• Video Quality: Higher resolutions (1080p or higher) offer clearer images. Some doorbells go up to 2k, giving even better image quality and allowing you to digitally zoom in while still retaining the detail of your video.

• Field of View: Wider angles capture more of your outside area, meaning you can make sure you don't miss a thing. Typically, you can expect between 110-160 degrees. 

• Motion Detection: Customisable motion zones and person detection help to reduce false alarms, which is especially useful on busy streets. Expect most doorbells to use infrared sensors for motion, while premium options use radar for more accurate detection. If combined, these two sensors can reduce false notifications by up to 95%. If you opted for a battery powered doorbell, minimising notifications will also improve battery life.

• Artificial Intelligence: With AI working its way into almost everything at the moment, doorbells are no different. AI can be used for facial recognition, object detection and package alerts. It can also zoom and focus the camera to get a better picture of what's going on. Expect AI to feature more heavily in Smart Home products over the next few years. 

• Night Vision: Clear night vision ensures visibility even during the shorter winter days, with some models even offering colour night vision to give you the best picture. 

• Two-Way Talk: Speak to visitors directly through the doorbell, deter possible intruders, or even let the postman know to leave your package on the doorstep. All smart doorbells include a version of this, but more premium models offer noise cancelling and better quality audio.

• Power Source: Battery-power offers flexibility, while wiring provides continuous power to your smart door bell. Consider if your existing doorbell wiring is compatible. Typically, you need between 8-24v 10VAC, but up to 16-24V 30VAC for wired only models. Note that higher voltage requirements also mean you typically need to bypass your existing chime, meaning you need an alternative chime which may not be included with the doorbell.

• Door Chime: Additional wireless door chimes can be purchased separately and are an easy way to notify the household when somebody is at your door. These can come as units which plug into a standard AC plug socket, but may be battery powered too. Alternatively, it's possible to wire your smart doorbell directly to your existing chime. 

• Smart Home Compatibility: Choose a doorbell that integrates with your existing smart home system (e.g., Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, Apple Home). This is worth considering if you already have existing smart home technology or plan to purchase more in the future.

• Local Storage: Some doorbells offer local, built in storage, SD cards or a base station for added privacy. On certain models, you can even access this storage remotely via an app. Please note that this may require a subscription, but not all doorbells require it to access this feature.

• Subscription: Most smart doorbells allow you to use a subscription service to provide cloud storage for video recordings and additional features such as AI motion detection and facial recognition. Not all doorbells require a subscription and some will allow additional features even without one. 

• Connectivity: Typical doorbells connect to Wi-Fi using the 2.4GHz band, but premium models can use both 2.4GHz and 5GHz, offering better connectivity. This can be useful for faster connection speeds, but only if your doorbell is relatively close to a wireless transceiver. 

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