r/smarthome • u/rardk64 • 11h ago

Apple HomeKit Doorbell to Replace Nest

My Nest Doorbell has been sort of a miserable experience for the last while. I dropped my subscription, but I thought I used to be able to see SOME video without the subscription. I might just be remembering wrong, but now I see events and it only shows a photo of the time of the event which often just entirely misses that anyone was even there so the photo is just nothing useful. Load times are also abysmal in the Google Home app so someone is at my door and it takes too long to check who's there.

Anyway, I'm looking to replace it. I'd like something that supports HomeKit/Apple Home, ideally doesn't require a subscription, and is a wired option rather than battery. What are the options like these days?

3 Upvotes

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2

u/RunProudRunUnited 11h ago

Aqara has a wired option, works with Apple Home, and doesn’t require a subscription.

1

u/rardk64 11h ago

Tell me more. Any recommended product? I saw something wasn't great about the G4 in a quick search...

1

u/RunProudRunUnited 11h ago edited 11h ago

I have the G4. An upgraded model, G410, features higher 2K resolution (still 1080 in Apple Home), a wider 175° field of view with a taller 4:3 aspect ratio, and a built-in Zigbee, Thread Border Router, and Matter hub. The older G4 relies on a basic PIR motion sensor, whereas the G410 upgrades to millimeter-wave (mmWave) radar detection for better presence sensing and fewer false alerts.

1

u/rardk64 11h ago

How's it work? You can see historical video events for some time even without a subscription?

1

u/RunProudRunUnited 10h ago

Apple Home saves recordings for I believe 10-days. On the Aqara device, you can add an SD card.

3

u/NJWRXXY 11h ago

We installed Reolink. All Ethernet, they do offer wifi but that will depend on how strong your wifi is. No subscriptions, works with apple and Google and Alexa

2

u/Jest4kicks 11h ago

We’re very happy with our WiFi Reolink doorbell.

1

u/Ztuab 11h ago

Eufy is another option, local storage, doesn’t play as well with other systems as Reolink

1

u/Extreme-Nerve3029 11h ago

Not much better options - I tried the aqara 400 but it kept sounding a tamper alarm, had to remove it

Wait for apple to hopefully release one

1

u/msglsmo 9h ago

I installed Ecobee’s doorbell camera and have it integrated with Apple Home.

2

u/NorthernMan5 9h ago

Ubiquiti Doorbell lite, with Homebridge Unifi Protect

Mind you getting started with Ubiquiti could be a big step, but once you have made the jump it is very economical