Aqara Smart Doorbell Camera G410 review: a top-quality video doorbell option

The list of contenders for the best video doorbell continues to grow and grow, and the latest contender to catch our attention is the Aqara Smart Doorbell Camera G410. While it's not from one of the biggest names in smart home tech, it still has plenty going for it.

For a start, it can double as a smart home hub – it works with Zigbee, Thread, Matter, and just about every smart home standard going (and that includes Apple HomeKit). It's a doorbell that you can slot into just about any current smart home setup you've got.

I've been testing out the Aqara Smart Doorbell Camera G410 and explaining everything you need to know about it in this review: what the key features are, whether or not it gives you value for money, the pros and cons of the device, and whether it's right for you.

Aqara Smart Doorbell Camera G410 review: price and availability

The Aqara Smart Doorbell Camera G410 is available to buy now, and the widgets on this page will guide you towards the best price for the video doorbell currently available on the web – which may or may not match the official retail price of £130 / $130. If you're in the UK, then it can be bought from retailers such as Amazon as well as from Aqara directly.

Aqara Smart Doorbell Camera G410 review: design and setup

The Aqara Smart Doorbell Camera G410 comes in a compact little box, and credit where it's due, it includes everything you need to get started – batteries, a mounting plate, and even a little screwdriver. Aqara says batteries are good for about five months or so (depending on how much you use it), and you do have the alternative of hooking it up to a wired doorbell system if you want.

You get a chime included in the package, which handles all the hub connectivity functionality, and is powered via USB (you get a cable in the box, but no plug). Getting the chime and the doorbell up and running doesn't take long, though I must confess I had to check YouTube to work out how to open the back of the doorbell (you loosen the safety screw, and slide the back panel down) – though you might not be quite so dense.

The doorbell and chime will actually pair instantly and work right away, though note that Aqara recommends you keep them within 10 metres (about 33 feet) so they can communicate without issues. However, you do of course need to get the Aqara app for Android or iOS installed to see your video feed and configure the camera options.

When it comes to design, there's nothing really to write home about here: it's fine, but the Aqara G410 looks and feels a bit on the cheap side. Of course, that's not really so much of a problem for a video doorbell, especially if it means you have to pay less for it. The mobile apps are much easier on the eye, and do a good job of taking you through all the various options and settings.

Aqara Smart Doorbell Camera G410 review: video and features

There are quite a few specs to talk about here, led by the 2K video quality that goes up to 2,048 x 1,536 pixels – though it's worth bearing in mind that if you connect through Apple Home, which is one of the reasons you might be buying this camera, the resolution is capped at 1,600 x 1,200 pixels. On top of that, you've got a 4:3 aspect ratio and a 175-degree field of view, which means a lot fits in the frame.

I used the doorbell through the Aqara app, and the video footage was plenty good enough for seeing what was happening outside, and a decent distance away from your door as well (so you're able to see cars coming up the drive). Night vision works well too, but it's only in monochrome, not colour. Video connectivity was pretty much instant, as was the ringing chime that indicates someone's at the door.

I like the various colours used on the doorbell, to show if motion has been detected or the bell has been rung, which saves callers from wondering if the doorbell is connected (it happens...). There's also a chime on the doorbell itself, which rings at the same time as the separate chime device. You get IPX3 weatherproofing here too, so the Aqara G410 should be fine in terms of surviving rain and snow – just don't drop it in a bucket of water.

That's all the basics covered, but the doorbell goes above and beyond with motion detection and face detection too, just like a normal camera. Based on my testing, it works well, and you can adjust the sensitivity in the app if needed – you can also get 'lingerer' alerts, for people who aren't passing by but hang around for 30 seconds or so, which is a handy security feature to have.

For face detection, you can add these manually, or edit the faces the camera has picked up. Once the doorbell knows the difference between people (like your neighbours and your kids), you can customize notifications, chimes, and even smart home routines for individual people. I was only able to test it on a couple of faces, but it worked well, and all the AI identification processing is done on-device.

I'm pleased to say the Aqara G410 gives you a decent number of options when it comes to storing video clips permanently. You can slot a microSD card into the chime hub, you can connect it up to a NAS storage device, you can connect it to the Apple HomeKit Secure Video system (as long as you have an iCloud+ subscription), or you can pay for a Home Guardian subscription from Aqara (starting at £3.99/$4.99 a month for a single camera).

This can all be handled through the mobile app, which impressed me in terms of how straightforward everything was to find, how many options were available, and how responsive the various menus were (as well as the camera feed itself). Companion apps can often be a letdown with smart home kit like this, but that's not the case here.

It's also worth mentioning there's support for dual-band Wi-Fi, both 2.4GHz and 5GHz, so you should be able to get a strong connection going – some cameras stick to 2.4GHz, which offers more range but less speed. If you've got a lot of different devices connected to your home Wi-Fi network, that's worth bearing in mind.

Aqara Smart Doorbell Camera G410 review: verdict

The Aqara Smart Doorbell Camera G410 does everything you want a video doorbell to do. It was easy to set up, it worked pretty much right away, and all of the basic functionality worked as advertised: I got notifications when someone was at my door, and I could tap into the live feed through the app any time I wanted, and the coverage of the area outside my front door was great.

On top of that, there are the automatic detection features that let you spot movement, faces, and people lingering around. It's perhaps not the most sophisticated AI detection system you'll find out there, but it works well, and you can customise these features by adjusting the sensitivity and the hours during which they need to be operational.

Even better, it's a video doorbell that comes with enough video storage options to suit everyone. You can pay for a cloud subscription if you like the convenience, or you can get something set up locally. Add in the smart hub functionality, which can be useful for any smart devices you have near your front door, and there's a lot to like here.

Do bear in mind though the limitations if you're planning to use this as part of an Apple Home setup, rather than directly through the Aqara app. There aren't that many HomeKit-compatible doorbells around, but if you use this one you'll get a lower video resolution, and you won't get as much flexibility in terms of the motion and face detection.

Aqara Smart Doorbell Camera G410 review: alternatives to consider

Maybe the Aqara Smart Doorbell Camera G410 isn't the video doorbell for you – and that's fine, because there are plenty of other options out there. The Tapo D235 brings with it just about everything you could want in a doorbell like this, is slightly cheaper than the Aqara G410 (though it's only available in the UK), and supports local video storage (so you don't need a subscription).

Then there's the EZVIZ EP3x Pro, which we awarded a full 5 stars out of 5 to in our recent review. It costs a little bit more than the video doorbell I've reviewed here, but it boasts local storage capabilities (no cloud storage subscription needed), a built-in solar panel for help with recharging, straightforward setup, and video quality that really impresses.