Anker introduced a doorbell that lets you look around your door as if in virtual reality

A classic video doorbell shows a face. But when a courier places a package on the ground, it disappears from view. Anker addresses this differently with its new eufy Video Doorbell S4 model: the camera with a 180-degree horizontal and vertical lens is designed to capture space from floor to ceiling and wall to wall. The doorbell, which the company first showcased at the CES trade show in January, is finally going on pre-sale.

Look around without opening

The camera captures a square image of 3,072 × 3,072 pixels (9 Mpx) with HDR and 24 frames per second. Anker calls the doorbell the world’s first “VR video doorbell.” When someone rings, you receive a notification like an incoming video call. Upon answering, the image opens full screen, and by tilting your phone, you can look around the door area. It also works with VR glasses. The OmniTrack system then automatically tracks the visitor and crops them from the panorama to keep them in the center of the frame.

Radar against false alarms

Movement is monitored by a long-range radar and a pair of PIR sensors closer to the door. According to eufy, this allows the doorbell to distinguish between a person, insects, or rain. You can draw detection zones up to 8 meters away, and the doorbell recognizes people, packages, and faces. It stores recordings in 4 GB of built-in memory without a monthly fee. With the HomeBase S380 central unit, it can even handle continuous recording. It works with Alexa, Google Home, and Apple Home, but only in the form of a fixed live view; VR mode and tracking only work in the eufy app.

Things have changed since January

At CES, Anker promised power from a battery, doorbell wires, and a solar panel for 279.99 dollars. However, the final version for 299.99 dollars only works when connected to a 16–24 V AC doorbell wiring system. The built-in 2,600 mAh battery serves only as a backup in case of a power outage. Those without doorbell wires are out of luck. In our country, doorbell wiring systems vary from house to house, so it’s good to verify the transformer voltage before purchasing.

Pre-orders are already running on eufy.com in some European countries, with deliveries expected to start at the end of October. It is available for 329.99 euros, which is about 8,000 CZK.

Do you have a video doorbell at home? And do you pay a subscription for it?

Source: Notebookcheck, eufy, Expert Reviews, Notebookcheck.com