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I’ve used several doorbell cameras and enjoyed my time with Agara’s Smart Video Doorbell G4. Like many Agara products, the G4 is packed with features at an affordable price and is compatible with HKSV, Google and Alexa. There’s a lot to offer, so let’s get straight to it!
Agara Video Doorbell G4: Price and Availability
The Video Doorbell G4 is available exclusively through Amazon for $120. There is an instant $22 off coupon you can apply to your purchase as you write this. Currently only available in the US
The G4 is priced lower than competitors like Arlo, Ring or Nest, and the repeater has expandable storage for local recording so it doesn’t require a subscription for video recording. Thus, you will save several dollars compared to competing products. It’s important to note that for a few extra dollars, some competing products offer a wider vertical field of view and slightly higher video resolution.
The G4 is available in black or shadow gray.
Agara Video Doorbell G4: Features and specifications
Agara’s Video Doorbell G4 is powered by six AA batteries, which are standard or rechargeable, but will last up to four months depending on how often the activity is triggered. The G4 can be connected to an AC/DC transformer like some others the best video doorbells available. Video is 1080p with a 162-degree field of view, but I wish it had a larger vertical field of view in my tests. As you’ll see in the ultra-wide shot of my patio below, I’ve placed it pretty low on my door. At that level, I can see as high as a 6′ person’s head, but I can’t see the ground, so when packages are placed at my door, they’re out of sight.
It’s also because of how my front porch is set up. It’s quite narrow, so if you have a bigger front porch, you’ll see more people the closer you get to the camera. Even if it is placed very close to your door, you will not see the package on the ground.
The G4 has some nice AI and privacy features like on-device facial recognition. Using the Agara Home app, you can answer the doorbell with the voice of “Uncle”, a robot or a clown. Another handy privacy feature is the ability to mask areas of the image that may contain sensitive or unwanted views of neighbors’ apartments or homes.
The repeater and doorbell units are single-band 2.4GHz b/g/n. Although the doorbell can be powered by batteries or wires, the repeater must be connected to an external power supply via the USB-C connection, although the batteries are used as a backup. The repeater also supports up to 512GB of local storage via a microSD card, which will allow you to record 24/7 without using an internet connection or the cloud.
The repeater/caller is actually pretty full-featured. It has a loud 95dB speaker, which is great for custom ringtones you can create with it. You can use facial recognition to trigger these personalized tones based on who’s at the door. It can also be set up with other automation to act as an alarm. If you have other Agara products, such as window sensors, and someone breaks into that window.
Agara Video Doorbell G4: Dry and visible
The G4 is likely to evoke strong emotions among different users due to its looks. Although some people like its elegant style Arlo video doorbellThe Agara G4 is bigger and more elegant as a Ring doorbell. Its LED-illuminated doorbell button and camera module are large and clear, nothing discreet about it.
The G4 feels substantial and is IP-rated, although the manual recommends placing it on a balcony or other shady area. Available in two colors, both are dark tones only. If you’re in an apartment and can’t permanently replace your front door or replace the doorbell, this rig fits in with one of my favorite temporary rigs, the Doorbell Boa. Due to the large buttons on the face of the G4, it fits snugly on the face of the Boa, but works with minimal difficulty.
Agara Video Doorbell G4: Ease of use
Installing the Video Doorbell G4 was easy. There are QR codes to download the Agara Home app and connect it to HomeKit. The repeater is the part that plugs into your home router, and the actual doorbell plugs into it. So you will first install the repeater by adding it to the Agara Home app and following the instructions.
I recommend setting everything up in Agara Home first and then connecting to Apple Home, as there are many features worth using that aren’t exposed to HomeKit. After configuring features like image masking or custom ringtones, you can access and use the G4 through Apple’s Home app.
One aspect that doesn’t get enough attention is how easy it is to use most of these HKSV-supported cameras with the Apple Watch. The folks in Cupertino, CA deserve their credit for creating devices that have pretty solid connectivity across all hardware. I love being outside and looking at the Home app on my Apple Watch to see who’s at the door. I can even control the speaker volume and talk to anyone at the door directly through the watch.
Agara Video Doorbell G4: The Competition
There is some stiff competition in the connected gateway space, but Agara’s offering stands out for its value. You get a lot of features for less money than the competition.
If you need a wider view of the front porch, you can check out the Nest doorbell camera. I have used it, the view is excellent. No matter how crowded the place is in front of my door, I can see a whole person and packages on the floor. This is because it doesn’t support HomeKit, though. Belkin’s Wemo brand has a compact Smart Doorbell Camera that supports HomeKit, though I haven’t had a chance to test it yet. It comes with a wider field of view and the price tag is almost double the cost.
Agara Video Doorbell G4: Should You Buy It?
You should buy Agara Video Doorbell G4 if…
- You want a great doorbell at an affordable price
- You want a battery powered doorbell camera
- You want lots of customization options
You should not buy Agara Video Doorbell G4 if…
- You need a wider field of view
- You don’t want to deal with a two-piece unit
Agara Video Doorbell G4: Verdict
Like I said before, I haven’t tested the Wemo offer yet, but from what I’ve tested, it works for the best show! The Agara Video Doorbell G4 gives you solid video performance with tons of customizations, some pretty cool privacy features, and most importantly, timely notifications. If you’re all in the HomeKit ecosystem, you might want to check out Agara, and it’s video doorbell.
Great features, great price
With the amount of features to match the price, Agara continues to set the standard for reliable and wallet-friendly smart home products. Just be aware that for some, the aspect ratio of the video may be too narrow vertically.
