August View doorbell has a fresh look, rechargeable batteries
The next-gen August View buzzer ditches the square shape for a slimmer, rectangular design.
The View is August's redesigned video doorbell.
August just introduced a new device to its lineup -- the $230 August View. Available in the United States beginning March 28, the View is a video doorbell with a couple of features that set it apart from previous August buzzers.
The View has a slim rectangular shape that reminds me of Ring's Video Doorbell Pro. That may not seem like a major shift when you consider what most smart doorbells look like, but August's $199 Doorbell Cam Pro and the company's previous buzzers are square.
While the square design is unique and looks sorta neat, the hardwired Doorbell Cam Pro didn't fit on doorframes particularly well (and the doorframe is where most older doorbells, and their wiring, are located). So you'd either have to reroute your doorbell wiring to accommodate the larger Doorbell Cam Pro on your brick or siding, or you'd have to deal with a large section of your doorbell hanging off the side of your doorframe.
The View's shape should fit much more easily on a doorframe, but it's somewhat less important that it can since the View is battery-powered, rather than hardwired. That means you can install the View pretty much wherever you want without having to think about where the old doorbell's wires are located.
Here's an overview of the View's basic specs and features:
- 1440p HD resolution
- 24/7 live video streaming
- Motion detection and alerts
- 24 hours of free video storage (5-second preview clips only, though)
- Optional 15- and 30-day cloud storage plans
In addition to the doorbell itself, you get a remote doorbell chime, a rechargeable battery and a Micro-USB cable with your purchase.
The View works with the August app and August smart locks, so you should be able to see who's at the door and unlock it seamlessly from the app.
In Dec. 2017 August was purchased by Assa Abloy, the parent company of fellow lock maker Yale. In addition to video doorbells, August sells two smart locks, the Smart Lock and the Smart Lock Pro. It sells two accessories as well -- a keypad entry for the locks and a remote Wi-Fi bridge for connecting the Bluetooth-enabled locks to your local network.
August's Doorbell Cam Pro provides the Wi-Fi bridge needed to connect the lock over Wi-Fi, a nice workaround that avoids the remote Wi-Fi bridge if you have both the doorbell and an August lock.
The August View does not offer the same Wi-Fi bridge functionality -- you'll need an August lock and an August Connect Wi-Fi bridge to connect your August lock to your Wi-Fi network.
August's View will work with Alexa and Google Assistant at launch, but it won't be HomeKit-enabled. August offers a variety of color finishes for the View: satin nickel, oil-rubbed bronze, matte brass, black, red, blue and white. We'll be testing one out as soon as possible, so check this space for updates.
August will continue to sell the Doorbell Cam Pro when the View hits stores March 28.
