Ring Wired Video Doorbell Elite (2nd-gen) Review

Introduction

It has taken Ring a very long time to properly revisit its Elite line. The original Ring Elite launched around eight years ago and, while the Power over Ethernet setup made it popular with professional installers and smart home enthusiasts, the actual camera hardware had long since been overtaken by cheaper Ring doorbells further down the range.

For anyone wanting all the latest Ring features, using genuine PoE power, there had been a huge waiting game. The new Ring Wired Video Doorbell Elite (2nd-gen) changes that.

Ring has finally thrown its best camera tech, radar-powered motion detection, Low-Light Sight colour night vision and its new Retinal 4K branding into a proper PoE doorbell.

There’s also remote gate access support for higher-end properties, alongside the sort of flush-mounted installation that looks far cleaner than most battery-powered video doorbells stuck onto brickwork.

The catch, naturally, is the price. Not just the upfront cost either, but the continuing subscription fees needed to unlock much of what makes this doorbell feel “elite” in the first place.

Design and installation

• Requires Ethernet
• Backbox provided

The Elite (2nd-gen) still looks unmistakably like a Ring product, but it feels far more purpose-built than the company’s mainstream doorbells.

In the box you get two mounting options. One is designed for in-wall mounting for the neatest possible finish, while the other works as a surface mount option. Both include rubber cushioning to help keep moisture out and give the installation a reassuringly solid fit once secured.

Interestingly, the blue backbox is the same as the previous-generation Ring Elite, which will be very handy for anyone upgrading from the original model.

This time around Ring has ditched the old security screw setup too. Instead, there’s a removal tool included for releasing the unit from the mount.

Despite the “Elite” branding, this actually sits a little less flush than the original Ring Elite. Presumably Ring simply couldn’t squeeze all the 4K hardware and upgraded internals into such a slim body.

Even so, it still looks excellent once mounted and feels extremely solid and the main button and front facing unit is just much more premium than the usual array of Ring devices.

One thing worth stressing is that this is proper native PoE, not the USB-converter approach Ring used on the Battery Doorbell Pro with optional PoE accessories. That means cleaner power delivery, more reliable connectivity and no bulky adapter hanging around somewhere nearby.

You do still have the option to connect it to a traditional chime system too, although PoE remains mandatory for the overall setup.

Installation itself is refreshingly straightforward considering this is very much a pro-level product.

After scanning the QR code in the Ring app, the setup process walks you through motion zones, smart alerts and privacy areas.

Thankfully, the Ring app remains one of the better smart home security apps around for tweaking settings after installation.

You don’t need to stress too much about getting everything perfect first time because it’s easy to go back in and endlessly tinker to your heart’s delight.

Features

• Requires subscription for main features
• Flexible motion settings

Out of the box, the Elite (2nd-gen) covers the basics very well. You get live view, two-way audio, notifications and motion alerts without paying extra.

But the moment you start looking at the more advanced features, the subscription prompts arrive thick and fast.

24/7 recording requires the higher-tier Ring Home Pro subscription, otherwise recordings are motion-based only. Smart search features are locked away too, alongside AI-powered tools like Video Descriptions, Familiar Faces beta and enhanced event filtering.

Ring’s Smart Responses feature is here as well and remains one of the more useful additions to the ecosystem, particularly if you miss deliveries regularly.

The actual event management system is excellent. Ring’s Event History page presents clips in a clean thumbnail-based timeline with adjustable thumbnail sizing and genuinely useful filtering options.

Combined with the live timeline view, it’s quick and painless to find, review and download specific footage.

The problem is that Ring increasingly feels like a platform where you’re buying expensive hardware first and then renting many of the standout features afterwards.

That becomes especially noticeable when brands like Reolink and Aqara now offer local storage, strong AI detection and excellent image quality for far less money and without such aggressive subscription dependency.

Ring clearly knows this Elite model is aimed at wealthier buyers and professionally installed smart homes, but even by those standards the paywalling feels excessive.

Video quality and performance

• Very sharp daytime video
• Full colour night vision

Video performance is where the Elite (2nd-gen) really earns its keep.

The Retinal 4K footage looks fantastic. Daytime video is exceptionally sharp, colours look rich without appearing overprocessed, and there’s enough detail here to genuinely take advantage of the 10x zoom feature.

That zoom initially sounds like one of those specs designed mainly for marketing slides, but it actually proved surprisingly useful during testing.

I was able to zoom far enough to check whether it was our cat hopping over a wall across the road, and also clearly make out the number plate on a delivery van that dropped a parcel without ringing the bell.

Low-Light Sight is equally impressive. The colour night vision produces bright, detailed footage in lighting conditions where many rival doorbells would already have switched over to muddy monochrome infrared.

I did notice occasional flickering between the infrared mode and colour mode at night though. I suspect using the larger wedge mount to alter the viewing angle slightly could help reduce that behaviour.

Ring also offers a Retinal Tuning AI feature designed to reduce juddering, pixelation and other visual artefacts. During testing though, the combination of native Ethernet connectivity and the already excellent 4K feed meant I rarely felt it was actually necessary.

Unsurprisingly, this feature also sits behind the subscription paywall.

Motion detection is excellent too. The radar-powered 3D Motion Detection system delivered very accurate alerts during testing, with far fewer false triggers than older Ring doorbells.

Call quality is another strong point. Ring continues to deliver some of the clearest two-way audio in the video doorbell market and conversations through the Elite sounded crisp and natural on both ends.

Should you buy it?