Tag:

versatile

KeyGo keyboard
Gaming Gear

KeyGo’s hybrid keyboard brings Apple Touch Bar dreams to life with a 12.8-inch touchscreen, making every workspace instantly more versatile

by admin



  • KeyGo 12.8-inch screen offers sharp visuals despite a compressed 1440p layout for multitasking
  • Scissor-switch keys provide a tactile typing experience suitable for serious work or long sessions
  • RGB lighting enhances visibility in low-light conditions while allowing personal customization

Small external screens have steadily become essential for those seeking flexible workflows and improved multitasking capabilities.

Yanko Design’s new KeyGo keyboard merges a 12.8-inch touchscreen monitor with a full-size keyboard.

It aims to create a hybrid device that extends the traditional workspace without requiring a full desktop setup.


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A screen built for precision

This concept is ambitious, but its practicality is limited by the absence of a built-in battery, meaning users must remain connected to a power source for extended use.

The integrated display delivers a resolution of 1920×720 at 60Hz, which might initially raise eyebrows among those accustomed to conventional 1080p monitors.

However, the design essentially compresses a 1440p screen across a wider layout, producing a pixel density that keeps text sharp and visuals reasonably crisp.

For professionals who rely on portable monitors or a monitor for video editing, this width-oriented resolution provides a usable secondary screen for reference materials, timelines, or notifications, even if it cannot fully replace a main 4K display.

The keyboard uses scissor-switch keys, which offer a responsive typing experience comparable to high-end laptops.

This design minimizes the often-criticized “mushy” feel of cheaper units, enabling fast and accurate typing.

RGB lighting is integrated with three modes, supporting work in dimly lit environments and allowing a degree of personalization.

While the visual flair may appeal to gamers, business users may appreciate the practicality of illuminated keys during extended work sessions.

Connectivity is handled through USB-C, simplifying connections to laptops, tablets, or smartphones across Windows and macOS platforms.

The single-cable solution handles both power and data, which reduces clutter and streamlines setup for mobile professionals.

Despite its thin CNC-machined aluminum build, which gives it a premium feel, the device remains somewhat limited by its dependence on external power.

It also comes with a 180-degree hinge, allowing users to orient the touchscreen above the keys or stand it fully upright as a second monitor.

While the KeyGo revisits ideas reminiscent of Apple’s Touch Bar, it expands the concept into a standalone, multi-touch interface.

Pricing begins at $538, although early backers can purchase the KeyGo for $249, representing a 54% discount.

The product also includes global shipping and a one-year warranty, and the company claims only 23 of 200 units remain.

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Side view of Contour Design Unimouse on plinth with pink background
Product Reviews

Contour Design Unimouse review: a comfortable and versatile ergonomic mouse that might be a bit too large for some

by admin



Why you can trust TechRadar


We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

Contour Design Unimouse: Two-minute review

The Contour Design Unimouse is an ergonomic mouse with an adjustable design, allowing users to get the right fit to match their personal preferences.

It has a functional appearance, although it’s sleek and inoffensive enough to fit in any environment, whether that’s the office of the home. The materials also feel premium, from the plastic chassis to the texturized padding on outside edge.

The form factor is large: bigger than many of the best mouse options around. This means those with smaller hands may struggle to use it, although I can say that I found it to be the right size for me, and my hands aren’t particularly large.


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The split-folding design of the Unimouse means you can adjust the angle of the contact surface between 35 and 70 degrees, which I found to be enough for providing meaningful differences in grip style. However, those looking for a flatter, more traditional position might not find this to their liking; although it might be argued that such users wouldn’t be in the market for an ergonomic mouse in the first place.

The hinge mechanism for adjusting this angle can be quite stiff, meaning it doesn’t operate all that smoothly. Still, it remains completely stable while in place, and I experienced no wobbling at all while using it.

(Image credit: Future)

These two points can also be made of the thumb grip. It rotates on a ball to allow for multiple planes of adjustment, resulting in a wide range of available positions. It also allows you to hold the Unimouse loosely – a feature all the best ergonomic mice share, and results in a more relaxed, strain-free experience.

The mouse buttons are large, and are easy to use as a result. There are three of them, with the one in the center acting as a middle click (the scroll wheel also has this function), although this default binding can be changed in the customization software.

