Rockstar Games debuted the GTA 6 launch trailer for its upcoming open-world crime caper overnight, with a distinctly Australian flavour present in the background.
Normally, a game’s launch trailer coincides with the actual launch date. Rockstar either didn’t get the memo, or it simply doesn’t care. When a game as hotly anticipated as GTA 6 — scheduled to launch on 19 November — is around the corner, my money’s on the latter.
Aside from setting the scene for the game’s protagonists, Jason and Lucia, the 90-second trailer features a catchy new tune. Made specifically for the game, “Flower in a Hurricane” sees Aussie artists Tame Impala plus King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard team up with Justice and SZA on a synth-laden anthem well-suited to Vice City.
GTA 6 may still be a month away, so the new trailer is just another layer to an unconventional launch strategy that also included an extended gameplay debut on Netflix, of all places.
With more grunt and improved sensors to power its new ‘Health Sensing System’, Apple Watch Series 12 keeps a close eye on your wellbeing.
Once you reach a dozen versions of a highly successful product, you obviously have a pretty good idea of what works. That’s why we only tend to see iterative improvements, which naturally makes it harder to get excited about every Shiny New Thing.
This time around, the Apple Watch Series 12 is a more impressive upgrade than usual. It packs a new processor to support a few smart features, while health and fitness fans will be excited about the revamped rear sensors that press up against your skin.
They say you can’t put a price on your health, but it’s good to see that at $649 the base Series 12 model is actually $30 cheaper than the Series 11, returning to the price of the Series 10.
Apple Watch Series 12 first impressions
At first glance, the Apple Watch Series 12 is identical to the last few models. The spec sheet reveals it is a fraction bigger than the Series 11, at around 0.1mm thicker and 2 g heavier.
You’ve still a choice of aluminium and titanium bodies in a range of colours, plus Apple has re-introduced the full polished ceramic option.
The watch body sticks with Apple’s standard 42 or 46mm rectangular design (bumped up 1mm each, back when the Series 10 launched), featuring the same rotating crown and flush secondary button.
With WatchOS 27, clicking the digital crown now displays six of your most-used apps rather than the full list, which makes life easier.
The new most-used apps menus on WatchOS 27. Image: Adam Turner.
Likewise, the Series 12 still relies on the same impressive LTPO3 OLED Always‑On Retina display – offering a bright, vivid image with wide viewing angles.
It’s not obvious to the naked eye, but the Apple Watch Series 12 aluminium cases now feature stronger Ceramic Shield 2 glass.
Flip over the Series 12, and you can’t miss the changes to the rear sensors. The new ‘daisy-petal’ layout contains 32 electrode segments, rather than two, which significantly improves ECG and biometric accuracy.
At the centre of the electrode segments, Apple has doubled the number of LEDs and receptors for shining light on your skin. This fourth-generation, always-on optical heart sensor lets the Series 12 capture your heart rate more accurately and more often, checking every five seconds rather than every few minutes.
These improvements ensure your readings are more accurate if you tend to wear your watch loose on your wrist.
The Apple Watch Series 12’s new sensor array (front), compared to the old Series 9. Image: Adam Turner.
Thankfully, the battery life remains up to 24 hours, which can stretch to 38 hours in Low Power Mode.
More efficient GPS and heart rate readings mean you should get an extra hour or two on long runs, walks and hikes. That’s a welcome improvement but, if it’s still not enough juice for your adventures, consider stepping up to the Apple Watch Ultra 4.
It sounds similar to the iPhone Adaptive Power Mode introduced with iOS 26. Anyone who’s tried to use the AllTrails iPhone app on an all-day hike will appreciate how quickly it drains the battery.
The Series 12’s faster battery charging is also a welcome addition, especially if you wear your watch for sleep tracking. Just 15 minutes on the charger provides up to 12 hours of normal use. Even better, a five-minute charge when getting ready for bed is enough to cover 10 hours of sleep tracking.
Under the bonnet, the Apple Watch Series 12 packs the new S11 chip and doubles the RAM to 4GB. It runs the new watchOS 27 and should get updates for four or five years.
Apart from the S11 chip and new rear sensors, it’s basically the same hardware as the Series 11. But both these hardware improvements unlock a range of new software features.
