Review: Google Nest Doorbell Wired 2nd Gen

Video doorbells have become an essential component of modern smart homes, offering peace of mind and convenience. The Google Nest Doorbell Wired 2nd Gen is a prime example of this technology, blending sleek design with powerful features. By providing real-time video feeds, intelligent detection, and two-way audio, this doorbell empowers homeowners to stay connected to their homes, no matter where they are. In this review, I will dive into the various aspects of the Nest doorbell that have impressed me, as well as some of the shortcomings I’ve encountered after using the device for over a year.

Review Summary

Device Specifications

Product Unboxing

The Google Nest Doorbell Wired 2nd Gen comes packaged in a compact box which contains the following items:

• 1 Nest Doorbell
• 1 base plate
• 20° wedge
• Chime connector/puck
• Wire connector
• Hex key
• Extra security screw
• 2 wall screws
• 2 wall anchors
• 2 spacers
• Window decal
• Quick start guide
• Safety and warranty document

Design

The Google Nest Doorbell Wired 2nd Gen boasts a sleek and minimalist design that seamlessly blends with your home’s exterior. Its compact size allows for discreet mounting, keeping it low-profile and unobtrusive.

This model is approximately 30% smaller than the battery-powered version, making it ideal for narrow door frames and tight spaces. To give you a perspective of its size, here’s a side by side comparison of the Nest doorbell against an iPhone 13.

Available in four colors (Linen, Ivy, Ash, and Snow), the Nest doorbell is designed to complement different architectural styles or nature by your entryway. Smart home devices can sometimes look out of place with their less than stellar aesthetics (looking at you, Aqara G4), so it’s refreshing to see Google taking a different design path with the Nest Doorbell Wired 2nd Gen.

The doorbell’s front panel houses a top-mounted camera lens and a large, easily accessible button at the bottom. Surrounding the button is an RGB light ring that indicates device status.

A unique design element on the camera housing are the words “Hello” in several languages.

The doorbell’s back panel features two round hooks for mounting to the base plate and two screw terminals to secure the wire connectors required to power the doorbell.

To prevent theft, the doorbell features a security screw for securing the doorbell to the top of the base plate.

As part of their sustainability efforts, Google designed and built the Nest Doorbell Wired 2nd Gen using approximately 43% recycled materials.

Setup & Compatibility

Device Setup

Setting up the Nest Doorbell with the Google Home app is simple, thanks to a setup wizard that guides users through the installation process. A step-by-step video guide is also available on Google’s support pages.

The hardware installation is simple and straightforward but does require an AC adapter or transformer, which is sold separately.

The mounting brackets on the Nest Doorbell fits the standard doorbell switch mounting box (86 x 86 mm) used in Singapore. If you’re upgrading from the first-generation Nest Doorbell, the second-generation base plate matches the same drill holes, making installation a breeze.

Since the Nest Doorbell is only 42 mm wide, mounting it on a standard switch box will leave a gap, exposing part of the existing wall switch box. There are two ways to address this: either use a wall plate to hide the gap or plaster over it. I opted for the latter but did initially consider the wall plate solution. During my research, I found that Elago and Wasserstein offer some of the best options available.

Note: If you’re reading this from Singapore, do note that you no longer need approval from the Housing & Development Board (HDB) to install corridor-facing CCTV cameras within a HDB flat. However, there are guidelines published by HDB which you must follow.

Compatible Smart Home Ecosystems

Besides Google Home, the Nest doorbell works with several other smart home ecosystems, such as Amazon Alexa, Samsung SmartThings and Home Assistant.

The Nest doorbell does not support Apple HomeKit officially but the following solutions can enable compatibility:

• Starling Home Hub
• Scrypted
• Homebridge

Of the options listed above, Starling Home Hub is the easiest to setup and the most user-friendly option, while Scrypted and Homebridge takes a longer time to setup as it involves both hardware (e.g. Raspberry Pi) and software. Having personally used Starling Home Hub, Scrypted and Homebridge, I have found all three solutions to be reliable at bridging the Nest doorbell to HomeKit.

The Nest doorbell is designed to work with an existing chime (check compatibility here) or can be connected to a Nest speaker or Nest display to alert you when someone presses the doorbell.

With Scrypted and Homebridge, I can also receive doorbell press or motion detection notifications on Apple HomeKit and use my HomePod Mini as a doorbell chime (listen to the chime ringtone here).

Features & Performance

Event Notifications

One of the main reasons to install a smart doorbell is the ability to receive alerts for events at your doorstep, like a delivery driver dropping off packages or a toddler on a secret mission. Who knew little ones could be such skilled couriers? Thanks to smart doorbells, we can now capture these hilarious and heartwarming moments.

The Nest Doorbell does not disappoint in this regard, providing intelligent detection for motion, people, packages, animals, and vehicles. Users can toggle push notifications on or off, choose to be notified only when they’re away, and select which events they want to receive notifications for.

A useful feature of the Nest Doorbell is the ability to set up custom Activity Zones. This allows you to create a designated area and select the events for which you want to receive notifications both within and outside that zone.