The Unimouse also features two side buttons, although these are placed too far back, which means you can’t easily and quickly navigate between web pages, for example. The placement of the DPI button is also inconvenient, being inaccessible while your hand is on the mouse, since it’s tucked away on the bottom portion of the body.

The Unimouse can be customized using the Contour Design’s software tool, available for Windows and macOS, which allows for a pleasing number of productivity-based tweaks. You can change the DPI setting from here as well, in addition to the cursor acceleration and scroll speed.

There are a generous amount of remapping options too, with a few media and system functions available for assignment, including the ability to run applications of your choosing. You can also create application-specific profiles for your rebinds.

Additionally, keystrokes are assignable, with the option to map multiple keys in combination with modifiers to a single button. Unfortunately, though, the scroll function of the wheel can only be reassigned to control volume.

There are other issues with the software, too. I experienced crashes on a few occasions, and the firmware update for the wireless dongle was plagued with failed attempts and frustrating pop-up notifications.

(Image credit: Future)

Thankfully, the overall performance of the Unimouse is much more pleasant. It glides smoothly despite its relative heft, as it’s lighter than it appears. The buttons are easy to actuate and provide enough feedback, although scrolling is a little too notched for my liking, lacking the precision and effortless action of other mouse wheels I’ve experienced.

It also lacks a free-spin function, so you’re locked in at the rate its notches provide. Even though, as previously mentioned, the software does allow you to alter the scrolling speed, this still doesn’t make it any smoother.

Setting up a wireless connection wasn’t the most seamless experience, either. Having tested it on two separate devices, one Windows 10 and the other Windows 11, the Unimouse failed to connect on first attempt.

To get it working, I had to toggle the power button underneath off and on. I’ll admit this is a minor issue, but it’s more bothersome if you plan on using the Unimouse with multiple devices.

On that note, it’s also a shame that there’s no Bluetooth option, which would have made hot-switching between devices all the more amenable. However, I have to say that once I established a connection between the Unimouse and my devices I didn’t experience any lag or issues with responsiveness.

After a full day of use, the Unimouse dropped a single LED on its battery life indicator, meaning it had between 61-80% left (I suspect it was much closer to the latter figure). Losing 20% after a day isn’t terribly impressive, but at least the Unimouse comes with a USB cable for wired connectivity, allowing you to charge and work simultaneously.

At £87, the Unimouse is more expensive than many other ergonomic mice. They may have higher list prices, but can often be found with discounts, so here’s hoping that will also be the case with the Unimouse.

But the ace up the Unimouse’s sleeve is its physical adjustability, which even the best ergonomic mice lack, such as the Lift and the MX Master 3S, for instance. Combined with its software customizations, this elevates the Unimouse to a better value proposition than it otherwise would be, and may make sense for those craving an adjustable mouse. Just make sure you can fit your hand around it.

(Image credit: Future)

Contour Design Unimouse review: Price & availability

  • £87 (about $100 / AU$170)
  • Available now for left and right-handers
  • Expensive compared to rivals

In the UK the Unimouse is available now direct from Contour Design for £87, although we have seen it slightly cheaper on Amazon. In the US and Australia it’s available from Amazon for around $100 / AU$170. There are right and left-handed variants, and a wired model also exists, but this is only marginally less expensive.

This makes the Unimouse quite expensive relative to other ergonomic mice. It faces plenty of competition, chiefly from Logitech’s various lines of ergonomic mice, such as the MX and the Lift.

While some of these may have a higher list price, they can often be found with strong discounts. However, these lack the physical adjustability of the Unimouse, which might swing it for you depending on how much you value this quality.

Contour Design Unimouse review: Specs

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Interface

Wireless (2.4GHz), wired (USB-C-to-A)

Ergonomics

Right or left-handed asymmetrical

Buttons

7

DPI

Up to 4,000

Switches

Not stated

Weight

5oz / 141g

Should I buy the Razer Contour Design Unimouse?

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Value

The Unimouse is expensive compared to other ergonomic mice, although its various adjustments set it apart from the competition.

3.5 / 5

Design

The Unimouse is well made, although a few design choices let the side down. The software is useful, but this also has its sticking points.