Starting with the sensors, Apple claims the Series 12 offers the most accurate heart rate sensing in a wearable. This accuracy underpins a new real-time heart rate complication on the watch face, plus the improved heart rate app on the watch provides richer data.
Whether you’re walking or at the gym, Apple sticks with the same text-only readout, which displays time, kilojoules, heart rate and distance if relevant.
Unlike Android watches like the Google Pixel Watch 5, there’s no indication of your cardio load on most exercises. You can’t see at a glance how hard you’re working in terms of exertion – for some reason, Apple only offers this in a handful of activities like Outdoor Run. That’s disappointing, because a glanceable ‘zone’ indicator can encourage you to push yourself a bit harder.
Walking the dogs (left), and Strength training at the gym (right). Images: Adam Turner.
There’s also a new steps complication, thanks to an improved pedometer algorithm that’s more accurate when you’re on a treadmill or carrying something while walking outside.
The walking auto-detecting on my old Apple Watch Series 9 is temperamental. Even though my dogs and I always follow the same path, the spot where the watch asks if I want to record an outdoor walk varies by about 300 metres. Occasionally, it fails to notice at all, even on a 45-minute walk.
The fact my watch struggles is understandable. My dogs dawdle when we first set off, plus I’m holding the lead in my hand. (I’m still waiting for Apple to add a separate ‘Dog walking’ exercise, so my hounds don’t drag down my walking stats).
The new Series 12 is more consistent, with walking auto-detect always kicking in at roughly the same location, around 150 metres before Series 9 tends to speak up. Just as I was starting to trust it, it failed to auto-detect a walk on day 8 even though there was a lot less dawdling than usual.
The watch’s revamped sensors also improve Heart Rate Variability readings, which measure tiny changes in the amount of time between your heartbeats. High variability is good, because it means your nervous system shifts easily between stress and relaxation (something that my body struggles with).
New sensors offer improved HRV readings. Image: Adam Turner.
The Series 12 measures both HRV and Recovery HRV, which contribute to overnight and new daytime vitals. Recovery HRV measures stress and fatigue, acting as a good indicator of whether you’re read to push yourself or perhaps coming down with something.
Both readings contribute to Apple’s new ‘Readiness Score’, along with heart rate, respiratory rate, wrist temperature and blood oxygen. Plus, it considers your sleep quality, recent activity and calorie estimates.
In return, it seems less obsessed with encouraging you to close your daily fitness rings regardless of how you feel. It still insists on regularly telling you to stand up, but thankfully you can kill this.
As of the Series 11 watches, if you wear the Apple Watch to bed, you’re given a Sleep Score out of 100. It’s a lot more accurate than smartphone apps which sit on the bedside table and only listen to you sleep, often failing to notice that you’re lying there awake (see below).
Sleep score (left) and sleep breakdown (right). Images: Adam Turner.
For what was a pretty good night by my standards, the watch says 78% while Sleep Cycle on the iPhone claimed 98%, recording less awake time and more deep sleep.
Based on all this, you’re given a ‘Readiness Score’ out of 10, so you know whether it’s a good day to go hard on your fitness goals, stick with a standard load or take it easy.
Of course, it’s not a new concept, following in the footsteps of Google/Fitbit, Garmin, Oura and Whoop. Unlike most rivals, Apple’s Readiness Score adapts throughout the day if you hit the gym or snooze on the couch.
You need to wear the Apple Watch Series 12 for seven days and nights before you get your first Readiness Score. It appears in the watch’s Vitals app in the morning, along with a breakdown of each contributing health stat. You can also see the score on your iPhone, although it’s in the Fitness app, even though all the individual metrics are in the Health app.
A Readiness Score out of 10 is a handy indicator, but if you intend to heed it, you’ll want to spend some time understanding what it all means. Especially if you have ongoing health problems and don’t have the luxury of only being active when you feel up to it.
Health issues mean I often sleep poorly, and my HRV is always very low. When the watch says a reading is ‘Typical’ or “within typical range”, it means my typical range, not typical for a 50-something male of my height and weight. That’s why it wants to capture a week’s worth of data before providing you with insights.
Despite ticks across the board and telling me I was “rested and ready for today”, on the first morning I still only got a Readiness Score of 6, claiming I was “Ready”.
