Google Nest: New doorbell and cameras unveiled, video evaluation takes place locally

Google expands its Nest portfolio with a new video doorbell and three smart cameras at once. The Nest Doorbell, as well as the Nest Cam (with battery), Nest Cam (with cable) and the Nest Cam with floodlight put additional emphasis on data protection and privacy through local processing.

The new Google Nest Doorbell at a glance

The new Nest Doorbell is powered by a battery and can therefore be installed anywhere without wiring. Only a stable WLAN connection is considered a basic requirement for operation. However, in combination with a transformer (8-24 VAC, 10 VA, 50/60Hz), it can also be connected to the existing doorbell wiring.

In addition, the doorbell is capable of displaying a permanent live image on the Nest Hub smart display or showing the entrance area only when the doorbell rings. Connected Nest speakers can also ring in addition when using the Nest Doorbell.

If facial recognition is activated, it should even be possible to announce the name of the person currently standing in front of the door. Communication via voice is also possible in combination with the smartphone or smart display.

The doorbell also offers the option of automatically playing a message to visitors when they are absent. However, these cannot yet be individualized – currently only fixed announcements are possible. Depending on user feedback, however, individualized notifications will be possible in the future.

Google refers to the video quality as “HD quality,” with a resolution of 960 x 1,280 pixels at up to 30 fps. For connectivity, the Ring uses the 2.4 GHz WLAN network (802.11a/b/g/n) and supports
WEP, WPA, WPA2 and WPA3 encryption, as well as Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). However, Google does not provide details about the battery life.

To save energy in battery mode, settings for recording length and video quality are available in the options menu. The companion app also provides information about the available battery life. Night vision and a 6x digital zoom are also supported. The camera’s field of view is 3:4 to capture visitors at a distance of 20 centimeters or more from head to toe.

The Nest Cams innovations

The central innovation of the Nest Cams should appeal to data protectionists in particular: Motion detection is no longer cloud-based, but directly on the device. The algorithms are said to process twice as many pixels as previous Nest Cams, while doubling the frame rate. Detecting fast people and objects is thus much faster.

In addition, the new models offer face recognition, which helps to inform the user who has been recognized by the camera when a notification is sent – for data protection reasons, this function has been implemented as an opt-in and is performed locally on the device.

All new cameras feature object detection, which is even able to differentiate between people, animals and vehicles. The Nest Doorbell can even detect dropped packages. All this even without an active Nest Aware subscription. Thanks to Machine Learning, Nest Cams are even able to ignore plant movement and distinguish it from relevant events.

In the case of the Nest Cam with floodlight, the spotlight should thus only be switched on in the event of relevant movements and not every movement. For example, if a person approaches, the light should be activated – but not when cars drive by or plants blow in the wind.

The activity zones, with which individual areas can be defined for motion detection while the rest of the field of view is blocked out, are also available without a subscription. A maximum of three hours of event-based video recordings can also be stored in the cloud at no additional cost.

There is no change to the optional Nest Aware subscription model with the introduction of the new cameras and video doorbell. For 5 euros per month or 50 euros a year, there’s 30 days of event-based video history for all cameras, for 10 euros per month or 100 euros a year with Nest Aware Plus, on the other hand, even a 60-day event-based video history and 10 days of continuous video recording in the cloud.

Prices and Availability

The Nest Doorbell is available for pre-order at an MSRP of €199.99 from the Google Store. The Nest Cam (with battery) is also expected to cost €199.99, while the Nest Cam (with cable) will retail for €99.99 and the Nest Cam with Floodlight (with cable) for €299.99. All Nest devices will be available starting August 24.

Accessories include a 5-meter connection cable for €34.99 euros or a 10-meter cable for €39.99, which can be used to permanently wire the Nest Cam with battery. For indoor use of the Nest Cam, there is also a tripod available at an MSRP of €34.99.