The first thing that catches an eye when looking at the August View vs. August Doorbell Cam Pro side-by-side is design. Finally, August has created a doorbell that actually looks like a doorbell. Yay!
However, jokes aside, when it comes to technical specs, the August View is definitely lacking in a few fields. Which ones? Well, keep on reading to get the full picture or jump straight to specifics using our navigation menu below.
TL;DR August View = battery operated only, better video quality, longer live view load time, comes with a chime, requires August Connect to pair with your August lock. August Doorbell Cam Pro = decent video quality, faster live view booting, hardwired only, substitutes August Connect, works with existing mechanical chimes.
Which one are you getting?
August View vs. August Doorbell Cam Pro — Things in Common
Two-way Audio – We live in a time where it’s hard to imagine a smart doorbell or camera without two-way audio, and August doorbells are no exception. This is perhaps the most fun feature in any smart doorbell arsenal — greet your guests, thank delivery guys, and surprise porch pirates.
A short clip of you scaring off those package thieves will get you quite a few likes on any social media. That’s, in fact, another sweet benefit of any smart doorbell that is rarely mentioned. In addition to convenience and security, you’re getting an entertaining content generator. Share memorable & fun moments captured by the August doorbell with your friends and family. You never know what’s going to happen in front of your door, so it’s good to be ready.
Motion Detection – Both the August View and August Doorbell Cam Pro can automatically start recording an event triggered by motion. And in case you’re getting too many motion triggered notifications, you can adjust motion sensitivity through the August app.
Unfortunately, even with the release of a new August View doorbell, motion zones are still not available. So, if you’re living on a vivid street, you might want to check out the Ring Pro instead (has motion zones, 1080p HD, hardwired, overall comparatively very good doorbell). Otherwise, let’s continue with what August doorbells have to offer.
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Live View On Demand – At any given moment, you can check what’s happening in real-time on your front porch. Though, it might take a few seconds to boot the video on your phone. There are a few key factors which determine the load time, like WiFi signal strength and doorbell powering method.
A battery-powered doorbell usually takes longer to load the live view picture than a hardwired one. And that’s typically due to battery conservation. You’ll normally find your battery-powered doorbell in a low-power state to conserve battery: it only wakes up when triggered.
The August View is battery-powered and you can expect it to wake up somewhere within 10 seconds. The August Doorbell Cam Pro is hardwired, it has a continuous power supply and thus stays awake and loads way faster than the August View.
The other key factor is WiFi signal strength. We highly recommend checking the WiFi signal before buying any smart doorbell. Consider downloading an app like Wi-Fi Analyzer for Android or Wi-Fi Sweetspots for iOS. With those apps, you can check your network’s signal and if it gets quite weak towards the front door, you have three options…
First off, you can try relocating your router closer to the front door.
Second, you can get a Smart Home WiFi System for the most absolute performance. There are quite a few reliable and budget-friendly options to boost your WiFi network. Plus, you’ll have total control of your WiFi system right from your smartphone: you can control the amount of time spent on the Internet on some devices, increase bandwidth on others, and simply turn off the Internet access to everyone on your network when you think it’s been enough.
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And the third option is getting a PoE doorbell instead. PoE offers continuous power and Internet supply that will pull the live feed instantaneously in HD quality. We’re talking about the Ring Elite. The doorbell connects via an Ethernet cable to a PoE switch which then connects to your router. For more information about PoE, check out our take on What is Power Over Ethernet? and Ring Pro vs. Elite | Review. That’s if you want lighting fast connection to a smart doorbell.
Works with August Smart Locks – Without getting into specifics, both the August View and August Doorbell Cam Pro work with the August smart locks. So, right when you open a one-way video-chat with your guest via a doorbell, you can unlock the door for them to come in from the same screen. It’s super convenient and probably one of the best setups to have in place. Imagine there’s suspicious activity near the front door, you’ll be able to check if the door is locked right from the app!
Easy DIY Installation – Even though the doorbells have different power options, both of them are pretty easy to install. Just follow the instructions provided by the August app.
Subscription – There’s no local storage available for the doorbells, so the only option is cloud storage. That’s actually a benefit because if someone decides to crash & smash your doorbell, or simply steal it, you’ll still be able to access the video clip of that terrible action of wrongdoing to share with the police.
With that said, August offers three subscription plans to store video clips from the doorbells. The first one is Basic — a free of charge subscription, doesn’t require your credit card details, offers rolling 24-hours of video storage. If you decide to go with Basic, make sure to download any worthy videos before they expire.
Then comes Premium with rolling 15-day storage for $2.99 per month and the next one is Premium Plus with 30-day storage for $4.99 per month.
August View vs. August Doorbell Cam Pro — Differences
Difference #1: Power Options – August View is wire-free whereas the August Doorbell Cam Pro is hardwired. And there’s no other way to go around it.
The August View is perfect for households that lack an existing doorbell circuit or electrical wiring. It’s battery operated and fits right in by the door. Just mount the mounting bracket to the wall where you want your doorbell to be and then slide the August View to the mounting bracket.
At this point you might be thinking that it’s easy to steal! Well, yes if you don’t secure it with a retaining screw at the bottom of the mounting plate. Plus, even if someone does steal your August doorbell, there’s a theft replacement guarantee.
The August Doorbell Cam Pro is hardwired only, no battery option is available. The doorbell supports 12-24v AC wiring. Alternatively, if you don’t have existing wiring and still want the August Doorbell Cam Pro, you can use this OhmKat Video Doorbell Power Supply.
Difference #2: Battery Life – So, how long does the August View last on one charge? Well, it depends on a few factors like usage, setting, and even environmental conditions. But if we talk average use, then you can expect it to last for up to 3 months. For example, if you set the August View to a low power mode, it’ll definitely last longer. However, with that setting, it’ll take longer to wake up and load the live feed, so it cuts both ways.