Readiness score (left), and Readiness analysis (right). Images: Adam Turner.
By my own reckoning, I would have given myself an 8 or 9, considering I slept better than most nights and felt better than most mornings. I suspect my low HRV and Recovery HRV drag down my score, even though they’re average for me.
Overnight Recovery HRV (left), and overall overnight metrics (right). Images: Adam Turner.
I thought it might be impossible for me to score much higher than 6 but, over the next few days, I crept up to 7 “Ready”, and then eventually hit 8 “Go for it”. Sleep was a factor, but clearly it was taking more into account.
Not surprisingly, Apple includes a disclaimer in the small print: “Readiness does not account for all health factors such as existing conditions or medication, and should not be solely relied on to determine whether it is safe to exercise”.
AI features
This brings us to the Apple Watch Series 12’s new S11 chip. It powers Siri AI for a more conversational experience, along with Audio Intelligence features Live Rewind, Siri Recap, Shazam and Sound Recognition.
The S11 chip features what Apple calls a “secure enclave”, so these features are handled onboard and never shared, but some of them will still concern those worried about privacy.
Shazam identifies nearby music, which is already a common Android feature. Sound Recognition is basically an accessibility feature, notifying people who are hard of hearing of important sounds like sirens, alarms, doorbells and crying babies.
Live Rewind and Siri Recap are more controversial but won’t be available until later this year. A double-click on the digital crown activates Live Rewind to show a transcript of what was said in the last 15 seconds – supposedly helpful if someone shared “a book recommendation, menu specials or directions you didn’t quite catch”.
Meanwhile, Siri Recap summarises your conversations throughout the day. Rather than a recording or transcript, it produces “very high-level notes” which don’t attribute speakers and supposedly strip out sensitive information. You can check the summaries later on your iPhone.
For a company that pushes privacy as a selling point, it’s astonishing that Apple would think it’s okay for its watches to listen to everything said around you, all day. Even if they are opt-in features, the people around you don’t have the ability to opt out.
Despite the S11 chip’s “secure enclave” and other reassurances, don’t be surprised if there is a smart glasses-style backlash against wearing Apple Watches in sensitive environments like business meetings.
Who is the Apple Watch Series 12 for?
The Apple Watch Series 12 is a worthy successor to the Series 11, offering a major step up thanks to the new chip and sensors. That said, as an upgrade, it’s only likely to tempt those who care about Siri AI and/or advanced health and fitness.
Playing catch up with features like Readiness Score, the improvements mostly seem designed to stop people abandoning Apple in favour of smartwatches with stronger high-end fitness credentials.
Easier access for Siri AI will please those who like to chat with their smart assistant during the day, but Live Rewind and Siri Recap seem like novelties that are more likely to cause trouble than actually be useful.
Frequently asked questions
How long does the Apple Watch Series 12 battery last?
Apple claims the watch’s battery lasts up to 24 hours of regular use, and up to 38 hours when set to ‘Low Power Mode’. Depending on how you use the watch, the battery can drain quicker, especially if you regularly use the built-in GPS and workout tracking features. Fortunately, the Apple Watch Series 12 charges faster than previous models, providing up to 12 hours of use from a quick 15-minute charge.
What are the main differences between the Apple Watch Series 12 and Series 11?
Apple’s latest watch uses new sensors that provide more accurate data, like heart rate and sleep quality. It also includes more memory, which, combined with the new S11 chip, provides smoother performance. By default, the Series 12 supports Apple’s latest WatchOS 27 software, introducing new features like Readiness Score.
Does Siri AI work with the Apple Watch Series 12?
Yes, the watch’s new S11 chip runs various Siri AI features, although some are not available at launch. Coming in a future update are Live Rewind and Siri Recap, opt-in features that can transcribe and summarise conversations.
Apple Watch Series 12
With more grunt and improved sensors, the Apple Watch Series 12 puts SirI AI on your wrist while keeping a close eye on your wellbeing.
Features 9
9
Value for money 9
9
Performance 9
9
Ease of use 9
9
Design 9
9
Positives
New S11 processor
More accurate health and fitness readings
New health and fitness metrics like Readiness Score
Adobe has expanded its partnership with NVIDIA by optimising Photoshop, Premiere and Substance 3D for the NVIDIA RTX Spark superchip, which NVIDIA launched earlier this month. Adobe says the rebuilt apps deliver up to 2x faster AI processing, editing, colour and effects on RTX Spark.
