Aqara G4 Smart Video Doorbell
Feature-rich, budget-friendly and the first ever battery-powered HomeKit Secure Video doorbell
Anyone that has been looking for a decent video doorbell that is HomeKit Secure Video (HKSV) certified knows that there less than a handful options. If you check Apple’s list of smart doorbells certified with HomeKit, you’ll see mere 5 options, only three of them are HKSV certified, one of which is only available in Europe. Add the parameter of being affordable on a budget and its like trying to find needle in a haystack.
Enter Aqara G4 Smart Video Doorbell.
While the other HKSV certified options cost around $300-$400, Aqara G4 costs about $120. This price is much more reasonable for a smart doorbell and I am sure will attract a much larger audience. So I went ahead and got one.
Design
Aqara G4 is a rectangular smart doorbell, much like all other smart doorbells. It is a little boxy though, with sharper edges and corners as opposed to curved. For the price, the design is decent and functional. The 1080p camera sits on the top half of the outward face of the doorbell, while a large circular button occupies the bottom half. The chime that plugs indoors follows a similar design but is more of a square. Neither of the pieces are particularly fancy, but its not even expected at this price point. Available in 2 colors, black and gray.
Installation
One of the biggest pros of Aqara G4 is that it can operate in both wireless battery-powered mode, as well as by connecting it to a 24V constant power supply if you already have it for your existing doorbell. This flexibility again attracts a larger audience. If going the battery powered route, the installation becomes fairly straightforward, all you have to do is install the included 6 AA batteries, peel of the plastic on the backplate to reveal the sticky side and then slap it on to the desired area near your door. I would recommend cleaning the surface a little before doing so to ensure a longer lasting bond. You can also use the included screws to drill the backplate for added security. For those of you with existing wiring wanting to save replacing batteries every so often (doorbell claims 4 months of battery life with 6 AA batteries), the doorbell has 2 screws which you can unwind a little, wrap a wire behind each and then tighten to hold the wire in place. Rest remains the same.
The indoor chime on the other hand, is what I am most disappointed about. While most chimes directly just plug into a receptacle, Aqara G4 Chime needs a USB-C input for power. Combined that with the fact that only the cord is included and you need your own separate power brick, the chime not only becomes a little less convenient but also a little less pleasing to look at after the setup even if you can bundle up the wire.
Functionality
This is where the Aqara G4 shines the most according to me. The features and functionality at a little over $100 is unmatched. The G4 can pair directly to the Apple Home app as it is HomeKit certified without the need to install the Aqara app. I didn’t try it with Google Home or Amazon Alexa, but I would think it works in the same way as the Aqara G4 is certified with both of those systems as well. And since it is certified with HomeKit Secure Video as well, this means that end-to-end encrypted cloud recording and storage for 14 days is provided by Apple directly, for those of you with iCloud+ subscriptions and a home hub like any recent Apple TV, iPad or HomePod devices.
While installing the Aqara app is not needed if using the doorbell with any of the 3 major smart home systems, you can still do so if you want, or if you already have the app setup for your other Aqara devices. The app offers all the smart detection and recording features as well, videos being stored on an SD card which can be inserted into the Chime or on the Aqara cloud for 7 days for free. One fun little feature that some might appreciate is the ability to customize the Chime tone in the Aqara app, including importing custom audio file (I am having great fun with this feature, my wife not so much).
Both the two way audio quality as well as the 1080p video quality is about what you would expect from a device at this price point, not great but good enough for most times. It does lack a little in terms of video quality during the dark hours and also seems to have a narrower field of view than some other doorbells, but again it is acceptable for the most affordable battery-powered wireless smart doorbell that is HomeKit Secure Video certified.