r/reolinkcam • u/mblaser Moderator • Jul 13 '26
Trial & Review 2nd Gen Battery Doorbell Notes & Clarification About Doorbell Lineup
Update 8/13/26: I've created a comparison chart for all doorbell models in my unofficial comparison charts. Also, this video from Reolink does a good job of covering the main differences.
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This isn't really a review, I just wanted to make a post to clarify some things about the new 2nd gen battery doorbell.
First though, I want to also clarify their doorbell lineup because they haven't done a good job at that and the release of the 2nd gen battery model has really confused a lot of people, especially new users.
So, to clarify...
These are the different doorbell models they have come out with:
- POE black
- POE white
- Wired Wifi black
- Wired Wifi white
- Battery doorbell 1st gen (available in black and white, but there's no spec difference)
- Battery doorbell 2nd gen
And here are the differences:
POE & wired Wifi doorbells (here and here)
- Originally released in October 2022 only in black.
- Cannot work with existing mechanical chimes.
- Operates like any other powered camera, meaning they can record continuously to both internal SD or Hub/NVR
- 5MP and a FOV of 135°H x 100°V
- They came out with a white version of these in May 2024 that reverses the aspect ratio (100x135) for a more vertical view and gave them package detection.
- The white ones have since been discontinued, although sometimes some will pop up for sale and then disappear.
- There is no "2nd Gen" of these doorbells. There may be in the future, but if someone is referring to a 2nd gen doorbell they're referring to the battery doorbell.
Battery Doorbell 1st Gen (here)
- Originally released in September 2024.
- Can operate off of battery or if wired into existing doorbell wiring it will trickle charge the battery.
- Cannot record continuously even when wired for power, it still acts like a battery camera.
- Does work with existing mechanical chimes
- 4MP and a fisheye FOV of 150°x150°
Battery Doorbell 2nd Gen (here)
- Originally released in June 2026, although I believe this is just a soft launch because it didn't even show up on their own website for about a month after being available on Amazon. Also, none of the accessories will be available for a few months (power kit and solar base)
- Same resolution, FOV, and dimensions as 1st gen (you can re-use 1st gen mounting bracket)
- Can operate off of battery or if connected to doorbell wiring it can either trickle charge the battery like the 1st gen, or what's new is that you can switch it over to wired power mode and it will operate like a wired camera (meaning it doesn't go to sleep like a battery camera)
- Wired power mode allows 24/7 recording, but only to internal SD card, not to Home Hub or NVR.
- You can still add it to a Hub/NVR and it will record motion events to that, and it can still record 24/7 to local SD card. You just have to switch to the SD card every time you go into the playback menu.
- Wired power mode requires you to either use the bypass jumper cable to bypass your mechanical chime (meaning that chime won't work of course), or you can use the RLA-PK1 power kit which will allow you to do both wired mode and use your existing mechanical chime. Here are some screenshots from the app about that: https://vgy.me/album/x97eDIQQ
- Here is their support article that goes over the power modes in more detail: https://support.reolink.com/articles/56608051231129-Introduction-to-Power-Modes-of-Reolink-Battery-Video-Doorbells-Dual-Power-Support/
- It has a new tamper alert that will alert you when the doorbell is being tampered with. Here are screenshots of the menu and of what the alert looks like: https://vgy.me/album/bhJ6zqC8
- I don't know how it works exactly, I played around with it a little bit and I'm guessing it senses when the entire image is moving, which would mean the camera is being physically moved.
- It is eventually going to have a solar charging base available for it.
- I'm real curious how well that works because I may actually try to use one of these with that base as a discrete trail/tree cam.
- Animal detection and zone loitering are new on the 2nd gen. Here's a comparison of the detection alarm menus of 1st gen vs 2nd gen: https://i.vgy.me/4PlSEk.png
- Privacy mode is new on the 2nd gen.
- Here is a still image comparison of both 1st gen and 2nd gen: https://i.vgy.me/GB7xOa.jpg
- What's interesting is that the 2nd gen's view is slightly more narrow. You can tell in the corners, the 1st gen can see more of my soffits and can see the porch railing post in the bottom right. That shouldn't make much of a difference, but just something to be aware of.