Photoshop now uses GPU-accelerated compositing, so the Remove Tool and effects like Gaussian Blur and Light Leaks respond faster on canvas. In Premiere, playback, rendering, colour grading and AI features such as Enhance Speech and Object Mask all get faster. Substance 3D Painter speeds up texturing work, including baking mesh maps and exporting textures.
Adobe is also using NVIDIA GPUs to speed up Frame.io in the cloud. Early tests show embedding generation is about 5x faster, so uploaded footage becomes searchable sooner. Adobe and NVIDIA will show more at AdobeMAX, which runs from 10 to 12 November. GadgetGuy will be at the show to bring you the latest updates.
Handheld gaming PCs are in a weird spot right now. Once a semi-affordable way to play PC games on the go, the AI-driven memory shortage has seen most devices skyrocket to prices you’d expect from gaming laptops. ROG’s latest handheld gaming PC, the limited-edition Xbox Ally X20, symbolises this recent trend.
On the surface, it’s a beautiful, flashy device. One that is far pricier than ROG’s previous entries. Complicating matters, however, is the fact that the X20 relies on legacy hardware. Despite the elevated price, it isn’t quite as powerful as more recent handheld gaming PCs.
There are some welcome improvements to the design, which add to the overall usability and comfort. Debuting OLED on an Ally is a nice touch, too. The X20 also includes some rather nice design flourishes, combining ROG’s industrial gamer aesthetic with some of Xbox’s signature branding.
Image: Chris Button.
So, what’s the value-add here? Is a fancy new screen and improved build quality worth $700 more than the previous model? Should you save money by going for the non-limited-edition version? Or should you spend an extra few hundred dollars on a device that delivers tangibly better gaming performance? These aren’t easy questions to answer because they wholly depend on where your priorities lie.
Among the uncertainties and ambiguities, the Xbox Ally X20 is an extremely eye-catching and streamlined handheld gaming PC, even if its output doesn’t quite match that of its newest rivals.
Comparing Allies (and enemies)
When the ROG Xbox Ally X first launched in October last year, it cost $1,599 in Australia. Only a few months later, ROG increased the price to $1,799. So, based on today’s pricing, the new Xbox Ally X20 is a hefty $700 more expensive (or nearly $1,000 dearer than the non-limited edition’s launch price).
Yet, as nice as all the new flourishes are, the X20 still rocks the same AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme chipset and 24GB of memory. In a direct head-to-head comparison with Intel’s new Arc G3 system-on-a-chip (SoC), AMD’s hardware shows its age.
Last year’s Xbox Ally X. Image: Chris Button.
Without tangible performance gains, what does an extra $700 get you? The most obvious is a larger screen with a new technology. ROG’s Xbox Ally X20 sports a 7.4-inch (up from 7.0 inches) OLED display, making it the first Ally to feature an OLED panel.
Other changes are more incremental, yet meaningful to the right person. TMR joysticks — which use a newer, more precise, magnetic sensing technology to reduce the likelihood of stick drift over time — replace the Ally’s older analogue sticks.
Next to the left joystick is a modular D-pad that you can rotate to suit either four-directional or eight-directional inputs (fighting game aficionados tend to favour the latter).
Image: Chris Button.
There’s now also a faster microSD Express card reader, replacing the previous model’s UHS-II slot. Beyond these additions, various aesthetic and nice-to-have updates are found throughout, like more comfortable controller grips.
Independently, each update doesn’t necessarily warrant a $700 price gap between ROG’s flagship handheld gaming PCs. Together, though, they improve nicely on what was one of the better devices in the category.
Does it provide better value than the $1,429 OLED Steam Deck or the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+, which now sells at some retailers for $2,849? That’s the $2,499 question.
Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax) Bluetooth 5.4 One 3.5mm Combo Audio Jack One USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C DisplayPort / power delivery One USB 4 Type-C (Thunderbolt 4, DisplayPort 1.4, Power Delivery 3.0) One microSD Express card reader
Kudos to the design team, who has elevated the Ally’s utilitarian style into something worth putting on display. Compared to the Xbox Ally X, which looks like a gaming device wearing a corporate skin, the X20 is confidently stylish.
