Logitech Circle View Doorbell video doorbell review
Our Verdict
Logitech'southward Circumvolve View Doorbell is a great video doorbell for HomeKit users, merely lacks features found in competing models.
For
- Practiced video quality
- Slim
- Secure cloud storage
Against
- Setup could exist easier
- Only works with HomeKit/iOS devices
- Expensive
Tom'southward Guide Verdict
Logitech'due south Circle View Doorbell is a not bad video doorbell for HomeKit users, simply lacks features found in competing models.
Pros
- +
Good video quality
- +
Slim
- +
Secure cloud storage
Cons
- -
Setup could be easier
- -
Only works with HomeKit/iOS devices
- -
Expensive
Logitech Circle View Doorbell: Specs
Size: 4.68 x 1.65 x one.1 inches
Wireless Connectivity: two.4/5 GHz a/b/g/north/ac 2 10 2 MIMO Wi-Fi
Resolution: 5MP/1200 x 1600
Field of view: 160 degrees/3:4 portrait view
Night vision: 4000K LED calorie-free strip
HomeKit, Apple's smart home platform, is pretty comprehensive when it comes to what information technology tin can exercise. Dissimilar Alexa and Google Abode, HomeKit users don't have a lot of choices when it comes to compatible devices, especially video doorbells.
The Logitech Circle View Doorbell is ane of the few that work with Apple tree's smart home platform and, at $199, it's actually one of the more than affordable models. (At that place's an Apple tree Taxation fifty-fifty on things that Apple doesn't brand.) For the price, the Circle View Doorbell is a very expert video doorbell, simply information technology could use some improvements to make it upward college on our list of the all-time video doorbells.
Logitech Circle View Doorbell review: Design
If you lot're going to create a production that lives entirely in the Apple ecosystem, it better wait good. The Circle View Doorbell has that minimalist aesthetic; it's more or less a black rectangle with a sleeky front end.
The upper third has a square window to protect the camera, with a small light strip just below. Towards the bottom is a circular LED, which, when pressed, rings the doorbell.
Because the Circle View Doorbell does not have a battery, Logitech was able to brand it pretty slim. At 1.i inches wide, it should fit pretty easily on whatever door frame, but there are no other color options — black is it. It besides protrudes a flake more than other video doorbells, though not past a huge amount.
Logitech Circle View Doorbell: Price and availability
The Circle View Doorbell first went on sale in late December 2020. It costs $199 if you want to install it yourself, or $299 if you'd similar it to be installed by a professional.
Logitech Circumvolve View Doorbell review: Setup
Because there's no Logitech smart home app to command the doorbell — everything is done through HomeKit — the instructions are a flake confusing. The kit comes with a carte directing you to a Logitech website, which presents you with a long list of things you'll need to install the doorbell. While most of these are included with the kit, and there's not much deviation between information technology and other video doorbells, the list was long plenty to give me break. And I've installed dozens of video doorbells. I know it'south saving paper, only printed instructions would also assistance.
The beginning pace requires yous to starting time plug the video doorbell into a microUSB power source — an accessory that's non included and a pace I never had to do with whatever other video doorbell.
From there, information technology gets a footling easier. If you have an iPhone Xs or newer iPhone, you can simply touch the phone to the video doorbell to start the setup procedure. I had an iPhone XR, but it didn't seem to work for me. Fortunately, in that location are other setup methods: within the Home app, select Add Accompaniment, so use your telephone's camera to snap a photo of the QR code for the video doorbell.
Like some other video doorbells, the Logitech Circle View comes with a small adapter that you must attach to your habitation'southward doorbell chinkle. These directions weren't as articulate. I spent a good 10 minutes looking at them to figure out if I wired everything correctly.
One time you've gear up up the Circumvolve View, you then install it on your door. It comes with a base plate to which you connect the wires from your doorbell. You then snap the Circumvolve View into the base of operations plate. Unlike Ring's video doorbells, in that location's no security screw keeping it in place. Rather, there's a small pinhole; insert a paperclip, and you can pop out the doorbell.
If you want to view video outside your home, you lot'll also demand a HomeKit hub on the same Wi-Fi network as the video doorbell. This can be an Apple Idiot box, HomePod, HomePod mini, or iPad. Chances are if you're a HomeKit user, y'all'll have ane of these devices already Simply if you're starting from scratch, you lot'll have to cistron in another $100 or more to the total price.
Logitech Circumvolve View Doorbell review: Video quality
Unlike near video doorbells, the Circle View has a portrait orientation, then video is more than vertical than it is horizontal. (The Ring Video Doorbell Pro two has a similar orientation, as does the Nest Hullo). Information technology's a trend I like to see, every bit that orientation makes it more than likely that you'll see packages left at the foot of your door.