3.5 / 5

Performance

The Unimouse does its job admirably and without fuss. The adjustments cater to individual grip styles quite well, too.

4 / 5

Overall

The Unimouse is a capable and comfortable ergonomic mouse. It may be pricey, but its malleability makes a strong case itself – you’ll just have to decide how much this means to you, and whether its size will be a fit for your hand.

3.5 / 5

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

Contour Design Unimouse review: Also consider

Swipe to scroll horizontallyHeader Cell – Column 0

Contour Design Unimouse

Logitech MX Master 3S

Logitech Lift

Price

Wireless (2.4GHz), wired (USB-C-to-A)

Wireless (2.4GHz, Bluetooth), wired (USB-C-to-A)

Wireless (2.4GHz, Bluetooth), wired (USB-C-to-A)

Interface

Right or left-handed asymmetrical

Right-handed asymmetrical

Right or left-handed asymmetrical

Buttons

7

7

6

DPI

4,000

8,000

4,000

Switches

Not stated

Not stated

Not stated

Weight

1.9oz / 55g

5oz / 141g

4.4oz / 125g

How I tested the Contour Design Unimouse

  • Tested for a full day
  • Used for work and general browsing
  • Plentiful mouse reviewing experience

I tested the Unimouse for a full day, during which time I used it for working and for general browsing. I made sure to try out all of its available adjustments, and also used as many functions and features present in its customization software.

I have experience reviewing mice, ranging in size, purpose, and price point. I have used all kinds of mice throughout my life, for work as well as play.



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Shark PowerDetect Upright vacuum in use
Product Reviews

Shark PowerDetect Upright vacuum review: a powerful, smart and versatile dust-buster

by admin



Why you can trust TechRadar


We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

Shark PowerDetect Upright Vacuum: two-minute review

Product info

This model has slightly different names and product codes in different territories:

US: Shark POWERDETECT Upright Vacuum with TruePet Upgrade AZ407UPG1

Shark POWERDETECT Upright Bagless Vacuum With Ultimate Cleaning Tools AZ407KT1

UK: Shark PowerDetect Powered Lift-Away Upright Pet Vacuum Cleaner AZ3900UKT

AU: Shark PowerDetect Corded Upright AZ3900

For this review, I tested the AZ407UPG1 version. There may be minor differences between different countries’ models.

The Shark PowerDetect Upright Vacuum is one of the most versatile upright vacuums on the market. Like other Shark vacuums, it’s outfitted with a Detect mode that adjusts the suction based on the floor type and how clean it is. You don’t have to worry about unseen dirt because the vacuum can sense debris, dust, and dirt, and increases the suction as required to clean it up.

While you could use the three manual modes (hard floor, carpet/low pile, and thick carpet/area rug), with the Detect mode, the vacuum informs you when the floor is clean with lights on the vacuum head that turn from purple (i.e. dirty) to white (i.e. clean).

During testing, the Shark PowerDetect Upright Vacuum performed wonderfully on various floor types, especially when it came to picking up fine materials like tea and hair. Though it missed a couple of large oat clusters on a single pass, it’s still a top-tier vacuum, with suction capability that’s well above average. It’s one of the very best upright vacuums I’ve tested, as well as one of the best vacuums for carpet.


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Sure, the vacuum head is a bit bulky, and the cord may get in the way, but Shark made this upright vacuum as versatile as possible. You can remove the pod (which holds the dust bin) from the wand, allowing you to use it as a stick vacuum to reach under couches and beds or in conjunction with one of the three accessories to clean tight spaces. If you need something less bulky, there’s a stick vac in the same range – read about it in my Shark PowerDetect Cordless review, or head to TechRadar’s best Shark vacuums guide to see other options, some of which have similar features.

All in all, the Shark PowerDetect Upright Vacuum is a great choice for those who have homes with carpet and/or lots of rugs as it does a stand-up job with deep cleaning.