Adorned with gold accents, the dark frosted translucent chassis gives you a glimpse at the internals. Made to celebrate ROG’s 20th anniversary, it’s apt that the hardware harkens back to the 2000s aesthetic of see-through materials. In a nice touch, the Xbox button now lights up in the brand’s signature green.
Image: Chris Button.
Not as obvious to the eye but immediately noticeable to the touch are the quieter bumpers and triggers. Like my favoured Cherry MX Brown keyboard switches, the X20’s left and right bumpers don’t make much noise, but they produce a satisfyingly tactile bump when pressed. Similarly, the hall effect triggers provide enough resistance to enable multiple levels of input, without requiring too much effort to press.
I’m no joystick snob, but I like the extra tension the new TMR sticks bring to the Ally. Only time will tell if they live up to the stick drift-beating claims, but they feel snappy and responsive out of the box.
Images: Chris Button.
What I enjoyed most, though, was the Xbox Ally X20’s extra grippiness. Along the bumpers, triggers, and around the back of the controller handles was a more rubbery, thicker grip texture. They make the sizable device easier to hold for longer periods, especially for sweaty-handed gamers like me.
ROG’s newly added OLED display is a great-looking screen. I had no issues with the existing IPS technology, but the extra contrast, colour depth, and viewing angles you get from an OLED are hard to turn down.
Image: Chris Button.
Rounding out the package is the customisable D-pad on the left-hand side. Lifting and rotating the pad, which requires a small pinching motion, swaps it between two configurations.
One sees the up, down, left, and right inputs stick out more prominently, suited to games requiring four-directional inputs. The other configuration sits the directional buttons more flush with the rest of the console, ensuring there’s little in the way of your thumb quickly moving to diagonal inputs. Even if you primarily stick with one setting (like I did), it’s a fun little fidget to play with that feels robust under your digits.
You win some, you lose some
This is where the ROG Xbox Ally X20 struggles to stand out among recent hardware advancements. While ROG’s software integrations have steadily improved over a span of months, its internals remain stuck in place. If you looked purely at the components inside, this device is basically a functionally identical device to the Xbox Ally X.
To start with the positives, though, the X20 supports the best user experience I’ve encountered in a non-Steam OS gaming handheld. Like the non-limited-edition version of the device, this iteration combines Windows 11 with ROG’s Armoury Crate SE software. The latter platform streamlines access to settings like screen brightness, performance modes, and various other handy shortcuts.
By default, the device launches in ‘Xbox mode’, a full-screen version of the Xbox app optimised for handheld gaming PCs. It’s come a long way in 12 months, with almost none of the friction I encountered last year. There’s no escaping that this is still a PC, though; constant updates and checking for software patches remains a hallmark of the experience. It’s not as streamlined or stress-free as a dedicated gaming console, but it’s damn close.
Valve’s Steam Deck (top), compared to the Xbox Ally X20 (bottom). Image: Chris Button.
Even if you want to use other PC launchers, like Steam, the X20 has no issues. Steam runs without hassle, even automatically opening in the handheld-optimised ‘Big Picture mode’ if you boot up the app via Armoury Crate. It’s one of the major drawcards of Windows-based handheld gaming PCs, playing games on other storefronts without putting in any extra effort.
Downloading said games doesn’t take long, either. Equipped with a Wi-Fi 6E chip, the Xbox Ally X20 benefits from speedy (by Australian standards) internet plans, swiftly installing 100GB+ games. Paired with my 500Mbps plan, I didn’t have to wait much before playing Forza Horizon 6.
Game benchmarks
With games up and running, the Xbox Ally X20 is capable, but it’s no longer at the top of the pack it once was. You won’t have much trouble getting graphically demanding blockbusters running at 30fps, or upwards of 60fps with a bit of upscaling help. But having seen what the Intel Arc G3 Extreme can do, the older AMD Z2 Extreme chipset left me wanting more.
MSI’s intel-equipped handheld produced upwards of 50 per cent more frames across several in-game benchmarks. Without any DLSS, FSR or XeSS (acronyms aplenty) applied, the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ hit 42fps on Forza Horizon 6’s benchmark, while the Xbox Ally X20 struggled to hit 30fps. These results came from both devices on their respective highest power settings while plugged in.
