Latest news with #Doorbell2S
Scotsman
11 hours ago
- Scotsman
Rotating camera smart doorbell vs Ring
Imou's Doorbell 2S has a clever trick up its sleeve | Imou This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a small commission on items purchased through this article, but that does not affect our editorial judgement. It rotates, it tracks, it looks slick – and it undercuts Ring. The Imou Doorbell 2S packs in high-end features like AI tracking, a 2K camera and a smart chime, all for under £80. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... It's always welcome to see true innovation in the world of household technology, and the Imou Doorbell 2S is a prime example. Unlike normal video doorbells which have fixed cameras, the Doorbell 2S has a rotating camera. This means it can track people as they move around on your driveway. It sounds really simple, one of those "why did nobody think of that" moments, but is it any good? I've been living with one for a while, and it's pretty impressive. The sensor built into the Doorbell 2S has three megapixels and 2K resolution, and that's nothing to write home about these days, but it does deliver crisp and clear footage. The headline act, of course, is the rotating camera, and it allows for a 180 degree field of view. It's important to point out that, as remarkable as that sounds, a Ring video doorbell has a 160 degree field of view, and I've tested an Arlo doorbell before with 180 degrees from a static camera. An AI system tracks the person you're watching, and moves the lens automatically to follow them | Imou However, quite importantly, the outer extremities of any static camera will be distorted, and you won't get HD resolution in the widest parts of the field - let alone 2K or 4K. This panning system, then, even though it only moves through 30 degrees, allows for crystal clear footage from all angles across the spectrum, and it really can make a difference. It's backed up by a built-in AI system that recognises when someone is approaching and activates a tracking system that moves the lens from side to side. There are other things I like about the Doorbell 2S. It looks really smart. Some doorbells are quite bland and boxy (I'm looking at you, Ring). The Imou's brushed steel, sculpted housing looks premium, and the mirrored button looks fab. The night vision is superb, and there's also a chime included, which doubles as a WiFi extender - another neat touch. The 5,000mAh rechargeable battery should give you at least a couple of months between charges, and the app isn't one of the best on the market, but it's good. Response times are decent enough too. The included chime doubles as a WiFi extender - which is a clever touch | Imou There's no support for Google and Alexa, which is a shame, and the cloud-based features are via a subscription, but you can use an SD card for local storage. You might expect all this technology to come at a premium price, but it really isn't. Currys seems to be the best place to buy one from, and it's currently £79.99. Compare that to a Ring Wireless Video Doorbell, and it's £20 cheaper, despite the fact it doesn't come with a chime, it only supports 1080p footage, and you really do need to pay for a subscription to get the best out of it. So while it might seem like the Ring doorbell is the default choice, you'd be daft not to shop around. And I personally think you'd be mad to overlook the Imou Doorbell 2S. It's very good.
Scotsman
13 hours ago
- Scotsman
Rotating camera smart doorbell vs Ring
Imou's Doorbell 2S has a clever trick up its sleeve | Imou This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a small commission on items purchased through this article, but that does not affect our editorial judgement. It rotates, it tracks, it looks slick – and it undercuts Ring. The Imou Doorbell 2S packs in high-end features like AI tracking, a 2K camera and a smart chime, all for under £80. Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... It's always welcome to see true innovation in the world of household technology, and the Imou Doorbell 2S is a prime example. Unlike normal video doorbells which have fixed cameras, the Doorbell 2S has a rotating camera. This means it can track people as they move around on your driveway. It sounds really simple, one of those "why did nobody think of that" moments, but is it any good? I've been living with one for a while, and it's pretty impressive. The sensor built into the Doorbell 2S has three megapixels and 2K resolution, and that's nothing to write home about these days, but it does deliver crisp and clear footage. The headline act, of course, is the rotating camera, and it allows for a 180 degree field of view. It's important to point out that, as remarkable as that sounds, a Ring video doorbell has a 160 degree field of view, and I've tested an Arlo doorbell before with 180 degrees from a static camera. An AI system tracks the person you're watching, and moves the lens automatically to follow them | Imou However, quite importantly, the outer extremities of any static camera will be distorted, and you won't get HD resolution in the widest parts of the field - let alone 2K or 4K. This panning system, then, even though it only moves through 30 degrees, allows for crystal clear footage from all angles across the spectrum, and it really can make a difference. It's backed up by a built-in AI system that recognises when someone is approaching and activates a tracking system that moves the lens from side to side. There are other things I like about the Doorbell 2S. It looks really smart. Some doorbells are quite bland and boxy (I'm looking at you, Ring). The Imou's brushed steel, sculpted housing looks premium, and the mirrored button looks fab. The night vision is superb, and there's also a chime included, which doubles as a WiFi extender - another neat touch. The 5,000mAh rechargeable battery should give you at least a couple of months between charges, and the app isn't one of the best on the market, but it's good. Response times are decent enough too. The included chime doubles as a WiFi extender - which is a clever touch | Imou There's no support for Google and Alexa, which is a shame, and the cloud-based features are via a subscription, but you can use an SD card for local storage. You might expect all this technology to come at a premium price, but it really isn't. Currys seems to be the best place to buy one from, and it's currently £79.99. Compare that to a Ring Wireless Video Doorbell, and it's £20 cheaper, despite the fact it doesn't come with a chime, it only supports 1080p footage, and you really do need to pay for a subscription to get the best out of it.
Stuff.tv
11-06-2025
- Stuff.tv
This panning video doorbell can cover your entire yard, and is surprisingly cheap
There are plenty of video doorbell options to pick from, but most can set you back hundreds. You can opt for some more affordable options, but they often offer fewer features. Not this ringer from Imou. The Doorbell 2S Kit is the first video doorbell to come with a camera that can pan – giving you 180-degrees of vision. And, it still manages to come in for under $100/£100. This isn't just a gimmick. The Doorbell 2S uses a 3-megapixel, 2K lens with a 30-degree pan capability tacked onto a 166-degree wide-angle lens. Add that together and you've got 180-degree panoramic coverage of your front garden – without needing to drill in any clunky tilting brackets. Combine that with smart tracking tech, and you get fewer blind spots, more context in your recordings, and a good chance of catching the exact moment your Amazon parcel gets nicked. Imou also packs a surprising amount of brains into this doorbell's petite frame. You get infrared night vision that can actually see in the dark, a 0.3-second motion detection time, human detection so your dog doesn't keep triggering it, and loitering alerts. Of course, you'll find plenty of the features you'd expect: two-way talk, pre-recorded replies, and full app integration with no subscription needed for basic features. Cloud storage starts at £3.49 a month, but is completely optional. It's got a 5000mAh rechargeable battery that Imou reckons lasts up to 120 days, with USB-C charging and an optional hardwired kit thrown in. It's waterproof and supports smart scenes and detection zones via the Imou app. Then there's the chime, which doesn't just make noise. It actually helps to boost your Wi-Fi signal, houses an SD card for local video storage (up to 512GB), and offers ten different ringtones. You can grab the IMOU Doorbell 2S Kit now from third-party retailers (like Currys in the UK) for $80/£80/€80, which includes the chime.
