Ring Doorbell 3 and 3 Plus

Ring released two new doorbell models, the Ring Doorbell 3 and the Ring Doorbell 3 Plus, in April 2020. These video doorbells are intended to replace the Ring Doorbell 2.

There are several new features on the Ring Doorbell 3 including improved WiFi, improved motion detection and a new feature called Pre-Roll. 

Find more about what is new and what stayed the same from previous generations of the Ring Doorbell.

New Ring Doorbell 3 Features

The Ring Video Doorbell 3 ironically has three significant new features from previous generations. 

1. Improved WiFi – 2.4 Ghz and 5.0 Ghz
2. Improved Motion Detection – Addition of near motion detection
3. Pre-Roll Video – 4 seconds of video before the event (Ring 3 Plus only)

Improved WiFi

The Ring Doorbell 3 can connect to both 2.4 Ghz and 5.0 Ghz WiFi networks. This is an improvement over previous versions of the Ring Doorbell that could only connect to 2.4 Ghz WiFi networks.

The addition of the 5.0 Ghz connectivity improves the Ring Doorbell by allowing it to connect to more WiFi routers with a stronger and faster connection.

Improved Motion Detection

The Ring Doorbell 3 improved motion detection by adding a near motion zone. The near motion zone focuses on activity that is 5 to 15 feet from the doorbell. 

The near motion zone should minimize the amount of false positives found on other battery powered Ring doorbells. Many people have issues with their Ring doorbell triggering when a car drives by even if the detection zone is set to the smallest area. This issue should be resolved with the Ring Doorbell 3.

Pre-Roll Video

Pre-roll video is arguably the biggest improvement on the Ring 3. Pre-roll video is a 4 second video clip that is recorded by the Ring Doorbell 3 before an event is triggered. This gives you a complete picture for what is happening and why an event occurred. If you don’t like this feature or if it consumes the battery too quickly, then you can turn it off.

Ring Pre-Roll Video Summary

• 4 second video clip before an event
• Black and white video only
• Video is less than 1080P
• No audio is recorded

How does Pre-Roll Video work?

Pre-roll video works using an array of low powered cameras found on the front of the doorbell body.

These cameras continuously record video that is stored locally on the Ring doorbell. The video constantly overwrites itself so only 4 seconds of video is stored at a time.

When do you see Pre-Roll Video?

The pre-roll video is displayed in two areas: live view or stored video.

You will see pre-roll video as a picture in picture when you click on live view after a motion event or doorbell ring.

If you subscribe to a Ring Protect Plan, then you will see the additional four seconds attached to the beginning of the motion event and stored in the cloud.

What is the Ring Doorbell battery life with Pre-Roll?

This is the big question. We need to see several units tested in the real world to see how the battery life is impacted by pre-roll video. 

This type of feature is common on most powered security cameras. However, it isn’t found on battery powered cameras because it would consume the battery too quickly. Hopefully, Ring found a way to add a great feature without impacting battery life too much.

Ring Doorbell 3 vs Ring Doorbell 2

So how does the Ring 3 compare to the previous generation doorbell? 

The biggest changes between Ring Doorbell 3 and Ring Doorbell 2 are the new features added. With just a couple of exceptions, almost everything else about the Ring 3 is the same as Ring 2. 

The table below summarizes some of the most important differences between Ring 3 and Ring 2:

The Ring Doorbell 3 battery life is the other big question. Battery life on Ring doorbells is affected by the number of motion events and weather. The current Ring doorbell battery lasts for approximately 1000 motion events. We want to understand how this will be impacted by the constant battery usage for Pre-roll Video.

Are Ring 2 Accessories Compatible with Ring 3?

If you are upgrading from the Ring 2, then you might want to know if you can use your current Ring camera accessories with the Ring 3.

Ring gives us some guidance on this topic for three specific types of accessories.

1. Doorbell Mounts and Corner Wedge Kits – Ring Doorbell 2 mounts are not compatible with the Ring Doorbell 3.
2. Solar Mounts – Solar mounts made for Ring 2 are not optimized to work with Ring Doorbell 3.
3. Charging Cables – Ring Doorbell 2 and Ring Doorbell 3 use the same charging cables. This item is compatible

Should I Buy Ring Doorbell 3 or 3 Plus?

If you buy a Ring 3, then the Ring Doorbell 3 Plus is the device to choose. The price difference is minimal and you will get the option to have the Pre-roll video. Pre-roll is a very handy feature to ensure you see the complete event that triggered your doorbell camera.

Another device you should consider is the Ring Pro. The Ring Pro has to be connected using doorbell wires, but it offers several improvements over the Ring Doorbell 2 or Ring Doorbell 3. 

You can review the differences between Ring Pro and Ring 2, which also apply to the Ring Doorbell 3.

Ring Doorbell	Model	Description	Buy
Top	Ring 3 Plus	All-new Ring Video Doorbell 3 Plus – 1080p HD video, improved motion detection, 4-second previews, easy installation	Amazon Price
Top	Ring 3	All-new Ring Video Doorbell 3 – 1080p HD video, improved motion detection, easy installation	Amazon Price
Top Top	Ring Pro	Ring Video Doorbell Pro, with HD Video, Motion Activated Alerts, Easy Installation (existing doorbell wiring required)	Amazon Price
Top	Ring 2	Ring Video Doorbell 2 with HD Video, Motion Activated Alerts, Easy Installation	Amazon Price

P.S. Please leave a comment below to ask a question, help someone else or share your experiences. Thanks!