Back at CES 2023, we got the launch of the Ring Always Home Cam. This unique drone from Amazon is basically an indoor security drone that patrols your home when you’re away. In flying around your home, it can provide a 360-degree view of rooms. You might program it to fly specific routes, or otherwise control it manually using the Ring app on your phone.
So how do you get your hands on the Amazon Ring Always Home indoor drone camera?
Technically, the Ring Always Home Cam is available now for $249.99 under what’s called its Day 1 Edition line. Products sold under Amazon’s Day 1 Edition program are marketed as concept products, meaning they are limited-release products that might never see widespread release. If you hold one, consider yourself a sort of Amazon product beta tester. And to get your hands on a Day 1 Edition device, such as the Ring Always Home Cam, you need to be somewhat special. These products are invitation-only.
How to get a Ring Always Home invitation
The power of getting an invitation to buy the Ring Always Home drone camera is in your hands. Anyone can apply to request an invitation. As part of your invitation request, you’ll have to complete a questionnaire from Amazon. It asks questions like “How many Ring devices do you own?” and “Do you have a Ring Protect subscription (Ring Protect Basic, Ring Protect Plus, or Ring Protect Pro)?”
Presumably Amazon wants people who already already familiar with the Ring ecosystem, which is a suite of home security and smart home devices produced by Amazon. That includes Ring Video Doorbells, Ring Floodlight Cameras and various Ring indoor cameras. To unlock full functionality, most of those products require an additional monthly subscription. The Ring subscription service lets you review, share and save videos.
If you are selected to purchase a Ring Always Home Camera, Amazon will send you a confirmation email with information on how to place your order. (Alas, it’ll cost you $249.) )That includes how you’ll pay and where you want it shipped. As an owner of a Day 1 Edition device, you’ll also be able to provide feedback on the product.
What to know about the Ring Aways Home Cam
The Ring Aways Home Cam is a drone with a robust set of prop guards. This is an indoor drone with a 1440×1440 HD video camera that allows you to see live video of your home from anywhere you have an internet or cellular connection.
Why would you use this? Presumably a robber would just swat it down. But the drone can also check in on things that forgetful folk might worry about. Not sure if you left the window open or the stove on? The drone can fly over to check it out. As far as other security concerns go, the Ring drone coordinates with your other Ring product. So if your Ring Alarm contact sensors or motion detectors are triggered, Always Home Cam will automatically fly to see what’s happening.
There’s one big way this drone isn’t like the DJI or other consumer drones you’re likely used to. You can’t control the drone’s individual flight paths. That’s because Always Home Cam only flies along preset flight paths and does not allow users to manually intervene during flight. Though once in flight, you do have the power to pause, resume, rotate, or end the flight (which forces its return to the charging dock).
As far as flight times, the drone can fly a flight path up to 5 minutes (and you can program up to 50 different flight paths within your house).
And the drone is not without its limitations for now. For example, the Always Home Cam can only operate out of a single story of a home right now (so the owner of a multi-story home would need multiple drones for full coverage).
This also isn’t the type of thing you’d want flying around when you yourself are home. Like most drones, it makes noise. Consider this drone to be about as loud as a vacuum or a blender while in action.
And even if you’re not at home, but your pets still are, take caution. Even Amazon itself warns that pets may need time to adjust to the noise and motion of Always Home Cam. Or hey, you might have a fancy cat toy.
As for myself, I applied for an invitation in mid-February, though I haven’t heard anything yet. If I get approved, I might just have to buy one — in the name of research, of course.
Now I want to hear from you! Would you buy Amazon’s Ring Always Home indoor drone if given the opportunity? Tell me why or why not in the comments!
