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Watch your front porch with the Ring Video Doorbell for $80 and get a free Echo Dot (Update: Expired)

New for 2020, the second-generation Ring normally sells for $100 -- not including the Dot.

Rick Broida Senior Editor
Rick Broida is the author of numerous books and thousands of reviews, features and blog posts. He writes CNET's popular Cheapskate blog and co-hosts Protocol 1: A Travelers Podcast (about the TV show Travelers). He lives in Michigan, where he previously owned two escape rooms (chronicled in the ebook "I Was a Middle-Aged Zombie").
Rick Broida
2 min read
ring-doorbell-and-echo-dot

If you like home security then you should put a Ring on it.

Amazon

Now that we're more reliant on package delivery than ever, it's a good time to install an outdoor security camera. In addition to a live video feed, you'll get alerts when there are package deliveries, unexpected activity and potentially even criminals at work. (Porch pirates are still on the prowl, alas.)

Read more: 7 ways to keep porch pirates from stealing your packages

Here's a particularly affordable option: For a limited time, and while supplies last, Amazon has the Ring Video Doorbell for $79.99 with a free Echo Dot smart speaker. The doorbell alone usually sells for $99.99. Take note that the two available colors, satin nickel and Venetian bronze, show in-stock dates of July 2 and July 8, respectively. But you can still place your order today.

Like all good doorbells, the Ring offers live video feeds, motion alerts, two-way voice communication and a rechargeable battery pack. It can also be hardwired. If you don't already have an indoor bell, the Ring Chime (a $30 add-on) is a great accessory, as it lets you actually hear the doorbell when it's pressed, rather than just relying on your phone or tablet to notify you.

Read more: How to install the Ring Video Doorbell 2  

Before you buy one of these, you may want to investigate the various security and privacy issues that have cropped up in recent years. Good news on that front: Ring's latest security features make its video doorbells easier to recommend. I'm not going to weigh in on all that, other than to say I have no personal qualms about using the product.

Read more: Best home security systems of 2020

CNET hasn't reviewed this version of the Ring, but you can get a good overview from the Ring Video Doorbell 3 Plus review. Important to note: After the 30-day cloud-storage trial is over, the Ring stops recording video -- kind of the whole point of having the thing -- unless you pay for a subscription. That costs $3 per month or $30 annually (a pretty reasonable rate, I think) or $10 per month ($100 annually) for the Protect Plus option. My two cents on the latter: Skip it. It offers little added value.

Of course, there are plenty of other video doorbells to choose from, including the $99 RemoBell S, which includes free rolling 3-day cloud storage.

Your thoughts?

Originally published last year. Updated to reflect a different version of the Ring and the Echo Dot bundle.

Watch this: A better battery design makes Ring's new doorbell buzz

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