Also, it takes around 4 hours to fully charge the battery.
The August Doorbell Cam Pro has no battery, so fewer things to worry about.
Difference #3: Compatible Networks – Both doorbells support the 2.4 GHz band, which is a pretty crowded place, yet it typically performs more reliably through walls and certain distances.
The August Doorbell Cam Pro also supports 5GHz band in case you decide to use it.
Difference #4: Video Resolution & Field of View – The August View offers 1920x1440p whereas the August Doorbell Cam Pro is 640x480p. That’s definitely an upgrade. At 1440p it’s almost 33% more pixels than full 1080p.
The August Doorbell Cam Pro has a 120° field of view. And even though the field of view of the August View remains unspecified, it’s pretty obvious that you’ll get a better quality picture of your doorstep with the August View than with the August Doorbell Cam Pro.
Difference #5: Night Vision – The August View comes with infrared night vision to deliver crispy clear video even in dark locations.
The August Doorbell Cam Pro doesn’t have the IR vision, but the doorbell comes with a built-in floodlight which lights up to help the camera record at night.
The flood light is not the best solution, however, on the bright side, all your video clips captured at night by the August Doorbell Cam Pro will be in color, while the August View serves black & white videos.
Difference #6: Replaces August Connect – This is perhaps the biggest difference when comparing the August View vs. August Doorbell Cam Pro.
August Connect is an accessory for August smart locks that allows you to connect August locks to your router for simple remote-via-app control. If you opt in for August View doorbell, you’ll need to get the August Connect to control your August locks whereas the August Doorbell Cam Pro replaces the August Connect altogether. August Doorbell Cam Pro acts as a bridge between August locks and your router, so there’s no need to get the August Connect.
This might not be a big difference if you already have an August lock with the August Connect. However, for those of you at the beginning of this exciting journey, getting the August Doorbell Cam Pro will save you around $75 by omitting August Connect.
Difference #7: Chime Control – The August View Doorbell Cam comes with a wire-free chime. You can plug in the chime within a 100’-(30m)-range from the August View doorbell. That is a perfect solution for homes with no existing chime circuit.
The August Doorbell Cam Pro, on the other hand, only works with existing, mechanical chimes. We recommend checking your existing chime to make sure it’s mechanical because digital chimes are currently not compatible.
Also, besides getting notified by a chime, you’ll also get motion triggered notifications on your phone.
Difference #8: Design – August View is the first doorbell from August that actually looks like a doorbell. It measures 1.8” W x 5.2” H x 1.3″ D and you can match it well with your home thanks to custom interchangeable faceplates. From metal to colored plastic, you can pick a faceplate to blend in seamlessly with your doorfront.
The August Doorbell Cam Pro looks bulkier compared to the August View. The doorbell measures 2.9″ H x 2.9″ W x 0.9″ L. Its square form might confuse your guests at first, but on the bright side, the doorbell is available in two colors (silver and dark gray) so you can pick the one that matches your home best.
August View vs. August Doorbell Cam Pro — Comparison Chart
| August Doorbell Cam Pro | August View | |
|---|---|---|
| Power Options | Hardwired | Wire-free |
| Battery Life | – | up to 3 months |
| Compatible Networks | 2.4 GHz or 5GHz | 2.4Ghz |
| Video Resolution | 640x480p | 1920x1440p |
| Field of View | 120° | N/A |
| Two-way Audio | Yes | Yes |
| Night Vision | no IR | IR |
| Build-in Flood Light | Yes | No |
| Motion Detection | Yes | Yes |
| Motion Sensitivity | Yes | Yes |
| Motion Zones | No | No |
| Live View On Demand | Yes | Yes |
| Works with August Smart Locks | Yes | Yes |
| Replaces August Connect | Yes | No |
| HomeKit Support | No | No |
| Easy DIY Installation | Yes | Yes |
| Chime Control | Yes | Yes |
| Comes with a Chime | No | Yes |
| Subscription | Yes | Yes |
| Dimensions | 2.9″ (H) x 2.9″ (W) 0.9″ (L) | 1.8” (W) x 5.2” (H) x 1.3″ (D) |
| Environment | -13 to 122 Fahrenheit (-25℃ to 50℃) |
-4 to 122 Fahrenheit (-20℃ to +50℃) |
August View vs. August Doorbell Cam Pro — Our Thoughts
August is known for their smart locks — they’re the first to introduce DoorSense technology that checks if your front door is actually closed before engaging the lock mechanism. Having the August Lock and Doorbell combo can bring piece of mind to anyone’s life. You’ll never miss a visitor. Plus, after their acquisition by Yale we expect more locks to be released next year.
With that being said, the August View is perfect for households with no existing wiring. Its HD image, IR night vision, and interchangeable-faceplates design is great, however it lacks one of the most important features — it doesn’t act as a bridge, so you’ll need to get the August Connect separately if you want it to pair with an August lock. Plus, since the doorbell is battery powered, it takes quite a few seconds to load the live feed which is a big downfall for any smart doorbell.
The August Doorbell Cam Pro might not have that HD video quality, but is load faster and replaces the August Connect saving you from additional expenses. The only disadvantage we see is that it’s hardwired only. But hey, even if you don’t have existing wiring you can get the OhmKat Video Doorbell Power Supply to plug it in directly into an outlet.
Related Articles:
- August Doorbell Cam vs. Pro | JCA
- Ring Doorbell Pro vs. August Doorbell Cam Pro | JCA
- Skybell HD vs. August Doorbell Cam Pro | JCA
Last update on 2024-04-19 at 11:23 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
The column titles in the table are switched
Whoops! My bad, fixing now. Thanks, man!