The mounting design, which includes a screw down plate, and the unit itself which simply snaps in, is well-conceived and works in practice. In terms of the front face, my only real complaint is the largish branding – for a product buyers are paying $200 for that is also part of their home decor, a big brand name up front seems a little gauche. The video ‘eye’ announces its presence without being too 2001: A Space Odyssey ominous, and the ringer is big and clear. The primary visual features of the Ring are the spherical camera lens, which house the 720p, 180-degree shooter that delivers a streaming video feed to your device via Wi-Fi, and the blue ringed round doorbell button itself, which lights up when pressed (and which produces the canned ringing sound that should also come through your smartphone’s speakers). It’s impressive that the Ring manages to accomplish that just by changing the finish of its lower body, but it somehow does manage to result in a final product that feels at home almost anywhere. The Ring doorbell features a more straight-edged, contemporary design compared to the Doorbot that preceded it, with a variety of finishes that should match the light fixture and door hardware of just about every residence, whether your home sports a more vintage look, or was built yesterday according to the latest industrial design trends. Rugged construction for all-weather use.5,200 mAh battery for up to a year of use.All told, the Ring has proven itself a terrific addition to my connected home setup, and one that proves its worth at a basic level more often than many smart domestic gadgets. The Ring connected doorbell is actually a second-generation device: the startup behind it was originally Doorbot, with a product of the same name with very similar features. The new design and branding are intended to be more appealing to traditional homeowners looking for something more appropriate for their existing decor, and less sci-fi – and there have been functional improvements to the product to boot.