Update, April 9, 2019 (10:55 AM ET): The August View was announced earlier in March but is now available to order. Although the device will come in many different colors and styles, right now only black and silver are available. The custom faceplates will launch soon and will allow you to choose from a wide selection of colors, as described below.
The device costs $230. Click below to grab yours!
If you want to add a smart video doorbell to your home, you generally have two choices: a wired unit that needs a pre-existing doorbell setup integrated into your house already, or a wireless solution. Up until now, that latter category has been dominated by Ring.
August is hoping to change that with the August View, a smart wireless video doorbell which does everything Ring can do, but just a little better. Since it’s made by August, it also will easily integrate with its highly-regarded line of smart locks.
From the outset, the August View doesn’t look like it offers much when compared to the Ring Video Doorbell 2. Both products essentially do the same thing: offer one-way video/two-way audio feeds of what’s going on at your door which you can control from an app anywhere in the world. However, August is definitely offering just a little bit more.
For example, the August View has a 1440p camera resolution, while every Ring doorbell is 1080p or lower. That extra clarity may not seem important, but if you’re trying to watch something sketchy going on at your front door, you want all the clarity you can get.
The August View is also more customizable than what Ring offers. Altogether there are eight different faceplates you can choose from:
The August View will sell for $230 — that’s $31 more than the Ring Doorbell 2, which sells for $199. However, it should be noted that the Ring Doorbell 2 doesn’t come with the (arguably essential) chime, which itself costs $29. Since the August View comes with the companion chime, you’re really paying the same price as you would for the Ring.
So, for the same price as a Ring Doorbell 2, you get a big bump in video quality and the ability to pick the doorbell finish that really complements your home. Sounds like a no-brainer choice of which product to buy.
You’ll be able to buy the August View from August’s site and select national retailers on March 28, 2019.