Ring raises the security stakes

COMPETENT: EASY TO SETUP AND BATTERY POWERED

- Arthur Goldstuck

Ring has long traded on its reputation for turning doorsteps into surveillance zones. The company's latest release, the Outdoor Cam Plus with 2K video and a rechargeable battery, carries the same philosophy outdoors, this time with sharper vision and greater flexibility.

At face value, it is the most competent outdoor camera Ring has produced. Beneath that surface, it still suffers from the same unresolved questions that have plagued the brand since its earliest doorbells.

The Outdoor Cam Plus is built for households that want quick deployment rather than complex wiring. Its compact body mounts to a wall, a corner, or a roof overhang with minimal effort.

Unlike the fixed, wired CCTV cameras installed by most security firms in South Africa, it has a more understated look.

That is part of the appeal. It looks discreet, but promises oversight. The new 2K sensor is meant to deliver the kind of detail that makes footage useful to police or security companies.