  • Shark POWERDETECT Upright Vacuum at Sharkclean for $449.99

Shark PowerDetect Upright Vacuum review: price & availability

  • List price: from $549.99 / £399.99 / $699.99
  • Launched: Announced September 2024
  • Available: Worldwide, including US, UK and Australia

In the US, there are a couple of different PowerDetect Upright options – the one I reviewed is the Shark PowerDetect Upright Vacuum with TruePet Upgrade, and it’s priced at $549.99. There’s also the Shark PowerDetect Upright Bagless Vacuum With Ultimate Cleaning Tools, which costs $449.99. The base model is the same, but the different bundles come with different cleaning tools. In the UK and Australia, there’s just one Shark PowerDetect Upright, with a list price of £399.99 / AU$699.99.

At full price, that puts this vacuum in the upper-mid or premium price bracket. However, at time of writing, there are significant discounts available in all territories, taking this vacuum down more firmly into the mid-range market.

I think it’s good value for what you’re getting here. There are cheaper upright vacuums on the market, but this one has a flexible design and several advanced features that help set it apart from the competition. As you might have gathered from the above, this brand isn’t averse to a discount either, and I expect more price drops to appear as time goes on.

  • Value for money score: 4 out of 5

Shark PowerDetect Upright Vacuum specs

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Weight:

17.6 lbs / 8 kg

Bin size:

2 qts / 1.3 L

Cord length:

30 ft / 9 m

Cleaning path:

12 in / 30.5 cm

Flexible hose length:

1.9 ft / 0.6 m

Shark PowerDetect Upright Vacuum review: design

  • Corded vacuum with LED lights and a 12in cleaning path
  • Detachable dust cup lets you use the wand with the three specialty tools
  • Four cleaning modes including an automatic mode

The Shark PowerDetect Upright is a corded upright vacuum that can be used in various configurations for different cleaning tasks.

Although typically I prefer the freedom of a cordless stick vacuum, I do understand the appeal of a corded upright – in a battle of upright vs cordless vacuums, the former tends to last longer, will never run out of juice, and almost always deliver more powerful suction too.

(Image credit: Future)

The cable here is fairly generous at 30 feet / 9m long – that’s not the longest on the market, but it should still enable you to clean a decent-sized space before having to unplug and replug.

Similarly, at 17.6 lbs / 8kg, it’s not the lightest vacuum but it’s not overly heavy either. The vacuum head is a bit bulky, but comes with useful design features like a self-cleaning brushroll which means the vacuum can pick up pet and human hair easily without it tangling on the brush, and LED headlights to make it easier to see in dark corners. In fact, you’ll notice a lot more lights and indicators on this vacuum than most, plus an odor neutralizer capsule designed to prevent bad smells and keep your floors smelling fresh.

(Image credit: Future)

The handle has five buttons: a power button and four cleaning mode buttons (Detect mode, Hard floor, Carpet/Low pile, and Thick Carpet/Area rug. When using the Detect mode, this upright vacuum senses the floor type and adjusts the speed of the brushroll and the suction power to clean. Upon sensing dirt, the LED indicator light on the vacuum head turns purple. When the light is white, users know that section of the floor is free of dust and dirt.

(Image credit: Future)

The vacuum is outfitted with two other Detect modes. With Edge Detect, arrows on the top sides of the vacuum light up when the vacuum moves close to an edge of a room, and the suction increases on the relevant side of the floorhead to clear any dust that might have gathered there. There’s also Direction detect, which is designed so that the vacuum cleans just as well on the reverse stroke as it does when it’s pushed forwards.

The dust cup on this PowerDetect vac has a capacity of 2 quarts / 1.3L, which is on the smaller side for an upright vacuum, but is still far bigger than the bin you’d find on a cordless stick vacuum.

For greater flexibility, this dustbin section can also be removed and held in the hand. A flexible hose connects the wand to the dustbin, and from there you can reattach the motorized vacuum head to the wand, to allow you to reach under furniture without the dustbin getting in the way.

(Image credit: Future)

You can also attach one of the detail tools, to tackle awkward or hard-to reach areas. Exactly what tools are included depends on which bundle you opt for. The review model I tested here came with a Duster crevice tool, Pet multi-tool, and HairPro Self-cleaning pet power brush.

As far as sound goes, the vacuum has a dB rating between 77-83, which is dependent on the mode being used or the increase in suction by the vacuum when it senses dirty floors.

