The Nest Wired Doorbell – A Smart Expansion of Google’s Ecosystem

The Nest Wired Doorbell is a long-awaited addition to Google’s ecosystem. Of course, Nest has had the wireless version on the market for quite some time. These smart video doorbells recognize people, animals, and packages, so you always know who or what is at your door. A wired solution for those looking for 24/7 power, The Nest Wired Doorbell can be installed by you, (if proper power is available) or a professional. Google even hooks you up with installers on the product page.  

Features

There are two video doorbells offered by Nest, the wired that is the subject of this article, and the battery powered. The two are so similar in features, however, it is difficult to talk about one without the other, so how about a nice side by side compare and contrast?  Both systems, once properly set up, will respond to Google Assistant, and Alexa voice commands.  Note, most competitors (including Ring), also offer both wired and wireless versions of their own systems.

So, what’s the difference?

The Nest Aware subscription, combined with 24/7 power from The Nest Wired Doorbell, allows for a continuous stream of video recording for up to 10 days. The battery powered one simply can’t give you that length of video recording, and requires recharging. What it really comes down to is, what are your needs for a video doorbell, do you want it wired or battery powered, and then – if wired, DIY, or call a professional? These are the questions, my friends.

Installation

You can install yourself or save time with installation and book an OnTech Pro, right on The Nest Doorbell page. Alternatively, there is a battery-powered version of The Nest Doorbell that has fast, easy installation, but you lose some of the features. See the comparison below for details.

Nest is Expanding Their Ecosystem with The User in Mind

The Nest Wired Doorbell, and other Nest products, integrate beautifully with the Google Home app, making it easy to create a truly smart home. In addition to the products we already know and love, there are some bundles for home security that can be added to your doorbell to make your home as secure as you desire it to be.

Price and Availability

The price of The Nest Wired Doorbell is $179.99 and can be found on Google’s Store. There are two services to look out for with your Nest Doorbell. 

1. Nest Aware Service 
   1. For $6 per mo, $60 per year plan, you get 30 days worth of video history and face identification notifications
   2. For $12 per mo, $120 per year plan, for a video history of 60 days

Those plans are all you get for the battery powered version. For the wired, you have:

2. Nest Aware Plus Subscription
   1. For $12/mo, or $120 per year, the wired version can record 24/7 video for up to 10 days.

Bottom Line on Nest’s Wired and Wireless Video Doorbells:  If you don’t really feel you need to be able to record continuously (rather than only when there’s activity by your door), and don’t mind taking your wireless doorbell off occasionally to recharge it (figure once every many months) for a few hours, the wireless version should serve you fine.  If you want the added capabilities, and are also planning to have home monitoring, you are likely to be more pleased with the Nest Wired Doorbell – but the choice is yours.