Amazon has dropped prices on its Ring security cameras for US Prime members as part of its early Prime Day deals. While Prime Day deals (July 16-17 this year) typically net buyers the largest discounts, the Ring video doorbell is currently 50% off MSRP, and other Ring devices have similar discounts for readers who can’t wait to secure their homes.

Thieves have been increasingly using hidden cameras to monitor the whereabouts of residents before conducting home robberies when homes are empty. The police have little to assist them during investigations if owners don’t have video evidence of thieves. Ideally, cameras should be placed over all doorways and patio doors. With thieves planting hidden cameras across the street and in backyards, outdoor cameras covering the entire front lawn and backyard should also be considered.

The Ring video doorbell comes in satin nickel or Venetian bronze finishes. A rechargeable battery allows the 1080p video camera to record crisp images day or night and provides owners with real-time notifications of detected visitors or thieves. The doorbell can be controlled from a smartphone, which will receive notifications for unusual activity, package deliveries, and other events anywhere in the world where the phone has a data connection. This enables owners to rapidly contact the police when theft and break-ins occur.

The doorbell is Alexa-enabled, allowing owners to control it by voice hands-free. Networked Echo, Fire Tablet, and FireTV devices at home can alert owners to visitors when they don’t have their smartphones on them, and owners can utilize Amazon Alexa devices that have speakers and microphones built-in to communicate with visitors at the front door.

Installation is an easy 3-step process of mounting the doorbell bracket next to the front door, setting up the Ring video doorbell device to connect to home Wi-Fi, and finally attaching the doorbell to the bracket. The Ring doorbell measures 4.98 x 2.44 x 1.10 in. (126.5 x 62 x 28 mm), utilizes 2.4 GHz 802.11n Wi-Fi connectivity, and has a 1080p camera with night vision covering a 155-degree horizontal and 90-degree vertical field of view.

Amazon US Prime readers can pick up a Ring Video doorbell for $49.99, a savings of 50% off the $99.99 MSRP. Additional bundles also receive similar discounts, such as the Ring Video doorbell plus Ring Spotlight Cam Plus at $139.99 or 48% off $269.98 MSRP.

Disclaimer: Notebookcheck is not responsible for price changes carried out by retailers. The discounted price or deal mentioned in this item was available at the time of writing and may be subject to time restrictions and/or limited unit availability.