  • Design score: 4.5 out of 5

Shark PowerDetect Upright Vacuum review: performance

  • Excellent edge and reverse cleaning
  • Accessories make it easy to clean furniture, ceiling, and tight spaces
  • Great at detecting dirt and adjusting suction on various floor types

The Shark PowerDetect Upright Vacuum took only a couple of minutes to assemble. When I first tried to use it, the machine wouldn’t turn on despite pressing the power button and having it properly plugged in. Eventually, I realized I didn’t have the hose connected all the way. I love that the vacuum ‘protects’ the user from accidentally turning the vacuum on and sending dust and debris they’ve just vacuumed back into the room.

On test, the Shark PowerDetect Upright Vacuum did not disappoint. I have historic hardwood floors, laminate floors, and low pile rugs in my house. On my first go, I cleaned my entire house with the vacuum, jumping between the Detect mode and manual surface modes (hard floor, carpet/low pile, and thick carpet/area rug) to get a feel on how each one worked.

(Image credit: Future)

I’ve tested a number of Shark vacuums, and I’m a huge fan of the Detect mode, which detects unseen dirt on the ground. I love when the lights turn from purple to white, indicating the surface is dust-free. So many vacuums lack this feature and it’s truly a shame, because it’s difficult otherwise to know if my floors are actually clean.

No matter the mode, I felt like the vacuum picked up dirt, dust, and debris on all my different floor types wonderfully. The only drawback I observed was that the vacuum head wasn’t able to fit into tight spaces. Not to mention, I was unable to reach under my couch or bed because the dustbin got in the way. (There is a workaround this; keep reading.)

(Image credit: Future)

During my testing period, I had the opportunity to take the Shark PowerDetect Upright Vacuum to my parents’ home and test it on the carpet in their bedrooms. I was stunned by how much dust and dirt it picked up from the carpet. When using the Detect mode on their carpets, I found myself vacuuming over one strip of floor about six times before the light turned from purple to white indicating it was clean. (According to my dad, they hadn’t deep cleaned their carpets in a while…) Anyone who has carpet in their home would do well to have this vacuum on hand.

(Image credit: Future)

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of this upright vacuum is the ability to break it down and use the detail tools provided. The main pod (which holds the dust bin) can be removed from the wand, and the wand can be removed from the vacuum head. This allowed me to attach the duster crevice tool to the end of the wand and clean the corners or my ceiling.

Granted, I had to hold the pod in one hand and the wand in the other, but there aren’t too many upright vacuums that offer this feature, and it’s very useful. I was also able to use the wand and the vacuum head to clean under my couch and bed without the pod getting in the way.

The only drawback to breaking down the vacuum is that it’s not easy to move the unit around the house in that mode. I’d have to pick up the pod in one hand and hold the wand in the other and walk to a new spot. Sometimes, I’d have to go back and grab accessories or the vacuum head or make sure not to get the hose tangled in the cord.

(Image credit: Future)

I don’t have pets so I used the Pet Multi Tool and HairPro Self-Cleaning Pet Power Brush to remove my own hair from my couch. Compared to other vacuums that offer similar accessories, I thought they performed slightly better – although that might be more to do with the fact that the Shark PowerDetect Upright Vacuum has a more powerful suction. Nevertheless, it’s worth putting this model in the mix if you’re looking for the best vacuum for pet hair.

Maintenance isn’t too much of a hassle. When I was done cleaning, I removed the dust bin and placed it over a trash can before opening the latch, allowing the dust and debris to fall in. Because the dust cup is much larger than you’d find on most cordless vacuums, you shouldn’t have to do this too regularly. The only other required maintenance is cleaning the pre-motor filters every month, the HEPA filter every year, and hand washing the soft roller as needed. Sensors must also be occasionally cleaned, and blockages must be checked for in the hose, wand, and nozzle. The squeegee bristle strip has to be cleaned or replaced occasionally too.

Suction tests

I went on to run a few standardized tests so I can get an even better look into the suction power of the vacuum and how it compares to other models. To do that, I placed loose leaf tea and oats on one of my rugs and on the laminate floor in my kitchen. From there, I used both the Detect mode and the manual modes of Hard Floor and Thick Carpet/Area Rug to see how well the vacuum sucked up the debris.

One update on this Shark range is ‘Direction direction’ tech, where the vacuum is designed to vacuum just as well when pushed forwards as when it’s pulled backwards (some previous Shark vacuums tend to pool debris behind the floorhead when reversing). I also kept an eye on this aspect in my tests.

