Ring's Car Cam serves as a dashcam while a car is being driven and a security camera when it is stationary, giving users peace of mind over one of their most expensive investments. Though there are a lot of dashcams available on the market, not all of them can watch over a vehicle after it's parked. A notable exception would be Tesla cars, which have a Sentry Mode feature that serves as a built-in surveillance system. Sentry Mode relays information to the Tesla mobile app, so users can check in on their vehicle at any time. For users that want similar functionality without paying for a Tesla, the Ring Car Cam could be an alternative.
Ring got its start making security cameras and video doorbells for the home, but has since expanded its offerings. The company announced a Ring Car Alarm and Ring Car Cam back in 2020, but unbeknownst to customers, the product wasn't close to release. "We are still working out some technical details on it, but in the next year or so we should be releasing it," the official Ring account tweeted in October 2022. Though the Car Alarm still isn't out, the Car Cam finally debuted in February 2023. It's unlike most dashcams on the market, and it looks like a great way to monitor a vehicle.
How Ring Car Cam Works
Ring's Car Cam mounts on the dashboard and is equipped with an arm that elevates the camera's lenses. It's a shift from most other car cams, which are usually mounted at the top of the car's windshield. Ring Car Cam has a dual-facing camera with lenses facing out the windshield and toward's the car interior. The camera connects to the Ring app, and can alert users of events and motion occurring both inside and outside the car.
So, how does this work? The Ring Car Cam connects to a car through its OBD-II port, which is typically used for diagnostics. By connecting through this port, the Ring Car Cam will have power at all times — meaning it can connect and record events even when the car is shut off. The camera doesn't work with all cars for this reason, but most cars with an OBD-II will work with the Ring Car Cam.
The camera also ships with a privacy shutter for the interior-facing camera that, when shut, disables the interior camera and the internal microphones. But when users want to record, there's a feature called Traffic Stop that will start recording several minutes of video and audio. Saying "Alexa, record" will activate Traffic Stop, and Ring says this could be useful during interactions with law enforcement or while exchanging information with another driver following a car accident.
When the car is parked and in range of the user's home WiFi network, it will automatically send updates to their smartphone through the Ring app. For users that want additional protection, subscribing to Ring Protect Go for $6 per month enables cellular connectivity for constant monitoring. Users that need constant monitoring should not only expect to pay the $249.99 sticker price, but also the additional monthly fee for LTE connectivity.
The Ring Car Cam appears to be a pricey, but capable, way to monitor a vehicle while driving and while it's parked.
Source: Twitter/Ring, Ring