I have tested several doorbells in the past, but so far, I have resisted replacing my old-school button and chime solution. In reviewing the Swann Buddy 4K video doorbell, I finally bit the bullet and drilled into the bricks to install a doorbell.
Will I leave it up? Read on to find out.
Video doorbells explained
Imagine knowing who’s at your door before you even open it! That’s the magic of a video doorbell.
Video doorbells typically have features like:
- A built-in camera, so you can see who’s there via your smartphone, whether at home or halfway around the world.
- Many video doorbells have a speaker and microphone so you can chat with visitors through your phone. You can also tell the delivery person where to leave the package or let a friend know you’ll be right there.
- Extra smarts like person and package detection.
Think of video doorbells as a tiny security guard for your front door, giving you peace of mind and convenience.
Features
The Swann Buddy 4K video doorbell is a rechargeable, weatherproof Wi-Fi smart doorbell with a separate wireless chime.
In the box, you will find the doorbell with a 32GB SD memory card installed, mounting hardware, a USB-A to USB-C cable, and a chime with 2 AA single-use batteries. Two short cables allow power to be drawn from an old-style doorbell, eliminating the need to recharge periodically. You will also find stickers that can be strategically placed to inform visitors they are being video recorded.
Video will be recorded at up to 4K resolution, enabling you to get clear pictures of who is at your door and behind it. This resolution is not, however, necessarily what you view as a preview on your phone over Wi-Fi due to the high bitrate requirements. The 1:1 square image you view on your smartphone is a little distorted, as you are seeing 165 degrees from the camera. This doorbell has no spotlight, but it produces a reasonable black-and-white night vision view up to five metres from the camera.
Unlike many other doorbells on the market, the camera recording is triggered not from the camera itself but rather from the five-metre heat and motion sensor on the lower section of the doorbell. This will mean you get more accurate detection and fewer false alarms, especially from plants swaying in the wind.
The doorbell includes up to seven days of cloud storage, which is accessed via the Swann Security app. With a paid subscription, starting at $5.49 per month, you can get 60 days of cloud storage. This optional subscription also provides intelligent alerts about people, pets, cars, and packages, while extending your warranty to three years.
A unique feature is the SwannShield voice assistant, which, via AI technology, allows your doorbell to answer your door and converse independently with a visitor. This allows the door to be answered when you are not home, busy, or perhaps not confident answering the door (e.g. elderly). You can, of course, answer the door remotely anywhere you have internet access. In these examples, you answer the door verbally via the doorbell speaker. The door is never opened physically.
A small 7 x 7 x 3 cm and 50g white chime is placed inside your home, where you will be likely to hear one of the six different chimes. The volume of the chime can be adjusted in the app.
Swann Buddy 4K video doorbell specifications
| Camera | 4K resolution 165-degree viewing angle |
| Audio | Microphone and speaker |
| Connection | Wi-Fi (2.4GHz) |
| Dimensions | 14 x 6 x 3 cm 213 grams |
| Price (RRP) | $299.95 |
| Website | Swann Australia |
| Warranty | Two years with lifetime support |
Using the Swan Buddy
Installation of the Buddy requires a screwdriver and a drill. In my case, I had to drill into bricks. However, before you commit to the holes, it is best to set the doorbell up with the app, which is made simple by following the on-screen instructions.
Holding the doorbell in its proposed place and then pressing the doorbell button will instigate a message to your smartphone and, in doing so, test whether you have Wi-Fi coverage at your proposed location. A small Phillips-head screw in the bottom of the doorbell locks the unit in place and makes it harder for anyone else to pinch it. Even if they did, as your unit is assigned to your account, it would be useless to them, and their face will be visible to you via the cloud storage.
Something I really like about Swann is that their security app works across all their cameras. I have some cameras from another vendor, and I have three apps to support the same brand for different model releases over time. Having the same app means it is convenient to add additional cameras at a future date, so they all work from the same app.
After installing it, I found that I had to switch off the Battery Saver function on my Wi-Fi network. The default is on, and I found it delaying notifications and making the AI SwannShield unresponsive. Swanshield is clearly marked as a beta feature, with improvements continuing to come with software updates.
As illustrated in the video below, there was a long delay in the automated conversation response. An impatient delivery driver may not wait, but I expect Swann will improve over time. Automated responses only occur when you specify through the app that you want them to occur. You can also change the tone of the conversation between Polite, Assertive and Disinterested.
Visitors approach my front door from a 90-degree angle, which means I get a person alert a second or two before I get a notification the doorbell has been pressed. If your approach is straight on, you will get an early notification before the button is pressed, within the time it takes to walk five metres and locate the doorbell.
Who is the Swann Buddy 4K video doorbell for?
So, will I keep this doorbell in place? The answer is yes, but not because I love all the AI stuff. I live in a house with three other people, and the old-school chime works well for them, so I get another cool gadget.
The Swann Buddy 4K video doorbell is for people who want a clear picture of who is at their door without physically opening the door, regardless of whether they are at the location or not. This peace of mind is further enhanced by allowing automated conversations to occur with the visitor, such as instructions to leave a parcel on the door or an indication that they are not welcome.
I believe this product would suit elderly or private people as well as people expecting parcels during the day when they are at work. This doorbell is feature-rich and priced at the top end of the smart doorbell market.
The post Swann Buddy 4K Video Doorbell review: AI answers your door appeared first on GadgetGuy.
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