(Image credit: Future)

When it came to the loose-leaf tea, the vacuum performed perfectly on my laminate floor and area rug. No matter if I vacuumed forward or in reverse, or what mode I used, it sucked up every single piece of the fine material in a single pass.

(Image credit: Future)

Now for the oats test… When it came to vacuuming oats on my laminate floor, the vacuum did a pretty good job. It looked like the vacuum had picked up all the oats in a single pass. However, I later found that the vacuum missed five clusters. Compared to other models I’ve tested, this is still impressive. Most vacuums push the oats forward or I find that the oats get trapped behind the wheels. The Shark PowerDetect Upright Vacuum didn’t do that. Sure, it missed a couple of oats, but they were quite large clusters and only needed one more pass to remove them from my floors.

(Image credit: Future)

For the carpet/rug test, the results were slightly different. No matter the mode, the vacuum suctioned oats perfectly when vacuuming in reverse. Oddly, it missed a few of the larger clusters of oats when vacuuming forward. It took me two to three swipes of the vacuum to remove all the oats from the rug. Again, this is not as big of a drawback as it seems. Most vacuums struggle with picking up x-large clusters of oats, no matter the floor type.

(Image credit: Future)

With its Edge detect feature, the Shark PowerDetect Upright Vacuum senses when it’s near the edge of a room, where dust can collect, and boosts suction on the relevant side of the floorhead to clear it. To test this feature, I sprinkled loose leaf tea along a wall. The vacuum head picked up every bit of the fine material in a single pass. I give the edge cleaning a perfect rating.

  • Performance score: 4 out of 5

Should you buy the Shark PowerDetect Upright Vacuum?

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Attribute

Notes

Rating

Value

Sits in the upper-mid / premium price bracket, and while it’s not the cheapest upright option, the flexibility and features justify the cost.

4.5 / 5

Design

An upright corded vacuum with four cleaning modes and sensors that detect edges, vacuuming direction, surfaces, and dirt. Versatile design that can be broken down into different configurations.

4.5 / 5

Performance

In addition to superb edge and reverse cleaning, it excels in cleaning all floor types, especially carpet. It may miss extra-large debris on a single pass but still outperforms most battery-powered vacuums.

4 / 5

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

How I tested the Shark PowerDetect Upright Vacuum

I tested the Shark PowerDetect Upright Vacuum with TruePet Upgrade over the course of two weeks. Not only did I use the numerous cleaning modes on my hard floors and low pile carpets, but I also took the vacuum to my parents’ house and tested the vacuum on the high pile carpets in their bedrooms. As part of my review, I ran two vacuum tests with fine and thick materials on two different floor types to see how well the vacuum picked up the items on the lowest suction setting.

Read more about how we test vacuum cleaners

Shark POWERDETECT Upright Vacuum: Price Comparison



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Split image showing Ring Outdoor Camera Plus and footage recorded on the device
Product Reviews

Ring Outdoor Camera Plus review: tough and versatile, but its most advanced features cost extra

by admin



Why you can trust TechRadar


We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

Ring Outdoor Camera Plus: two-minute review

Keeping an eye on your property remotely has become an obsession for many of us. No matter where you are in the world you can see exactly who is in your house and who has come to the front door. You can even use your camera to monitor the miserable weather back home while you are abroad enjoying sunshine.

Now owned by retailing behemoth Amazon, Ring was originally set up by US entrepreneur Jamie Siminoff as ‘Doorbot’ in 2013, but has since gone on to become one of the biggest names in the home security industry. As the name suggests, the Outdoor Cameras (previously known as Stick-Up Cameras) are designed for outdoor use, though there is no reason why you couldn’t use it indoors too – it can be just as easily placed on a table or desk as on the wall outside.

(Image credit: Chris Price)

The Outdoor Camera Plus is certainly a versatile model with several mounting options, including a wall bracket (with wall plugs) as well as a rechargeable battery pack if a power cable isn’t feasible (this wasn’t provided). Plastic covers stop water getting into the USB-C power port and the model is ‘weather-resistant’, not waterproof, so shouldn’t be submerged in water!


