Nest Doorbell (Wired) offers a high-resolution camera with HDR night vision. Its feature helps improve the contrast and detail of video footage in low light conditions.
Audio
Smart doorbells have built-in speakers and microphones that enable consumers to communicate with visitors at their doorstep.
However, audio quality will differ depending on the brand of smart doorbells purchased.
High-quality smart doorbells often have noise cancellation features to filter out background noise, which improves audio quality.
Most smart doorbells have options allowing consumers to adjust audio settings to their preferences. Brand reviews praise The Google Nest (Wired, 2nd Gen) for having magnificent audio quality.
Artificial intelligence
Consumers purchase smart doorbells because they provide alerts of any movement outside their door. However, receiving numerous notifications for mundane things, like a cat running across the street, can prove frustrating.
This is why some smart doorbell manufacturers have begun to equip their products with artificial intelligence (AI) technology.
AI smart doorbells reduce false alerts as they can differentiate between objects and humans. With AI smart doorbells, consumers have better control over their smart doorbells, which improves convenience.
Arlo Video Doorbell is one of the most popular options with this feature. It can detect people and packages, sending alerts when the AI sees them.
Storage
Smart doorbells not only capture footage of activities outside a user’s door. They also store these images for evidential purposes, proving handy in case of investigations.
Depending on the type of smart doorbell purchased, there are three different storage types available: local storage, cloud storage, or hybrid storage.
Local storage is an external and removable storage, e.g., a memory card, that functions without the requirement of data fees and can be easily accessed offline. The amount of data stored by the local storage system depends on the storage capacity of the SD card purchased.
On the other hand, cloud storage is a more convenient way of storing data. Consumers must pay a subscription fee to the service provider, which stores all data in the cloud. With cloud storage, any footage captured is automatically backed up.
The storage capacity for this system might as well be limitless, depending on the subscription package purchased. Finally, the hybrid storage system combines the benefits of both cloud and local storage.
The Eufy Video Doorbell 2K Pro offers 16Gb of on-device storage, enough to store up to 120 days of video footage. Consumers can also add a microSD card, getting up to 256GB of additional storage.
Installation
Smart doorbell installation depends on the type of smart doorbell purchased by the consumer. Main-power smart doorbells require technical assistance to assemble, whereas battery-power smart doorbells are charged up by batteries that do not require any technical assistance to work.
Consumers more into DIY (do it yourself) assembling would prefer to install the smart doorbell independently. However, consumers are not advised to install main power (wired) doorbells because it requires electrical expertise the average man would not possess.
Connectivity
Smart doorbells require good connectivity to work effectively. With a stable connection, smart doorbells can be configured, receive timely alerts, receive software updates, and even connect with other home devices easily.
The choice of connectivity ranges and depends on the consumer’s preference. The most popular connectivity option is Wi-Fi. If there’s no Wi-Fi coverage, some smart doorbells come with inbuilt cellular network modems (LTE/4G/5G) that ensure continuous connection.
As a bonus feature, some smart doorbells include Bluetooth connectivity, which helps simplify the smart doorbell configuration process. Bluetooth connectivity, however, has limited range.
Durability
Smart doorbells are designed for outdoor use and withstand harsh weather and temperature. Consumers should know that smart doorbells have varying IP ratings (Ingress protection ratings) and temperature resistance.
IP ratings indicate a smart doorbell‘s resistance to moisture in the air. Because a device is labeled “waterproof,” it does not make it so. These numbers are important to test the durability of the smart doorbell.
For areas with occasional rain, an IP65 rating is suitable. But for an area with constant heavy rain storms, a smart doorbell with an IP66 or IP67 rating is most preferred.
App
Smart doorbells work hand in hand with an app that can be installed on a consumer’s phone or tablet. The app gives the consumer access to the smart doorbell’s camera feed and alerts of any movement at the door.
Smart doorbell apps are, however, prone to bugs and hacking. As a precautionary measure, consumers should ensure that their software is updated regularly and that they have a good service provider with reasonable privacy policies.
Rounding up
Smart doorbells are the ultimate home security system, and with many available options, this article outlines the best features to look out for. Statistics report that the smart doorbell market has rapid growth potential, so now’s the time to cash in on the industry.
This guide offers the key factors to watch out for, so don’t miss out on the chance to profit from smart doorbells in 2023.