As long as you don’t mind tinkering with graphical settings or experimenting with upscaling technology, the X20 runs the overwhelming majority of available modern games. I had a grand time playing The Witcher 3’s remaster with most settings on ‘medium’. On battery, with the device’s performance set to 17W, I got close to three hours, which is a pretty reasonable battery life.
Still, it all comes back to the X20’s value proposition: it costs a lot more for near-identical in-game performance compared to the previous model.
Who is the ROG Xbox Ally X20 for?
Hardcore gamers love a limited-edition release, and it’s clear that the ROG Xbox Ally X20 is aimed squarely at a niche market. External upgrades, like the OLED screen, more comfortable grips, and an eye-catching transparent design are lovely. But sticking with the same processor means the X20 doesn’t compete as closely on performance with its rivals.
As such, the X20 occupies an awkward position: it costs $700 more than the Xbox Ally X, while a few hundred dollars separate it from more powerful alternatives. Ultimately, this is an elegant gaming device in both function and form, but its lofty price tag places it purely in the realm of collectors and cashed-up enthusiasts.
ROG Xbox Ally X20
Making some nice external upgrades, the ROG Xbox Ally X20 is a stylish handheld gaming PC that isn't quite as powerful as recent rivals.
Features
8
Value for money
6
Performance
7
Ease of use
8.5
Design
9
Positives
Stylish 2000s-inspired design with added comfort
Great-looking OLED screen that makes games pop
Best software integration of a Windows gaming handheld to date
Negatives
Relies on superseded internal hardware
Costs $700 more for similar in-game performance to its predecessor
Got a Ring video doorbell or security camera, but haven’t looked into Ring Protect yet? Then you probably know ‘the buzz’. Your phone goes off, you open the app to check, and… it’s just you, pulling into the driveway. The standard Ring app is built so you never miss movement at your door, but Ring Protect adds the smarts to tell you which movement matters.
In case you’re a non-Ring owner but still security-curious: Ring is the smart home security brand (owned by Amazon since 2018) best known for its video doorbells and security cameras. Put a few around the exterior of the house and you can keep an eye on your property via the app. Even from the get-go, a camera someone can see at the front door is a deterrent as well as a device that takes a record. So a properly set up Ring system can give you real peace of mind.
That attentiveness is a good thing, and every camera you add puts more eyes on your property. Out of the box, the Ring app gives you Motion Zones and a sensitivity slider, so you can fine-tune what each camera pays attention to. The next step is knowing what’s moving, and that’s where Ring Protect comes in.
Ring Protect is a subscription plan that builds on everything the free app already does. Ring says that without Ring Protect, you can watch live video and respond to alerts as they happen, so your doorbell is doing its job from day one. Ring Protect takes it further. It keeps the recordings so you can go back and review them, and can tell the difference between a person, a parcel, and a car in the driveway. The alerts you get are about the things you care about, so you spend less time checking and still know what’s going on.
Let’s take a look at how it works.
Alerts when you need them
Ring Protect changes two main things about your alerts: it tells you what moved, and it lets you choose which kinds of movement are worth ‘the buzz’… that is to say, a full notification on your phone’s screen.
Ring says Smart Alerts can differentiate between people, packages, and vehicles (on compatible devices). Anything else that moves goes into a fourth category Ring calls Other Motion.
Images: Ring
Person alerts are the obvious one: someone at the front door, or coming up the path.
Package alerts tell you the moment a parcel lands on the spot you’ve marked out for deliveries, which Ring calls a Package Zone. This lets you tell the difference between a regular motion detection and an actual delivery, and if you’re out, you can make your way home to secure your package.
Vehicle alerts cover the car pulling into the driveway, the Uber Eats or grocery drop-off, or the postie van.
Here’s the clever bit. Ring says that with Smart Alerts on, your camera still records all the motion it picks up, but only notifies you about the kinds you’ve chosen. So you can record every car that comes up the driveway, yours included, without your phone buzzing for any of them. It’s all under Smart Alerts in the app’s Motion Settings.
The best time-saver, though, is Video Preview Alerts. Ring says the notification itself shows an animated preview of the motion recording, so you can see what set it off right there on the lock screen. Is it the courier, or just the hedge in the wind? You’ll know without even needing to open the app.
