Logitech Circle View Ringtone: Specifications
Size: 4.68 x 1.65 x 1.1 inches
Wireless connectivity: 2.4 / 5 GHz a / b / g / n / ac 2 x 2 Wi-Fi MIMO
Resolution: 5MP / 1200 x 1600
Field of view: Portrait view 160 degrees / 3: 4
Night vision: 4000K LED light strip
HomeKit, Apple's smart platform, is quite comprehensive when it comes to what it can do. Unlike Alexa and Google Home, HomeKit users don't have many options when it comes to compatible devices, especially video ringtones.
The Logitech Circle View Doorbell is one of the few that works with Apple's smart platform and, at $ 199, is actually one of the most affordable models. (There's an Apple charge even for things Apple doesn't do.) For the price, the Circle View Ringtone is a great video ringtone, but it could use some enhancements to make it bigger on our list. the best video ringtones.
Logitech Circle View Doorbell Reviews: Design
If you plan to create a product that lives entirely in the Apple ecosystem, it would be better to look good. Circle View Doorbell has that minimalist aesthetic; it is more or less a black rectangle with a glossy face.
The upper third has a square window to protect the room, with a small strip of light just below. Towards the bottom is a circular LED, which, when pressed, rings the bell.
Because Circle View Doorbell does not have a battery, Logitech managed to make it quite thin. At a width of 1.1 inches, it should fit quite easily on any door frame, but there are no other color options - it's black. It also outperforms a little more than other video ringtones, though not by a huge amount.
Logitech Circle View Doorbell: Price and availability
Circle View Doorbell was first launched at the end of December 2020. It costs $ 199 if you want to install it yourself or $ 299 if you want it installed by a professional.
Logitech Circle View Doorbell Reviews: Setup
Because there is no smart Logitech application to control the ringtone - everything is done through HomeKit - the instructions are a bit confusing. The kit comes with a card that directs you to a Logitech website, which gives you a long list of things you'll need to install the ringtone. Although most of them are included in the kit and there aren't too many differences between it and other video ringtones, the list was long enough for me to take a break. And I installed dozens of video ringtones. I know it saves paper, but printed instructions would also help.
The first step requires you to first connect the video ringtone to a microUSB power supply - an accessory that is not included and a step that I have never had to deal with any other video ringtone.
From there, it gets a little easier. If you have an iPhone X or a newer iPhone, you can simply tap the phone to ring the video to begin the setup process. I had an iPhone XR, but it didn't seem to work for me. Fortunately, there are other setup methods: In the Home app, select Add accessories, then use your phone camera to take a picture of the QR code for the video ringtone.
Like other video ringtones, the Logitech Circle View comes with a small adapter that you need to attach to your home ringtone. These directions were not as clear. I spent 10 good minutes looking at them to see if I connected everything correctly.
Once you have set up the Circle view, then install it on the door. Comes with a motherboard to which you connect the ringtones. Then pin the Circle view to the system board. Unlike Ring video sounds, there is no safety screw to hold it in place. Rather, there is a small hole; insert a paper clip and you can remove the bell.
If you want to watch videos outside of your home, you'll also need a HomeKit hub on the same Wi-Fi network as your video ringtone. This can be a Apple TV, HomePod, HomePod mini, or iPad. Chances are if you are a HomeKit user, you will already have one of these devices, but if you start from scratch, you will need to consider another $ 100 or more at the total price.
Logitech Circle View Doorbell review: video quality
Unlike most video sounds, Circle view has a portrait orientation, so the video is more vertical than horizontal. (The Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2 has a similar orientation, just like Nest Hello). It's a trend I like to see, because this orientation makes you more likely to see packages left at the foot of the door.
Viewing the portrait of The Circle View really showed more of my porch - better than most of Ring's video sounds - but the bottom of the video ended about two feet from the front door, not ideal if you want to know if there is a package there. If you want to see everything in front of the door, the best option is Maximus Answer Dualcam, which actually has a second room facing down.
Circle View's high-resolution camera made an excellent video both day and night. In the late afternoon, the camera managed to capture the details of my face and shirt, even though the sun was shining from behind.
Logitech Circle View Doorbell review: application
Similar to Nest Hello, which can recognize faces tagged in the Google Photos library, Circle View Doorbell can connect to your iCloud Photos library and call guest names if they've been tagged in your photo albums. The doorbell identified me regularly and accurately whether it was day or night.
Provided you have a compatible iCloud plan, you can save videos from your camera and set filters so that they only record when they detect people, animals, vehicles, or a combination of the three.
Recorded videos appear below the camera's Live View screen in the Home app; here, you can clean back and forth to display recorded videos. I would also like there to be a grid view of the records or at least a way to sort what was recorded - person, animal or vehicle. At night, I discovered that the camera often misidentified passing cars. Because I live on a rather busy road, it seemed to me that I had a constant flow of visitors every night.
Interestingly, Logitech's individual sensors appear in the HomeKit app, so you can see the current light level in luxury. Unfortunately, you cannot use this sensor for automation. It would be great if you could tell HomeKit to turn on the porch lights when the overall light level drops below a certain number.
In addition, you can also create customizable activity zones, so you'll only be alerted - and the video ringtone will only record - when it detects movement in those areas. You can create multiple offline areas in almost any shape you want.
This is a decent feature set, but Circle View lacks a few things found on our favorite video ringtones. For example, you cannot adjust the sensitivity of motion or sound detection, and there is no packet detection, as is the case with Nest and Arlo cameras.
Logitech's video sound also lacks a pre-scroll function found on Arlo, Ring and Nest video ringtones. Although it varies slightly between producers, this feature causes the video ringer to continuously record a six-second clip, which is then added to the front of any video when there is a motion event. This way, you are more likely to get a better picture of anyone approaching the door. However, the camera was too fast to start recording, so I rarely missed seeing anything.
And, of course, because this is a HomeKit-only device, you'll need an iPhone or iPad, not just to set it up, but even to receive notifications.
If you have a Apple TV, a Apple HomePod, or a Apple HomePod mini, you can also schedule them to let you know when someone is at the door. For Apple TV, you can even view a stream from the Circle view on the TV screen.
Logitech Circle View Doorbell: Cloud storage plans
To save videos, you'll need to subscribe to either the 200GB or 2TB iCloud storage plan. The 200 GB plan costs $ 2.99 per month and covers one room, while the 2 TB plan is $ 9.99 per month and covers up to five rooms. Both plans will save up to 10 days of videos in the cloud. (There it is how much does iCloud cost in other countries.)
One thing to keep in mind is that your camera recordings are not taken into account for the iCloud storage limit. So although they are not the best when they are arranged against the best cloud storage plans for security cameras, you should consider that you can use this storage space for more than video ringtones.
Moreover, Apple mentions how secure cloud storage is; While Ring also implements end-to-end encryption, it's something Apple has had from the beginning.
Logitech Circle View Doorbell: Verdict
Due to Apple's strict requirements, there aren't a lot of devices that work with HomeKit, which is a shame, because you can do a lot with Apple's smart platform - in fact, more than you can with Google Home
At this time, there are only three real options: the $ 199 Logitech Circle View Ringtone, the $ 129 Arlo Video Ringtone, and the $ 299 Netatmo Smart Video Ringtone. We're still testing Netatmo, but in ours Reviews Arlo Video Doorbell, I gave it high marks for its robust features, and Arlo has a fairly extensive portfolio of some of the the best home security cameras. However, it does not feature as much of your porch as the Logitech Circle View and you will also need an Arlo base station, which costs $ 99.
Overall, the Logitech Circle View Ringtone is a great video ringtone for those using HomeKit, but it could be better.