Sky has mastered all things TVs and broadband, and is now moving into the smart home world with its latest venture, Sky Smart Home, a service that could challenge rivals such as Ring and Blink.
The Smart Home plan is Sky’s entry-level package, which unlocks advanced features including cloud storage for recordings, smart alerts, activity zones, and more. There is also the new Smart Home Plan+ which allows you to add additional devices including the Indoor Camera, Leak Pack or Motion Pack, taking your smart home ecosystem to the next level.
Sounds a lot like the Ring way of doing things, right? That’s pretty much what Sky is trying to do here, as it has stated that this service will save you over £100 compared to if you opted for Ring. But how does it compare to one of the best video doorbells on the market?
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Sky Smart Home and Ring Video Doorbell
|
Features |
Ring |
Sky |
|---|---|---|
|
Product |
Ring Battery Video Doorbell |
Sky Smart Doorbell |
|
Initial cost |
£99.99 |
£15 |
|
Subscription required |
No (for basic functionality) |
Yes |
|
Subscription cost |
£4.99 per month / £49.99 per year |
£5 per month / £60 per year |
|
Minimum subscription duration |
One month |
24 months |
|
30-day free trial subscription |
Yes |
No |
|
Cloud storage (with sub) |
Up to 180 days |
30 days |
|
Person/parcel alerts (with sub) |
Yes |
No |
|
Chime included |
No |
Yes |
|
Resolution |
1440 x 1440 |
1920 × 1080 |
|
Night vision |
Color |
Black and white |
The main thing we need to address is price. Sky’s Smart Home plan gives you a video doorbell and chime for an initial cost of £15, then requires a monthly subscription of £5 which gives you access to its many extra features. This is required for a minimum duration of 24 months, so if you wish to cancel your commitment before the end of your contract, you will be charged an early termination fee.
As for its rival, a Ring video doorbell subscription will cost you the same amount (Ring Solo covers one device for £4.99 a month, or £49.99 for a year) and there’s no maximum commitment length, but upfront costs are significantly more expensive. For example, the standard Ring Battery Video Doorbell is priced at £99.99, while its more advanced models such as the Ring Video Doorbell Pro can fetch a price as high as £179.99 but have enhanced features such as color night vision.
When it comes to the feature list of the two models, there’s definitely a difference in range and quality, but if you’re a video doorbell newbie or just looking for a simple model that will get the job done, that shouldn’t matter.
As mentioned, Sky’s Video Doorbell package offers features just below surface level, ranging from Full HD 1080p (1920×1080) with HDR video recording to clip sharing, personalized activity zones and 30 days of cloud storage. Additionally, you can access two-way talk via the Smart Home app and night vision with an infrared sensor up to 10 meters.
Its rival has the advantage on the feature front, letting you access basic features like live video footage without needing a subscription. While its best features are locked behind the paywall, some are slightly better than Sky, like 1440 x 1440 video footage resolution, 180 days of cloud storage, and color night vision to say the least.
All things considered, Sky’s Video Doorbell would cost you £135 (including the £15 upfront cost and £5 monthly fee) if you were to stick out the full 24 months, while Ring would cost £219.75 once you factor in the £99.99 upfront cost and £4.99 monthly subscription for 24 months. However, if you were to purchase two annual subscriptions (£49.99 per year), that would bring the total down to just under £200 for two years.
If you’re on a budget and can live without all the bells and whistles, the Sky Smart Home plan is the clear winner – if you know you won’t change your mind and commit to the 24-month deal.
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