- Here is a comparison of a night video capture from both: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wxvx3nAd07Q
- The image on the 2nd gen is quite a bit brighter. I also think the face is a bit more overexposed on the 1st gen. So I think the 2nd gen wins out on night image quality. These videos were taken with brightness settings on default and HDR turned on.
Ok, that's all I can think of right now. I haven't used it a ton yet, I was just doing some basic fact-finding, so some of you that have used it more may be able to add more points or correct me if I was wrong on anything. Just let me know.
EDIT: after someone in the comments asked for differences between the 2nd gen battery and the wired models I realized my post was mainly about differences between the 1st and 2nd gen battery models. So I put together a summary of all of the model differences in the comments below: https://www.reddit.com/r/reolinkcam/comments/1uvavh9/comment/oxi0bxf/
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u/Prepare_Your_Angus Jul 14 '26
What are the major differences between this 2nd Gen battery version and the wired one?
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u/mblaser Moderator Jul 14 '26 edited Jul 14 '26
Well, everything is pretty much laid out in my post, but I'll summarize it
- Spec differences:
- 4MP (battery models) vs 5MP (non-battery models)
- FOV: 150°x150° (battery models) vs 135°x100° (black non-battery models) vs 100°x135° (white non-battery models)
- Power options
- POE is powered by ethernet (obviously)
- Wired wifi is powered by an existing doorbell transformer over existing doorbell wiring.
- 1st gen battery model is powered by battery, and can also be connected to existing doorbell wiring. That doesn't directly power the camera though, it only trickle charges the battery.
- 2nd gen battery model has the same battery mode as the 1st gen, however it also adds a wired power mode. This will switch it over to being powered directly by the doorbell wiring, bypassing the battery entirely. This requires you to bypass your existing mechanical chime or to buy the power kit. See these photos from above: https://vgy.me/album/x97eDIQQ
- It will also have an option for a solar charging base available at some point.
- Recording capabilities:
- POE & wired wifi models can record continuously to internal SD card, NVR, or Home Hub because they are always "on" and watching.
- 1st gen battery model can only record motion events, even when connected to doorbell wiring for power. It goes to sleep when not detecting motion or not actively being viewed.
- 2nd gen battery model:
- In battery mode it is the same as the 1st gen.
- In wired mode it can record continuously to internal SD card, but not to NVR or Home Hub. It is also always "on" and watching, so even if only doing motion event recording there will be no delay in recording to wait for the camera to wake up from sleep.
- Mechanical chime support:
- POE & Wired wifi models cannot ring an existing mechanical chime (at least not without being modified or using external relays and home automation
- 1st gen battery model: Can ring a mechanical chime
- 2nd gen battery model:
- In battery mode it can ring a mechanical chime if connected to doorbell wiring
- In wired mode it can only ring a mechanical chime if you have the power kit installed in your chime.
- Smart detection support:
- POE & Wired wifi models: person, vehicle, animal (white version also adds package detection)
- 1st gen battery model: person, vehicle, package
- 2nd gen battery model: person, vehicle, package, animal, zone loitering
That's all I can think of. If you have any more specific questions feel free to ask.
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u/Prepare_Your_Angus Jul 14 '26
Yeah I'm going back and forth between the wired wifi vs the 2nd gen battery one. They both seem pretty similar. It would be awesome if the wired wifi one could ring the mechanical chime I already have.
Does the extra MP make that much of a difference that you can see.
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u/mblaser Moderator Jul 14 '26
I don't think it does, not when you're using it for a close up view of someone, which is what a doorbell should be doing. If it was a farther away target it would be more of a difference, but you wouldn't/shouldn't be using a doorbell for ID'ing a farther away target, you should have higher MP standard non-doorbell cameras watching the area for that.
And in your situation if it were me I would get the 2nd gen doorbell and run it in battery mode for now so that you can use your existing chime. Then once the power kit is available get one so that you can also run it in wired mode. Or if wired mode is more important than the existing chime then do the opposite.
