Ring announced Thursday that the company is taking pre-orders for Car Cam, its long-anticipated security camera designed controlled by the Ring app that gives users the ability to view all their Ring devices in one place.
Car Cam is a dual-facing camera designed to record when a vehicle is in motion and when it’s turned off. When a car is parked, Car Cam’s smart sensors detect certain events both inside and around a vehicle. If an event, such as a break-in, is detected the device will start recording and send a real-time alert to the Ring app, where users can watch what is happening live.
Using the Cam’s built-in microphone and speaker, users can speak with anyone in the car right from the phone. In addition to interior and exterior recording, Car Cam also has a unique feature called Traffic Stop.
Simply say, “Alexa, record,” and the Cam will record several minutes of what’s happening, despite the car being parked. This feature is particularly helpful during a traffic stop, or in the case of a fender bender where someone would want to record the interaction while exchanging information.
The Ring Car Cam plugs into and is powered by the vehicle’s battery via the OBD-II port, which enables it to detect and record events even when the car is turned off. It securely attaches to the car windshield and dashboard, and the cable can be tucked away out of sight.
Wi-Fi connectivity means Car Cam will send real-time alerts to a user’s phone when it’s connected to home Wi-Fi, while LTE connectivity keeps the device connected on the move (LTE is available with an optional Ring Protect Go subscription).
“Customer privacy, security, and control are foundational to Ring, and we designed Car Cam to empower customers to protect their personal information and videos, and to respect the privacy of others,” said Ring CTO Josh Roth in a blog released Thursday about the product.
When parked, the camera only starts recording when the smart sensors detect an event or when a user initiates Live View, and there is an LED light to clearly indicate when the microphone and inside-facing camera are on and recording. A privacy shutter for the inside-facing camera easily disables the interior video and all audio when closed. Additionally, Car Cam supports optional video end-to-end encryption.
While Ring Car Cam sends real-time alerts when it’s on someone’s home Wi-Fi, Ring Protect Go extends that protection with an LTE cellular connection.
The LTE connection means users can receive real-time alerts for events, tap into Live View and engage in a conversation with anyone in the user's vehicle car all from the Ring App while the vehicle is away from home.
Car Cam stores recordings locally for all customers, and the optional subscription unlocks the ability to save cloud highlights. Video highlights are stored in the cloud for up to 180 days, and when someone uses the Traffic Stop feature with Ring Protect Go, the beginning of the event recording will upload to the cloud for quick and easy access.
Ring Car Cam will begin shipping to customers in the U.S. in February and can be pre-ordered on Ring.com and Amazon.com.