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As with most home security cameras, set up is straightforward. Simply download the Ring app and scan the QR code with your phone’s camera to add the device to the app (several Ring devices can be viewed within the app, including cameras, video doorbells, chimes and alarms). You will then be taken through a set of voice-based instructions for syncing the camera to your home’s Wi-Fi, naming the device and updating its firmware. Usefully this new model features dual-band support so you can add it to either your 2.4GHz or 5GHz network as well as Amazon Alexa compatibility. For added security, two-factor authentication is also now provided.

When it comes to features, the Ring Outdoor Camera Plus doesn’t disappoint. You can set motion detection zones to avoid the camera capturing footage from, say, the swaying of tree branches. And it’s also possible to set up privacy zones that allow you to block out certain areas of the frame, even in ‘live view’. Instead, all you see on the screen is a black rectangle. It’s an unusual feature but one which is quite useful if you have neighbours concerned your camera can view/capture recordings from their property.

(Image credit: Chris Price)

Another unusual feature in the menu is Smart Responses. This enables you to send out a warning message to people to tell them they are being recorded. However, it isn’t live on this device – at least yet. Other more conventional features include motion sensitivity for adjusting the amount of footage you capture (useful if you want to preserve battery life) and motion schedules for setting the times of day you want to record movement.

But that’s not all. For those who subscribe to Ring’s monthly subscription plans, other functions are available too. These include ‘smart alerts’ which filter different types of motion into categories – ie parcel, person and vehicles. Providing you pay for the £15.99 per month Ring Premium service, there’s also an AI-driven smart video search tool that can identify certain objects in your device’s recorded motion events.

(Image credit: Chris Price)

For example, just enter ‘dog’ into the search bar you can see all the times your dog has been captured by the camera while ‘red top’ will bring up footage of anyone wearing a red top in the recorded events. Particularly useful is that you can log into your Ring account on the web so you can view footage of all your cameras while working on your laptop, something which isn’t possible with more basic models.

Ring Outdoor Camera Plus: price and availability

  • Prices start at $69 / £69 / AU$179
  • Additional solar panel costs extra
  • Launched March 2025

Ring security cameras certainly aren’t expensive to buy compared to some of the best home security cameras. At the time of writing, you can pick up the Ring Outdoor Cam Plus for £69 / $69 / $179 (considerably cheaper than the launch price). However, just like printer companies make their money from selling expensive printer cartridges, home security companies make theirs from selling costly subscriptions.

Ring’s Home Basic plan is $4.99 / £4.99 / AU$4.95 per month, but if you want all the bells and whistles, such as the Smart Video Search outlined earlier, it will set you back a hefty $19.99 / £15.99 per month (and this top-tier subscription isn’t available in Australia).

In my opinion that’s simply far too much money, unless you are using the Ring for professional purposes such as monitoring, say, high street shops (in which case there are more advanced video surveillance systems available). Far better if you need to keep the recordings is to choose a security camera which provides the option of recording footage locally on a USB stick or MicroSD card.

Ring Outdoor Camera Plus: subscription options

Ring Home Basic:

$4.99 / £4.99 / AU$4.95 per month

$49.99 / £49.99 / AU$49.95 per year

Subscription for a single device. Includes up to 180 days of video event history, person and package alerts, video preview alerts, and 10% off Ring.com purchases.

Ring Home Standard:

$9.99 / £7.99 / AU$14.95 per month

$99.99 / £79.99 / AU$149.95 per year

Includes everything in Basic, plus all devices at one location, doorbell calls, extended live view, alarm cellular backup, and daily event summary.

Ring Premium:

$19.99 / £15.99 per month

$199.99 / £159.99 per year

Not currently available in Australia. Includes everything in Standard, plus 24/7 recording, continuous live view, and smart video search.

Ring Outdoor Camera Plus: design

  • Upgraded from Ring Stick Up Camera
  • Versatile mounting
  • Flexible power options

With the Outdoor Camera Plus, Ring has made a few improvements over its predecessor, the third generation Ring Stick Up Camera (now called the Outdoor Camera). Most notable is its improved design, particularly the versatile mounting options. The Ring Outdoor Cam Plus can be mounted on a desktop/table, on a wall or roof eave using the screws and wall plugs provided. It can be mounted on the ceiling with an additional accessory (not provided as standard) and easily angled for optimum use.

