August Home continues to expand its smart home lineup with its latest product, the August View smart video doorbell camera.
August View
The August View is a wire-free solution which, in keeping with August's other products, is extremely easy to install and can be installed in homes that don't already have a doorbell in place. Thanks to the wide angle lens and higher quality sensor, the August View can capture 1440p video with little fisheye distortion. With the added resolution, it is easier to identify who is at the door, especially with zoomable video.
This will be the third generation smart video doorbell for August. The original had a square design that wasn't as indicative of what it was, so the updated third generation abandons that for a more traditional approach.
Like other doorbells on the market, users will receive an instant motion alert whenever someone approaches the door where they can jump into a live stream. Clips will be saved in the cloud, though you need a Gold or Platinum plan to access the videos for 15 or 30 days respectively.
There is also tight integration with August's existing smart locks so when you pull up the footage and want to allow someone in your home, you can quickly and easily unlock the door.
August View faceplates
When speaking with AppleInsider the team said they wanted to create the best video doorbell that the most people could use. That is why the doorbell also comes in eight different metal/colored faceplates to match different exteriors and is also quite thin to fit onto narrow trim or tight environments.
We saw many new HomeKit doorbells at CES such as that from Netatmo, but the new August unit lacks that feature.
"August remains committed to offering platform agnostic products. We are working with Google and Amazon and plan to have integrations with the Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa live once the View is available for purchase on March 28, 2019," August said when we asked them about the absence. "We continue to work with Apple to explore integration opportunities with our doorbell cameras."
The August View also comes with a wireless chime in the box which allows you to hear the doorbell, without needing to keep your smart device nearby.
Earlier this year at CES we saw several new Connected by August products that integrate other hardware with August's smart lock technology.
August View will be available to purchase starting March 28th for $229. The first generation August Doorbell Camera is still available on Amazon for $139.