Amazon-owned Ring has announced the second generation of its home security system that rectifies those sad looks of the original Ring Alarm system with improved design, new features, and sleeker hardware. The updated Ring Alarm Keypad features a completely new design and one-touch buttons. Widely spaced circular keys and a new dedicated row of emergency buttons make calling help as simple as pressing a button.
It allows you to quickly request police, fire, or medical assistance in your area with just one tap. Just like the previous generation system, users can also set their Ring Alarm system to “Disarmed,” “Home,” or “Away Mode,” simply by pressing a button.
It’s not just the keyboard; Ring also updated the motion detectors and contact sensors that ship with the kit to make them smaller and easier to mount in any room of your home and look better with all kinds of home decor. While the old hardware was glossy plastic, the new alarm kit has a matte finish that will probably work best with the surfaces you put them on. Door and window contact sensors are now smaller and more seamlessly matched to frames and walls.
The accessories seem almost identical to their predecessors, only with a slightly more rounded and elegant design.
While the new Ring Alarm will send notifications to the app on your phone if it detects anything unusual, you will have to subscribe Ring Protect Plus (which costs $10 per month or $100 per year) if you want to access the emergency response tools when someone breaks into your house. The Basic and Plus plans offer 60-day video history, a snapshot capture feature, and the ability to download videos to your mobile device.
There are three options available: a 5-piece kit, a 10-piece kit, and a 14-piece kit. The price for the 5-piece security kit starts at $199, which will provide you with a base station, keypad, contact sensor, motion detectors, and a range extender for larger homes. This is a good starter kit for an apartment or small house. The 10-piece kit costs $249 that is designed for smaller 1-2-bedroom homes and adds four contact sensors and one motion detector. You can go up to $330 for a 14-piece set that includes two keypads, eight contact sensors, and two motion detectors, ideal for a home with three or more bedrooms.
As with the above home security system, the entire kit is meant to be installed by yourself, which is no more complicated than attaching some batteries and sticking them on your walls. That’s particularly good for tenants and people who just don’t want to put extra wires or holes in their walls. The fully wireless system can also be professionally monitored by Ring and pairs well with all Ring and Amazon products with Alexa technology.