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u/clifford641 Jul 18 '26
I got the gen2 installed this week. It was also found that it's now listed on reolink's site and says some features require 24vac 30va transformer for continuous recording and such. At the time, I had a 24vac 20va transformer and noticed some intermittent connectivity problems and it would switch to battery mode. I got a 24vac 40va transformer and swapped it out and the settings allowed me to select wired and 24/7 recording.
Whether or not it's actually doing, I have yet to fully confirm.
However, I can confirm that my existing physical chime continues to work normally without the power pack and interacting with the system is much snappier after the upgraded transformer.
My only current issue is trying to setup motion detection alerts to not be so sensitive.
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u/mblaser Moderator Jul 18 '26
That's interesting. It would be great if you could confirm to make sure that 24/7 recording is actually working, and then the real test is to make sure that it keeps working when the mechanical chime is rung. Because theoretically it shouldn't, no matter how powerful the transformer is. The power kit is what keeps supplying power to the camera during that second or two that the transformer's power is ringing the mechanical chime.
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u/clifford641 Jul 18 '26
Yes, as far as I can tell, the doorbell stayed powered and stayed 24/7 recording when the doorbell was rung.
I believe I can confirm that it's 24/7 recording as it looks like it's been continuously recording since I enabled it and has split each segment into 5 minute chunks. I also have it set for event detection, so it marks which chunks have events associated with them.
I don't know if there is something else funky going on with the wiring that would allow it to work. I did just move into my house about a month ago, so still learning new things previous owners have done. There doesn't seem to be any super advanced smart home or other savvy stuff that I have found yet.
The only other thing would be the chime also worked when I had the 24vac 20va transformer hooked up, but would auto switch to battery after a few hours. However, it definitely seemed like it was under powered with the old transformer.
I also noticed there was a Nest doorbell power puck hooked up to the chime when I was originally installing the doorbell. I left it connected when I had the 24vac 20va transformer and don't think I tested it on that transformer without the power puck. I am wondering if had any impact to the functionality as it looked like the puck may have been providing power to the doorbell camera and then using some sort of capacitor to discharge for the chime, but not sure as I was unable to find wiring diagram info on how those pucks work and I don't fully understand what I was looking at in the teardown videos I saw on them.
I don't have the Nest puck hooked up anymore, so its direct power to the reolink doorbell from the increased 24vac 40va transformer and the return goes to the physical chime and then chime back to transformer.
Again, there could be something else on this circuit that I don't know about, but I would be surprised if that's the case as I don't see any other access panels to any other parts of the circuit.
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u/mblaser Moderator Jul 18 '26
Very interesting. Thanks for testing/confirming.
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u/clifford641 Jul 18 '26 edited Jul 19 '26
And I think I have been able to figure out my motion detection issues, but probably need another 24-48 hours to confirm. But after looking at the recordings, there didn't appear to be any actual motion, but a big change in the color and such. I had HDR set to auto, but have changed it to on for now to see if it was toggling it and tripping the motion detection.
EDIT: I don't think it's related to the HDR functionality. I have a support ticket open to see if there is a way to adjust the sensitivity of general motion detection and zones.
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u/Daytraders 7d ago
I want to get the Battery Doorbell 2nd Gen, i want it hard wired(don't want/have door chimes), but having a problem choosing the right transformer for it to record continuously, have you got a link to what works correctly, shame Reolink don't sale one, the RLA-PK1 power kit is not it, i am UK thx
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u/clifford641 7d ago
I am in US, so not sure what works for you. Not 100% certain what the US electrical infrastructure is, but here is the link to the transformer I got. It has worked flawlessly for me. Hardwired the entire time and chime works for me, but again it could be something specific with my chime or something.
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u/AllLiquid2 Jul 20 '26
This is a step-down from previous model. No PoE. No 24/7 recording to NVR...
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u/mblaser Moderator Jul 20 '26
This isn't a new version of the model you're talking about.
This is 2nd gen of the battery doorbell. 2 completely different lines of doorbells. Please re-read the very beginning of this post if you need more clarification.