Over the course of the year, the Nest Doorbell’s detection capability has been reliable, with notifications appearing on my iPhone within 3 to 5 seconds, though there were a few occasions where the doorbell detects a person hunched over as an animal (gives new meaning to “artificial” intelligence).

The Nest Doorbell features a Quiet Time option (essentially a “Do Not Disturb” function) that allows you to mute your indoor chime and visitor announcements for 30 minutes to 3 hours.

Video

The Nest doorbell is capable of recording HD quality videos with HDR (High Dynamic Range) and features Night Vision to capture footages in the dark. Personally, I have found the quality of images captured on the Nest doorbell camera to be acceptable, with sufficient details to identify a person several feet away from my doorstep. The Nest doorbell’s live view takes 3 to 5 seconds to load on the Google Home app.

In the Google Home app, users can customize video settings for video quality, night vision and status light brightness.

For an in-depth comparison of the Nest Doorbell’s image quality against other smart doorbells from Arlo, Ring and Wyze, check out this review by DXOMARK, a world-leading quality evaluation laboratory.

The Nest Doorbell’s camera features a 145° diagonal view, providing a taller (3:4) field of view. When mounted 3 feet from the ground, the doorbell offers a head-to-toe view of a person standing in front of the camera. The camera angle also allows for capturing footage at my doorstep, making it handy for keeping an eye on packages and (adorable) slipper “thieves”.

Audio

The Nest Doorbell’s two-way audio with noise cancellation works great and is especially useful for communicating with people at my doorstep, such as delivery riders. The audio is clear, and the microphone volume can be adjusted. Users can also turn off audio recording, although I can’t think of a reason to do so if video recording is enabled. Speaking of audio recording, the sound quality is good enough to hear conversations of people a few feet away from the doorbell.

The doorbell comes with a limited set of pre-recorded messages, which unfortunately cannot be customized.

Event History

By default, the Nest Doorbell provides recording for the past 3 hours for free, with 2 seconds of pre-roll footage for each event. The event recordings are uploaded and saved to the cloud for users to access anytime. As a fallback mechanism, Google designed the Nest doorbell with enough internal memory to store up to one hour of recorded events when it is offline.

The Nest Doorbell does not provide an option to store event recordings locally on a memory card. Instead, Google offers Nest Aware and Nest Aware Plus subscriptions for those who need longer event video history (30 days for Nest Aware and 60 days for Nest Aware Plus). To access continuous video recording (up to 10 days of 24/7 video history), a Nest Aware Plus subscription is required.

For users who prefer not to subscribe to Nest Aware, three hours of event history seems insufficient, particularly for incidents that occur while they’re asleep. For instance, if something happens at 2 a.m., the recording would be gone after 5 a.m. It would be more practical to offer at least 24 hours of free event history.

Doorbell Settings

The Nest Doorbell allows you to turn visitor announcements on and off, customize the doorbell theme (ringtone), and choose whether you want the doorbell to ring an indoor chime.

For the ringtone, the Nest Doorbell offers users a pre-defined list of classic themes, such as “Ding Dong” or seasonal options like the playful “Halloween” theme.

Listen to the themes below. You will hear a second doorbell ring towards the end of the recordings, which is my Apple HomePod Mini acting as the doorbell chime.

Connectivity

The Nest doorbell relies solely on Wi-Fi connectivity, and after using it continuously for over a year, I’m happy to report that it has been a reliable piece of hardware. Occasionally, I experienced choppy live video feeds, primarily due to an unstable Wi-Fi connection.

To optimize performance and minimize potential connectivity problems, it would be beneficial to have the option to connect the doorbell directly to an Ethernet cable. This would provide a more stable and reliable connection, especially in areas with weaker Wi-Fi signals.

Value for Money

Smart video doorbells tend to be expensive, but the Nest Doorbell Wired 2nd Gen is competitively priced compared to its competitors and delivers some of the best camera image quality available. In addition to high-quality video, the doorbell provides a range of features, including intelligent detection (for motion, people, package, animals and vehicles), customizable detection zones and two-way audio with noise cancellation. However, accessing recordings beyond the last 3 hours requires a subscription to either Nest Aware or Nest Aware Plus, which adds to the overall cost of ownership.

Final Thoughts

After over a year of using the Google Nest Doorbell Wired 2nd Gen, I can confidently say that this smart doorbell has proven to be a reliable addition to my smart home setup. Its sleek design adds a touch of sophistication to my entrance, while features like high-definition video and intelligent alerts have greatly improved my ability to monitor visitors and packages. The doorbell consistently delivers reliable performance, with effective two-way audio and intelligent detection capabilities, making it a valuable asset for both convenience and security.

While it may have a few minor drawbacks, its overall strengths far outweigh any shortcomings. If you’re looking for a smart doorbell that combines style, functionality, and security, the Nest Doorbell is an excellent choice.

With Christmas around the corner, I really wish to see doorbells included in the next release of the Matter specification. And wouldn’t it be awesome if Google could update the Nest Doorbell Wired 2nd Gen to be Matter compatible? Fingers crossed!