The Circle View'due south portrait view did indeed show more of my porch — amend than near of Band'southward video doorbells — but the bottom of the video even so concluded almost two feet from the front door itself, non ideal if yous want to know if there's a package in that location. If you desire to see everything in forepart of your door, your best option is the Maximus Answer Dualcam, which actually has a second photographic camera pointing straight down.
The Circumvolve View's high-resolution camera took excellent video both twenty-four hours and nighttime. In the belatedly afternoon, the camera was able to capture the details of my confront and shirt, even though the Sun was shining from behind.
Logitech Circle View Doorbell review: App
Similar to the Nest Hello, which can recognize tagged faces in your Google Photos library, the Circle View Doorbell can exist linked to your iCloud Photos library and call out the names of guests if they've been tagged in your photo albums. The doorbell regularly and accurately identified me whether it was day or night.
Provided y'all have a compatible iCloud programme, you tin save video from the camera, and set up filters and then that it but records when it detects people, animals, vehicles, or some combination of the three.
Recorded videos show up beneath the camera'due south Live View in the Abode app; hither, y'all can scrub back and forth to evidence recorded videos. I wish there was also a filigree view of recordings, or at least a way to sort what was recorded — person, animal, or vehicle. At nighttime, I establish the photographic camera would oft misidentify passing cars every bit people. Because I alive on a fairly decorated road, it seemed like I had a steady stream of visitors each night.
Interestingly, the Logitech's individual sensors show upwards in the HomeKit app, so you can see the current low-cal level, in lux. Unfortunately, you tin can't use this sensor for any automations. Information technology would be great if you could tell HomeKit to turn on your front porch lights when the overall light level dips below a certain number.
Additionally, you can also create customizable activity zones, so you'll but exist alerted — and the video doorbell will merely record — when it detects motion in those zones. You tin can create multiple, nonconnected zones in pretty much any shape you lot like.
That's a decent feature set, but the Circumvolve View is missing a few things found on our favorite video doorbells. For instance, you can't adjust the sensitivity of its movement or audio detection, and there'southward no packet detection, every bit there is with the Nest and Arlo cameras.
Logitech'south video doorbell as well lacks a pre-curl characteristic found on Arlo, Band, and Nest video doorbells. While it varies a little between manufacturers, this feature causes the video doorbell to continually record a six-second clip, which is then added to the front of any video when there's an bodily movement effect. That mode, you're more likely to go a better view of whoever approaches your door. However, the camera was very quick to start recording, and so I rarely missed seeing annihilation.
And, of course, since this is a HomeKit-but device, you'll demand an iPhone or iPad, non just to set information technology up, but even to receive notifications.
If you lot take an Apple TV, an Apple HomePod, or an Apple tree HomePod mini, you tin too program them to announce when someone's at the door. In the case of the Apple TV, yous tin can even view a feed from the Circumvolve View on your TV screen.
Logitech Circle View Doorbell : Cloud storage plans
In gild to salvage videos, you'll need to subscribe to either the 200GB or 2TB iCloud storage plan. The 200GB plan costs $2.99 per calendar month and covers 1 camera, while the 2TB plan is $nine.99 per calendar month and covers upwardly to five cameras. Both plans will relieve up to 10 days of video in the cloud. (Here'south how much iCloud costs in other countries.)
One thing to note is that your camera recordings do not count against your iCloud storage limit. And so, while they're not the best when stacked upwardly against the best security camera cloud storage plans, you do have to consider that you can apply that storage for more than just video doorbell feeds.
What's more, Apple makes a indicate of mentioning how secure its cloud storage is; while Ring is likewise implementing end-to-finish encryption, it's something that Apple has had since the beginning.
Logitech Circle View Doorbell: Verdict
Because of Apple tree'southward stringent requirements, there aren't a lot of devices that piece of work with HomeKit, which is a shame considering there's a lot you can exercise with Apple's smart home platform — more so than you can with Google Habitation, in fact.
At the moment, in that location are but three real options: The $199 Logitech Circle View Doorbell, the $129 Arlo Video doorbell, and the $299 Netatmo Smart Video Doorbell. Nosotros're still testing the Netatmo, merely in our Arlo Video Doorbell review, we gave it high marks for its robust features, and Arlo has a pretty extensive portfolio of some of the best dwelling house security cameras. Yet, it does not show as much of your front porch every bit the Logitech Circle View, and y'all'll also demand an Arlo base station, which costs $99.
In all, the Logitech Circle View Doorbell is a very good video doorbell for those who employ HomeKit, but it could be better.
Source: https://www.tomsguide.com/reviews/logitech-circle-view-doorbell
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