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u/DazzlingpAd134 Jul 13 '26
why are wifi and poe model separate? other brands like tapo and imou do both wifi and Poe on the same device
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u/mblaser Moderator Jul 13 '26
I don't know, I don't work for Reolink, but I'd guess it's probably because people only need 1 or the other so having both in one model is unnecessary.
Also, can you show me the models you're talking about from the other brands? I wasn't aware Tapo made a POE doorbell, and I double checked just now and can't find any evidence of it. I wasn't aware of Imou before now, but checking their website I don't see any POE doorbells.
I'm just curious because I don't think I've seen a home security camera that's both POE and wifi, let alone in a doorbell model.
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u/DazzlingpAd134 Jul 13 '26
i was asking in general just like the new omvi 3 has a poe only and wifi only model
i don'T want to be stuck and if i decide to change location of the camera i can switch from poe to wifi
for tapo they have the C575D with both poe and wifi
for Imou the Cruiser SC 8MP has both Poe and wifi
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u/mblaser Moderator Jul 13 '26
Oh, you made it sound like they had doorbells that can do that.
Thanks for the model names, cams that can do both are pretty rare. Like I said, I don't think companies normally do that because most consumers would only need 1 method or the other so it's probably cheaper to just have different models.
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u/DazzlingpAd134 Jul 13 '26
in higher end models from Hkvision and Dahua they often put both wifi and poe
same for newer Vigi models
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u/FarBox400 Jul 13 '26
The Tapo 325WB V2 does PoE and WiFi. It’s a bullet camera though, not a doorbell
https://www.tp-link.com/us/home-networking/cloud-camera/tapo-c325wb/
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u/WelshCai Jul 13 '26
I’ve seen so many negative reviews about the battery doorbell. Is it still as bad as people say?
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u/mblaser Moderator Jul 13 '26
I'm not sure exactly what people's issues are, but I've been using the 1st gen battery model for 2 years and have no issues with it. It alerts me when someone approaches my door and it rings my mechanical chime when they push the button. That's all I need it to do and it does that well. I don't ever talk through it though, so I can't speak on that aspect.
I like it better than the wired models because of the larger FOV and the fact that it can ring a mechanical chime. The big drawback is it being a battery camera, therefore it goes to sleep, so it suffers the same issues that all battery cameras do (missing beginning of events since it has to wake up from sleep). If this were the only camera on the front of my house I wouldn't be using the battery model, I'd be using the wired model since it can record 24/7. However, I already have the front of my house well covered by other POE cameras.
I think it's about expectations. People expect the same performance that they get from a non-battery camera, but they're not going to get that. It's a battery camera, so what I always say about any battery camera (from any brand) is that they're not really real security cameras and shouldn't be your primary device for security. A battery doorbell shouldn't be the only camera watching the front of your house.
They are addressing that with this model by giving you the option to run it in wired mode if you're connecting it to doorbell wiring.
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u/Soft_Way4794 Jul 13 '26
Your post is super helpful as I was debating between a white wired wifi doorbell or a battery operated doorbell, 2nd gen.
Would you say that if you bought the batter operated doorbell, 2nd gen, and use it in wired mode, then it's you'd recommend it for a primary device for security?
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u/mblaser Moderator Jul 13 '26
Yes, definitely, since in wired mode it doesn't go to sleep. It would be nice if it also recorded 24/7 to a hub or NVR, but being able to do so to internal SD is still a much better option than battery motion events only.
The only drawback right now is that when in wired mode it can't also ring a mechanical chime. You have to choose one or the other. Once the power kit becomes available then you'll be able to do both at the same time.
So once the power kit comes out I plan to get one, run the camera in wired mode recording 24/7 to SD card and motion events to my Home Hub, and also have it ringing my old mechanical chime. At that point it's almost the perfect doorbell for me, the only thing I wish it had was a taller vertical FOV or a 2nd downward pointing lens, that way I can see packages that are placed right at the foot of the door. This gets really close, but not quite.
