Aldi launches £16.99 battery doorbell with no cloud subscription

Aldi has begun selling a battery powered video doorbell in stores for £16.99, positioning the supermarket's latest gadget as a low cost, subscription free alternative to established smart doorbell brands. The device, which launched on 23 October, offers two way talk, night vision, motion detection and support for microSD cards for local video storage, Aldi said.

The key selling point is the lack of a required cloud subscription. The doorbell accepts up to 32GB microSD cards so users can store footage locally rather than paying monthly fees for cloud storage and advanced features. That contrasts with several competing systems that offer cloud recording and functionality through paid plans. The Aldi unit is battery powered, connects via Wi Fi and Bluetooth, and is claimed to be water and dust resistant, though Aldi has not published a formal IP rating for the model.

Price and capability mark a clear trade off. The new doorbell records at 480p resolution, well below the higher resolution offered by many mainstream devices. Competing battery models from larger smart security makers typically provide higher resolution video, more advanced motion detection options and integrations...