The aptly named Car Cam, is kind of like a video doorbell for your car. It’s essentially a dash cam with two cameras—one facing outside and one facing inside—that can monitor and record events while you’re on the go or while parked. Best of all, it aims to work with any vehicle as it plugs into the OBD-II port. So let’s unpack what you need to know, when it ships, and the total cost. Here at Parade.com, we’re all about sharing products we love with our audience. When you make a purchase on an item seen on this page, we may earn a commission, however, all picks are independently chosen unless otherwise mentioned.
How to Preorder the Ring Car Cam
Everything You Need To Know About the Ring Car
Ring describes the Car Cam as a “dash cam with dual-facing HD cameras” and that hits a lot of the major points. Unlike other dash cams that might sit at the part of the dash closest to the vehicle’s occupants or attach to the rearview mirror, the Car Cam will be set and actually clip into the very front of the dash. It’s an arm of sorts with the dual-cameras at the top, this allows you to adjust the view a bit. And if you’re in a climate where the temperatures can reach high, the Car Cam is designed to operate in high temperatures with no issues. This location seems pretty ideal for the two-camera setup here. Rather than using a cigarette adapter or a USB-A port that’s built into the car, Ring is opting to get power for the Car Cam via the OBD-II port. This is a port found in most vehicles and is commonly used as a vehicle diagnostic port. However, Ring does have a list of cars that are incompatible with the Car Cam. Both of the lenses provide an HD view and feature night vision, which will allow you to still see clearly in dimly lit conditions. We expect this to be similar to the performance of Ring’s Video Doorbells in low light. In terms of privacy, the interior camera features a shutter—much like an Echo Show—that you can close shut. This will block the views and disconnect the microphone. Additionally, an LED indicator will glow to let you know when the microphone is being used. With a camera facing the front and the inside, you can get a more complete view of events being recorded. While on the go, the Car Cam is rolling so if a fender bender occurs or an attempted break-in, the device notices it and triggers an event notification. That sends to the Ring app, available for iOS or Android, for easy viewing. This app will be familiar to anyone who has used a Ring product and it’s also where you complete setup and adjust settings. When the event is triggered, it records with both the outer and inner-facing camera, allowing you to see the full story. When parked, let’s say in a driveway overnight, the Car Cam could pick up an event like a break-in by a person or even an animal like a bear. You can also use the application to chat with someone or something in the vehicle through two-way talk functionality. The Car Cam features microphones and a speaker to make this happen. The gadget also features sensors, like an accelerometer, to accurately capture and identify events. When you’re parked or when you want to record something occurring, like a traffic stop or exchanging information with another driver, you can say “Alexa, record” to have the Car Cam begin recording. We’re eager to try out this mode and like that it gives you a bit more control over the experience. In terms of connectivity, the Car Cam is outfitted with Wi-Fi and LTE (cellular connectivity). With just Wi-Fi, you can connect the gadget to your home Wi-Fi or even a hotspot while on the go. This way it will be the most functional with alerts and uploading of clips right away. Without that though, the best route is through Ring’s new Protect Go subscription. Priced at $6 a month or $60 for the year, this turns on the LTE connection for the device. With this, your videos can stay in the cloud for 180 days and you can pull up a live view within the app from anywhere. Additionally, you’ll be able to locate your car from the app and get more detailed notifications. Given the amount of functionality from anywhere the Protect Go plan provides, we expect this will be close to necessary to get the most out of the Car Cam.
Let’s Recap the Ring Car Cam
If you’re already in the Ring ecosystem, maybe with a video doorbell or a floodlight cam, and have been considering a dash cam for your car, the Car Cam is likely a perfect fit. It can be managed within the same app as all your other Ring devices and offers many of the same features. If you’re brand new to Ring, the Car Cam might be the most appealing option thanks to the dual cameras that are recording when on the go, and for additional features like on-demand recording. Regardless, if you’re already sold, it makes sense to preorder. Through January 31, you can get the Ring Car Cam for $199.99 and it’s eligible for free Prime shipping. On February 1, the Car Cam will rise to the $249.99 MSRP. Remember, there is the cost of the Protect Go plan—that’s either $6 every month or $60 for a full year. Prices are accurate and items in stock at time of publishing.