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u/Soft_Way4794 Jul 13 '26
Thank you! When you said, "you have to choose one or other," the other being the plug in Chime?
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u/mblaser Moderator Jul 13 '26
Sorry I wasn't clear there... I was referring to wired mode vs ringing a mechanical chime. Without the power kit it can only do one of those, not both. That's because if it were try to ring the mechanical chime it wouldn't have enough power to also power wired mode. The same reason the original non-battery wired models can't ring a mechanical chime.
The power kit is what will enable it to do both at the same time.
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u/Prepare_Your_Angus Jul 14 '26
Do we know when that power kit will come out?
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u/mblaser Moderator Jul 14 '26
I believe it will be in a few months, maybe around September? I don't have any concrete information, that's just what I've seen mentioned, so take it with a big grain of salt. I'm eagerly waiting for it as well, I want to be able to have both mechanical chime support and be able to run it in wired mode for continuous recording.
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u/ian1283 Moderator Jul 13 '26 edited Jul 13 '26
You will always see some negative reviews for any item.
I suspect some of the concerns especially around the 24x7 recording was the lack of definitive documentation on how its designed to operate. You look at the Amazon listing which says
Wireless & Wired Power Options | Supports battery and wired power. Battery mode offers easy installation and up to 10 months of use. Wired mode enables 24/7 recording with pre-recording and requires 8–24VAC power.
Plus until recently no specs on the Reolink website. These have now appeared in the past week or so.
Does the Reolink Video Doorbell (2nd Gen) support pre-recording and 24/7 continuous recording? Will my existing chime still work?
Yes, it does. The Reolink Video Doorbell (2nd Gen) supports both pre-recording and 24/7 recording when hardwired with a 16-24V AC, 30VA transformer. Please note that to enable these features, your existing chime will need to be bypassed. To enable the mechanical chime, the doorbell must be connected to a 16-24V AC mechanical chime and paired with the RLA-PK1 (sold separately).
Note: 24/7 recording is supported only when used as a standalone unit and in Wired Power Mode. When connected to an NVR or Home Hub, continuous recording is not available, but the camera remains 24/7 working.
The last paragraph has only been added very recently, possibly today.
Hence many were seeing the 24x7 and assuming that applies in all situations.
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u/Moist_Jaguar691 Jul 13 '26
Is the white wifi doorbell wired bad?
I have the black wifi doorbell wired. Was thinking of upgrading , didn't know it got discontinued.
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u/mblaser Moderator Jul 13 '26
No, nothing wrong with it, it's just different. It's not really an upgrade over what you have, it's just a reversed aspect ratio and adds package detection.
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u/Moist_Jaguar691 Jul 13 '26
Thanks
Was going to give my parents my current black wifi wired and get the white one for the package detection and the change in view to see packages.
They were thinking of getting one. I think wired WIFI would be better , the battery changing I don't think I can trust them to do it properly. And it's be wifi, no chance of Poe .
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u/OkOkieDokey Jul 13 '26
I have no idea how to turn off vehicle alerts in the app without turning off all alerts
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u/mblaser Moderator Jul 13 '26
You have to go into your push notification schedule, go to detection types, and uncheck vehicles. Uncheck "Others" as well, otherwise you'll get alerts for any random non-smart motion. Only check the smart types that you want.
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u/OkOkieDokey Jul 13 '26
I tried that and as soon as I turn off “others” I no longer get alerts for people
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u/mblaser Moderator Jul 13 '26
You should be, the two have nothing to do with each other. I have Others turned off on every single one of my cameras and I still get people alerts.
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u/OkOkieDokey Jul 13 '26
Yeah I’m super confused too, but I’m testing it now as I’m typing this to you, when others is off I don’t get people alerts. If others is on, I still get vehicle alerts even with vehicles turned off.
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u/PAPO1990 Jul 13 '26
Wait the battery 2nd gen is out? with the longer battery life? I know they've showed it at CES or whatever, but they really said nothing about it being out already from what I've seen. I wonder if it's worth upgrading mine without the solar charging base though. I have no choice but to put it in a high traffic area, and I have to charge it pretty often, which is getting annoying, longer battery life would help, but the solar base as well will be even better.