(Image credit: Chris Price)

Power is provided via the USB-C connector in the middle of the camera (a power cable wasn’t provided with our sample). Alternatively, you can take the Lithium-Ion battery out by swivelling the base to the unlock icon and removing it (ensuring you remove the card covering the charging points). You can then charge it via the orange Micro-USB cable provided until it’s ready for installation. Spare batteries are also available to buy online at Amazon of course.

(Image credit: Chris Price)

Available in black or white, the Outdoor Cam Plus features a lens on the front which provides a 160-degree diagonal, 140-degree horizontal, and 80-degree vertical field of view. Underneath is a speaker while above there’s a small microphone for two-way conversations with visitors. When movement is recorded a solid blue light is displayed at the top of the unit while during set up this flashes blue.

Ring Outdoor Camera Plus: performance

  • 2K image quality
  • Stable video connection
  • Overly sensitive camera

Ring claims the Outdoor Camera Plus offers ‘brilliant 2K video quality’ but in all honesty there’s not a massive leap in quality between this model and its predecessor, the Ring Stick Up Camera. Whereas the previous model offered 1,920 x 1,080 resolution, this one boasts 2,560 x 1,440 (2K). In other words, an increase of 360 horizontal pixels and 640 vertical pixels – enough to see the difference when you zoom in to an image, but probably not otherwise.

(Image credit: Chris Price)

That said, I didn’t have any complaints about picture quality at all. Images are sharp even at night thanks to the ‘low-light sight’ feature (although colour is limited in low light) and the field of vision is also quite wide: 140-degree horizontal compared to 115 degrees on the Ring Stick Up Camera.

Another benefit is having dual-band Wi-Fi support (2.4GHz and 5GHz) which ensured images recorded on the camera and viewed in Live View were extremely stable even though the camera was mostly located in the back garden, a significant distance from my broadband router.

(Image credit: Chris Price)

One thing worth noting is that the Ring Outdoor Camera Plus isn’t as sensitive as some models which record every bit of motion detected, even moving branches. Instead, you will probably need to turn the motion sensitivity option up a little bit just to capture all the footage you want. This will in turn use up more battery power so it’s worth considering either using the mains or a solar panel as a power supplement.

After nearly two weeks our sample model was already down to 50% so you will probably have to take the battery pack out for charging once a month – not the worst we’ve ever tested, but not the best either.

Should you buy the Ring Outdoor Camera Plus?

Swipe to scroll horizontallyRing Outdoor Camera Plus score card

Attribute

Notes

Score

Value

While the actual camera itself is relatively cheap, the subscription which gives you most of the added functionality is very expensive.

3/5

Design

Available in black or white, the Ring Outdoor Cam Plus looks OK and is both compact and reasonably well designed. Suitable for a number of locations (indoors or outdoors) it can be powered by mains, battery or even solar power.

4/5

Performance

Offering 2K video quality, the Ring Outdoor Camera Plus provides stable, good quality, images in record mode and live view. However, battery life isn’t the best and the motion sensor isn’t particularly sensitive.

4/5

Overall

A decent home security camera, but the Ring Outdoor Camera Plus loses points for its expensive subscription packages and so-so battery life. Performance isn’t that much better than its predecessor, the Ring Stick Up Cam

3.5/5

Buy it if

Don’t buy it if

How I tested the Ring Outdoor Camera Plus

  • I used the camera both indoors and outdoors
  • I installed it myself
  • The camera was integrated into my home system with other Ring cameras

Like most manufacturers, Ring makes adding new cameras to its app very simple indeed. Because I already had several Ring security cameras and doorbells connected to my existing app, I simply added another using the QR code at the back of the device. However, starting from scratch would have been just as straightforward.

I started off using the device mostly indoors to get the feel of it and then moved it to my garden where I mounted it on top of the shed focused on the back door. There it has remained ever since (about 12 days at the time of writing), capturing people and pets who go out into the garden. Ring provides a 30-day trial for all the advanced features, such as smart video search and person/package/video alerts, but after this runs out you will need to subscribe online at Ring.com (you can’t do this via the app).

First reviewed May 2025



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