Smart doorbells and locks have all sorts of benefits, whether that’s seeing who’s at the front door, talking to a delivery person, or monitoring your home. However, those living in a large communal building, like an apartment or flat, often can’t get such luxury. That’s where the new Ring Intercom comes in.

And while Ring did release the Peephole Cam for apartment doors back in 2019, it’s no longer available and still didn’t do much to help when it comes to bigger buildings.

With the Ring Intercom, flat and condo residents can integrate the product into the building intercom system, allowing for communication or even to buzz in a visitor. Additionally, considering this is a “smart intercom,” you can do all of that remotely on your phone, too.

Here’s what Ring had to say about its latest product: “Ring Intercom utilizes the existing compatible intercom system to trigger encrypted Two-Way Talk via the Ring app, meaning users can only answer calls from someone buzzing their apartment building door. The Ring app makes it easy to tailor specific privacy and security settings, with the ability to manage Shared Users, and enable and revoke access at any time.”

Ring Intercom is compatible with Amazon Alexa, turning it into an Echo smart speaker, and it’ll double as a hands-free intercom that lets you unlock the door with your voice.

Rechargeable batteries power the Ring Intercom, so it’s easy to set up without any modifications to the wiring in your place. It’s compatible with most audio intercom handsets, and the Ring website has a helpful questionnaire and compatibility tool.

It looks like the entire setup process is DIY, meaning you won’t have to deal with an installer. That said, buyers may need approval or help from the property managers depending on the building.

Remember that this isn’t a doorbell or camera, and there are no recording capabilities. It also doesn’t connect to an existing video system from your building, only an intercom, which is still highly popular in many big cities and throughout the UK.

It’ll be available in late October for those in the UK and Germany starting at £120, with a bundle including an extra battery pack for £150. Then, other regions, including Italy, Spain, France, and the U.S., can expect a release in early 2023.

via AndroidPolice