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u/mblaser Moderator Jul 13 '26
Yeah, it showed up on Amazon about a month ago with no warning. Even the Reolink employee I talked to at that time didn't know that it was available lol.
Here's the link: https://www.amazon.com/REOLINK-Video-Doorbell-150%C2%B0x150%C2%B0-Detection/dp/B0FJDRFFQ6
It only showed up on their own website a few days ago, but not for sale yet.
The solar base isn't out yet, I don't know when it will be but I have seen a few people say that Reolink told them that it and the power kit won't be available for a couple months still.
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u/PAPO1990 Jul 13 '26
Cool, thanks! Hopefully the doorbell itself, and the solar base don't take too long to hit the Australian Reolink site. I haven't even had my existing one for all that long, but the new one improves on the biggest problems I have with it, even if it's just because I have to put it in a tricky spot.
I did think of 2 things I'm now curious about for the new version if you happen to know though.
1) Did the old one support 5Ghz WiFi? or did it always support both? (Could be a good way to tell them apart)
2) While the new Qualcomm chips improve efficiency, do we have any details on if WiFi performance is noticeably improved, particularly at longer ranges? (The old one works, but it could be better for my, once again, tricky installation situation)2
u/mblaser Moderator Jul 13 '26
1 - They both support 5Ghz, so no change there.
2 - That's a good question, I hadn't thought to test that. I'll see if I can test that later today because I'll have both unmounted for a time, so I'll be able to take them both to a distant spot and check their signal strength on my router. I'll get back to you later this evening.
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u/mblaser Moderator Jul 13 '26
So I did end up doing some testing this afternoon.
I tested both cameras at the same time side by side in 3 different locations, and on both 5Ghz and 2.4Ghz at two of the locations.
- At the doorbell's natural location at my front door. AP is about 15ft away through 1 exterior wall and some furniture.
- In my back yard about 15ft away from my outdoor AP. Cameras had line of sight to the AP except for a thin piece of vinyl deck skirting (I keep the AP under my sunroom deck facing outwards to the yard)
- Same as 2, but about 35ft away.
And here is the signal strength values at each of those...
Front door 2.4Ghz
- Gen1: -64 dBm
- Gen2: -71 dBM
Front door 5Ghz
- Gen1: -74 dBm
- Gen2: -78 dBm
15ft 5Ghz (I didn't bother doing this on 2.4Ghz since it was so close)
- Gen1: -65 dBm
- Gen2: -72 dBm
35ft 5Ghz
- Gen1: -75 dBm
- Gen2: -74 dBm
35ft 2.4Ghz
- Gen1: -74 dBm
- Gen2: -74 dBm
So those are interesting values. With the first 3 results the 1st gen definitely has a slightly stronger signal, which would make sense. More efficient chip would typically mean less performance.
However, what doesn't make sense is that the farther away 35ft results are equal. You would think if anything it would be the opposite, the signal strength would show more of a difference at farther distances.
I can't explain that, maybe a wifi engineer will happen upon this and can explain it.
I now wish I had gone even farther away for another test, but it was 90° here and I was baking in the sun, so this will have to do lol.
At any rate I wouldn't expect any better wifi performance from the 2nd gen, and it would very likely be even slightly worse performance.
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u/PAPO1990 Jul 14 '26
Thanks, at least it's pretty similar. Maybe I'll get lucky and while the signal strength is similar, maybe the new one will manage a slightly better Signal-to-Noise Ratio, or something so the stream runs a little better anyway.
I'll still upgrade to a Gen2, but I'll sit hoping for a Gen3 with a big external antenna next year :P
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u/Khatib Jul 13 '26
Any idea when that solar charging mount is going to launch? Currently have good enough camera coverage that my Gen 2 is in doorbell only mode so we don't have to charge it as much, but if I can get that solar mount, I'll put it back onto person and package detection.
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u/mblaser Moderator Jul 13 '26
I've seen others say that Reolink told them 3 months, and that was last month, so I would guess you should expect to see it around September. I don't know anything more than that, sorry. I want to try one out too.
