August View is a wireless 1440p video doorbell (Update: Recalled)

Update, April 26, 2019 (02:33 PM ET): The August View went on sale to the general public on April 9, but now it looks like that may have been too soon.

In a blog post published today, August founder and CEO, Jason Johnson, announced that the company will temporarily cease all sales of the August View. Additionally, August will pull the device from stores and issue refunds to current owners who might want one. If you apply for the refund at this link, you can keep your View and still get the refund. If you decide against this, you can initiate a return at your point of purchase.

The reason for the recall has to do with camera performance on the View, but the company doesn’t specifically reference what the problem is or why it’s happening. We have reached out directly to August for clarification and will update this when we hear back. 

If you want to add a smart video doorbell to your home, you generally have two choices: a wired unit that needs a pre-existing doorbell setup integrated into your house already, or a wireless solution. Up until now, that latter category has been dominated by Ring.

August is hoping to change that with the August View, a smart wireless video doorbell which does everything Ring can do, but just a little better. Since it’s made by August, it also will easily integrate with its highly-regarded line of smart locks.

From the outset, the August View doesn’t look like it offers much when compared to the Ring Video Doorbell 2. Both products essentially do the same thing: offer one-way video/two-way audio feeds of what’s going on at your door which you can control from an app anywhere in the world. However, August is definitely offering just a little bit more.

For example, the August View has a 1440p camera resolution, while every Ring doorbell is 1080p or lower. That extra clarity may not seem important, but if you’re trying to watch something sketchy going on at your front door, you want all the clarity you can get.

The August View is also more customizable than what Ring offers. Altogether there are eight different faceplates you can choose from:

The August View will sell for $230 — that’s $31 more than the Ring Doorbell 2, which sells for $199. However, it should be noted that the Ring Doorbell 2 doesn’t come with the (arguably essential) chime, which itself costs $29. Since the August View comes with the companion chime, you’re really paying the same price as you would for the Ring.

So, for the same price as a Ring Doorbell 2, you get a big bump in video quality and the ability to pick the doorbell finish that really complements your home. Sounds like a no-brainer choice of which product to buy.

You’ll be able to buy the August View from August’s site and select national retailers on March 28, 2019.