Ring Always Home Cam vs Indoor Camera (2021): Do You Need A Flying Indoor Camera?

Since its announcement in fall 2020, the Ring Always Home Cam has been surrounded by a lot of buzz—and questions. After all, it’s a flying camera, otherwise known as a drone. With its by-invitation-only release this year, there’s still an air of mystery hovering over the Always Home Cam. How will it fare against regular models, too, like the Ring Indoor Camera? Below, we compare the two devices based on what we know so far about Ring’s drone surveillance. Keep checking this page for updates to the Always Home Cam’s performance, too.

Ring Always Home Cam vs Indoor Camera Comparison Chart

Design

The Ring Always Home Cam is essentially a drone while the Ring Indoor Camera is a traditional, stationary model.

Ring’s two indoor cameras couldn’t be any more different. One docks on and flies from a charging base, while the other is a more traditional, stationary model. The new camera is large and brandishes a cube-like form. The other model features a cylindrical shape with a round base that mounts on desktops or walls.

Despite the difference in approach, they largely retain Ring’s design philosophy. Both the Ring Always Home Cam and Indoor Cam are minimalist-looking devices that sport the company’s clean, white aesthetic. The actual camera of the Always Home model, however, brandishes a bolder, charcoal finish. Meanwhile, the Indoor Cam is also available in an all-black model.

To be airborne, the Always Home uses a quadcopter drone design enclosed within a protective basket. Underneath this housing is the camera and battery unit. When docked, the camera is blocked by the charging base. Ring’s Indoor Cam, on the other hand, offers constant monitoring — just like regular surveillance systems.

Camera and Audio

Based on Ring Indoor Cam reviews, the stationary camera has the edge over the Ring Always Home Cam when it comes to camera and audio features.

Based on the specs released by Ring, the Always Home comes with a 1440×1440 HD camera. It also offers a 120-degree field of view, both horizontally and vertically. Since the camera flies, Ring has aptly called its monitoring In-Flight Live View. This allows users to get a view of their entire home without the need for a multi-camera system.

The Ring Indoor Cam, on the other hand, is equipped with a 1080p HD camera with a live view. There’s support for color night vision, too. Homeowners also get 140-degree diagonal, 115-degree horizontal, and 60-degree vertical field of view.

In terms of performance, the Indoor Cam delivers the goods. The image quality you get is strong, with sharp video recording that also provides ample detail. Even in night mode, video streams are well lit. It hasn’t been announced whether the Always Home Cam will have a dedicated night mode, too. But the design shows the drone-cam features a built-in LED for low-light conditions.

Like many security cameras, the Indoor Cam provides two-way audio with noise cancellation. It’s not yet clear if the flying Always Home Cam will also support two-way talk. If it does come with audio features, however, it will be interesting to see how it will work in-flight.

Security and Smart Features

Both the Ring Always Home Cam and Indoor Cam are equipped with security and smart features.

A key feature of the Ring Indoor Camera is its motion detection. To make the most of this feature, however, you’ll need to subscribe to Ring Protect. With a service plan, homeowners can get motion-triggered push notifications. A Ring Protect plan also gives access to view, record, and capture video. Otherwise, you’ll only get a live view.

But busy homes can be tricky. If you don’t want alerts over pets or furniture moving, a subscription will allow you to limit it to just human motion. Users can also customize motion-detection zones to specific areas in one’s home, as well as adjust the sensitivity of the Indoor Cam to motion. Given these features, Ring Protect feels necessary even though it’s optional.

Because it flies, the Ring Always Home Cam presents some privacy and security issues. To address these concerns, Ring shares that the drone will only fly predesignated routes in your home. You won’t be able to control the drone manually either. Since the device docks on the base, the camera is also physically blocked. Recording only starts once the camera is in flight.

Ring ensures both devices have smart features, too. The Always Home Cam, for instance, is equipped with sensors for obstacle avoidance. The innovative drone is expected to integrate with Ring’s service plans as well. On the other hand, the Indoor Cam is compatible with Alexa for hands-free control. It also pairs with other Alexa-enabled devices like the Echo Show.

Power and Ease of Use

The Ring Always Home Cam and Indoor Cam are designed to be easy to use and manage.

Ring has invested in making easy-to-install and use devices. This remains true for both the Always Home Cam and Indoor Cam. While you’ll need to set up both cameras through the Ring App, outside of that step, they’re essentially plug-and-play models. Connect them to a power outlet, and you’re good to go.

For the Always Home Cam, Ring does suggest placing the charging dock on a surface with enough space around it — 1.5-feet on each side to be exact. The Indoor Cam, on the other hand, allows for multiple installation options with enough flexibility, thanks to its 6.5-feet cable. Out of the box, you also get all the mounting hardware you need.

Since it’s a traditional stationary camera, the Indoor Cam is powered 24/7. In contrast, the Always Home runs on a rechargeable battery. Ring’s product information sheet previously indicated the runtime of the drone is only a measly five minutes. Charging, on the other hand, takes two full hours.

We’re waiting to see if this battery rating has changed with the Always Home Cam’s release, so we’ll update the specs as soon as possible.

Verdict

Initial impressions show the Ring Always Home Cam is promising. In the meantime, the Ring Indoor Camera is still the more practical and affordable solution.

The Ring Always Home Cam is designed to give users a bird’s-eye view of their home without the need for a multi-camera setup. Since it flies on designated paths automatically, you don’t need to worry about manually controlling the drone camera. It also docks safely to a charging base, ensuring video recording only starts when the camera is in flight.

If the product information sheet is correct, however, then the biggest drawback to the Always Home Cam is battery life. At just five minutes of runtime, you won’t get continuous and sustained monitoring here. For most people, a powered and stationary device like the Ring Indoor Camera will make more sense. Plus, it’s an affordable model, too. The only downside is that you’ll need the optional Ring Cam plans to fully utilize the camera’s features.

The Ring Always Home Camera is available by invitation only. Keep tabs on this page for updates to its features and actual performance. You can check out more Ring reviews here.

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