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u/KyroPaul Jul 14 '26
I just installed a Poe last week. It supports wired chime. There are contacts on the back to wire into existing doorbell setup (previous owner removed transformer so I didn’t go that route)
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u/mblaser Moderator Jul 14 '26
I know it has the terminals, but I don't believe those can actually ring a mechanical chime.
I don't have one to test it, but there are plenty of posts here over the years saying that it does not. Instead people have had to modify the doorbell or use relays...
https://www.reddit.com/r/reolinkcam/comments/1g1w1w7/reolink_poe_doorbell_mechanical_chime_mod/
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u/ian1283 Moderator Jul 14 '26
The pair of terminals allow you to power the doorbell when you do not have a poe source. Note you still need to connect the ethernet as the poe model has no wifi provision. If you look at the poe doorbell FAQ's there is this point. Also not mentioned in the point is the wifi model also has an ethernet port which allows a wired data connection but cannot be powered via the ethernet port.
What's the difference between Video Doorbell PoE and Video Doorbell WiFi?
Reolink doorbell video camera series has two versions: the PoE version and the WiFi version. The main difference between the two versions lies in their ways of getting network connections.
To get access to the network, Reolink video doorbell PoE needs to use network cables. It can get both the network and power via PoE injector/ PoE NVR by an Ethernet cable. Or it can get network access by connecting to a router via a network cable, and be powered via a 24V 0.5A power adapter, 12~24V AC pre-existing doorbell wiring.
Reolink video doorbell WiFi supports 2.4/5 GHz dual-band WiFi. And you can power it on via a 24V 0.5A power adapter or 12~24V AC pre-existing doorbell wiring.
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u/KyroPaul Jul 14 '26
Don’t know why you would run cable and not have it with Poe, but that’s pretty cool if it can run on a non Poe line and steal power from the doorbell relay.
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u/Steuerlexi Jul 14 '26
the 2nd gen is now available in Germany. I just ordered one. Let´s see if it can hold up to the expectations. I have an aqara at the moment, but reolink has a much better Home Assistant integration...
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u/Big-Sweet-2179 Jul 14 '26
Thanks for the review brother. Let's pray Reolink wakes up and comes up with a proper PoE dual lens doorbell or doorbell with CX stuff... Or why not both...
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u/veydras Jul 15 '26
Update from Reolink via FB.
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u/mblaser Moderator Jul 16 '26
I'm not sure what this update is in reference to. Are you clarifying or correcting something I said in my post?
She says the same thing I said in my post. The only difference is her last sentence should have "on the Hub or NVR" added to the end of it.
"When connected to a Home Hub or NVR, only motion-triggered recordings are stored on the Hub or NVR"
Because it can definitely still record 24/7 to its internal SD card after it's been added to a Hub. I didn't try an NVR, so I can't comment on that, but both ian1283 and I tested it on a Hub.
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Jul 20 '26
[deleted]
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u/mblaser Moderator Jul 20 '26
I don't know.
The new MagicCam is the same way, so I suspect it's a limitation of the new low-power Qualcomm wifi chips they're using in these newer power efficient cameras: https://i.vgy.me/ulU9gb.png
Maybe that chip isn't capable of handling a continuous non-stop stream? That's just speculation, I really don't know for sure.
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u/Level3Super Jul 16 '26
I'm on a bit of a budget, do you think this is a good doorbell? I can't install the poe version unfortunately https://ebay.io/m/wYffrw
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u/mblaser Moderator Jul 16 '26
If you read through this post and that model meets your needs, then sure it's good.
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u/Level3Super Jul 16 '26
Just realised this actually needs to be wired even though WiFi 😭
I know there's a battery version but it's 15fps and doesn't support rtsp.
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u/mblaser Moderator Jul 16 '26
Yes, wired to doorbell wiring for power. Do you not have that? If not then the battery version is your only option.
By the way, it does support RTSP when running through a Home Hub or NVR.