Tell Ring where to look
Motion Zones come with the Ring app, with or without Ring Protect, so you get quite a bit of functionality out of the box. You draw the zone over the parts of the picture that matter, like the path from the gate to your front door, and leave out the footpath on the street, the road, and the neighbour’s tree. Ring says this means fewer unwanted motion alerts.
Privacy matters too, for you and for the neighbours. Privacy Zones black out part of the picture completely, in live video and in recordings, so your camera can watch your driveway without also watching the house next door. Ring allows up to two Privacy Zones per device, and they’re part of the app too, no plan needed. We’ve covered them in our look at the privacy features your smart home security system must have.
When you upgrade to Ring Protect, Motion Zones get beefed up by those Smart Alerts. The zones you set determine where Ring looks, and the Smart Alert decides what’s worth telling you about. A car going past on the street stays out of your phone altogether, and the unexpected relative pulling into your driveway gets recorded without a buzz, if that’s how you’ve set it up.
Protecting your footage
Keeping your footage on a camera’s SD card or internal storage alone can expose it to theft, damage, and storage limits. Instead, Ring offers cloud storage to help keep your video history safe even if something happens to the device. When stored in the cloud, Ring says every video is encrypted by default.
Image: Ring
With Ring Protect, Ring says videos are kept in the cloud for up to 180 days from the day they were recorded. So when your friend asks if you know exactly what time his handbrake failed and his car rolled backwards down your drive into a parked Subaru, ‘for the insurance’, you can actually go back and look.
Then there’s Snapshot Capture, which fills in the gaps. Snapshot Capture takes a still photo at regular intervals in between motion events, and you set how often in the device’s settings. Ring says snapshots are kept for up to 14 days, and you flick through them on the Event History timeline in the app. Handy for checking on stuff that doesn’t move, like if the bins are still sitting out on the kerb.
Find the moment without the scrolling
Months of footage is only useful if you can find the bit you want. Event History is a list of what’s happened on your Ring devices, and you can filter it by device, event type, and more. So if you only want to see the package alerts from the front door, that’s a couple of taps rather than a long scroll.
The Daily Event Summary comes with Ring Protect. Ring says it’s a summary of what’s happened at your location, or for each device, so you don’t have to open every camera one by one to find out what was going on out the back, down the side, out the front, and so forth.
Ring Protect Pro goes a step further with Video Search, on compatible devices. Ring says it helps you find a specific thing in all your camera’s recorded motion events. You describe what you’re after, a delivery van, say, or someone in a red jacket, rather than scrubbing through a week of clips yourself.
Image: Ring
Ring Protect Pro: fewer alerts that say more
Ring Protect Pro, the top plan, adds what Ring calls intelligent features, and they go straight at the notification problem. Video Descriptions puts a line of text on the alert describing what happened. Ring says this helps you tell the urgent from the everyday without opening the Ring app.
There are two interesting features still in beta. Ring says Single Event Alert combines similar alerts from the same camera, so you get one notification for the last few events, which is the thing that will cut ‘the buzz’. And Unusual Event Alert, Ring says, filters your alerts so the unexpected stands out from the everyday comings and goings. Like you getting home from work at the usual time.
Sure, the Ring app is easy to use. But the whole point of all this is that you use it less and get that time back for the rest of your day.
Know more, check less
Put it all together and Ring Protect turns your smart doorbell and cameras into a security system, with your footage kept safe in the cloud round the clock, for up to 180 days. All powered by an app that alerts you to what you’ve told it matters, not to every random movement outside your house.
Remember that tree branch swaying in the breeze, setting off your phone every time the wind picks up? Leave it out of your Motion Zone, set your Smart Alerts to ‘people’, and the tree can wave all it likes.
Ring Protect comes in three plans. Ring Protect Solo covers one device and Ring Protect Multi covers every Ring device at your address, with the same features on both. Ring Protect Pro covers every device as well, and adds the intelligent features we looked at above.
Ring says a 30-day free trial of Ring Protect starts when you first set up a Ring doorbell or camera, and plans start from $4.95 a month for Ring Protect Solo. You can compare all three plans on Ring’s website.
That’s the whole idea: know more about what’s happening at home, and spend less time checking your phone to find out.
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