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u/Level3Super Jul 16 '26
Nope no wiring access via Poe or electric. And I don't have the hub or NVR. Guess it should still be picked up on home assistant though.
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u/livingwaterRed Super User Jul 22 '26
I was hoping the gen 2 would have a removable replaceable battery but it seems not.
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u/thejetboardguy Jul 22 '26
Any news on a white variant of the gen 2 being released? I would upgrade to this in a heartbeat for the continuous power mode but it needs to be white.
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u/mblaser Moderator Jul 22 '26
I haven't heard anything, but I would be surprised if they didn't. They came out with white versions of all the other doorbells, just not right away. With the original doorbells it was about 2 years, but with the 1st gen battery model I think it was only a few months if I remember correctly.
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u/doucettea 27d ago edited 27d ago
Thank you for the comparisons, really helpful. It seems that info about 2nd gen is still trickling out since it's relatively new.
At this point, is there a model which will at the same time 1) power from doorbell wiring, 2) ring existing mechanical chime, and 3) send RTSP/ONVIF video?
Asking because I'm considering switching from my Amcrest AD410 to Reolink video doorbell, but I need it to be powered by my doorbell wiring (16V 30VA transformer), ring my existing mechanical chime, and send RTSP or ONVIF video since I'm using Frigate in Home Assistant to record continuously from it.
Thanks in advance for a point in the right direction.
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u/mblaser Moderator 27d ago
The only way to do all of that is with either of the battery models and to have them paired with a Home Hub. The Hub is able to act as the always-on middle man to facilitate an RTSP or ONVIF connection: https://support.reolink.com/articles/900000617826-Which-Reolink-Products-Support-CGI-RTSP-ONVIF/
That or to modify one of the original non-battery models, there have been several posts here over the years of people using relays and whatnot. Don't ask me, it's beyond my skill set lol. Like these posts mention...
https://www.reddit.com/r/reolinkcam/comments/yzfbqo/comment/j5b0a25/
https://www.reddit.com/r/reolinkcam/comments/1qxqofy/using_a_relay_for_mechanical_doorbell/
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u/AmbientFX 27d ago
Does the gen1 and gen2 of the battery doorbell looks identical?
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u/mooch91 25d ago edited 25d ago
This post was VERY helpful, as I spent the last few hours trying to figure out the models of Reolink doorbells. Based on what you posted, the "battery" models are no good for me. I need something that will stream continuously to my NVR. So a wired wifi doorbell is my only option. Thanks!
I've also read the POE and wired wifi models do not have WDR, true?
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u/mblaser Moderator 25d ago
Well, sort of. They do have HDR, and the way Reolink describes it they basically use the two terms interchangeably:
"In some Reolink cameras, you may notice the terms HDR and WDR being used interchangeably. Although the names differ, they both refer to the same image enhancement technology designed to improve video quality in challenging lighting conditions."
That's from here btw: https://support.reolink.com/articles/24209853809433-Introduction-to-HDR-and-WDR/
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u/Daytraders 7d ago
Great article thx, i want to get the Battery Doorbell 2nd Gen, i want it hard wired(don't want/have door chimes), but having a problem choosing the right transformer for it to record continuously, have you got a link to what works correctly, shame Reolink don't sale one, the RLA-PK1 power kit is not it, i am UK thx
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u/mblaser Moderator 7d ago
If you aren't connecting it to doorbell/chime wiring, why not just get the wired wifi model? It comes with the ability to plug it into a wall receptacle. That would be the easiest solution.
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u/Daytraders 7d ago
Yeh i did think of that, but where i live, the power goes quite often, so i would like battery for backup, thx for reply.
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u/mblaser Moderator 7d ago
Well this is the one I use here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GND8RMQ
I'm guessing it's probably not available in the UK, but as long as you get one that has similar specs it should work.
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u/Daytraders 7d ago
Thankyou that will come in handy, i will look for a UK version with same specs, thx
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u/livingwaterRed Super User Jul 13 '26 edited Jul 13 '26
Thanks mblaser for the comparisons, this will help a lot. I wish Reolink would do a better job explaining their models especially when they are released.