Imagine this scenario: One day while you're at work, you get the notification that your package has been delivered. You spent months saving up for it, and you can't wait to get home and open it up. Unfortunately, as you pull in the drive that evening, your heart drops — there's nothing on your doorstep. This is just one of many cases where a video doorbell could really come in handy, and wouldn't you know it, our premium pick for the best smart doorbell camera just got itself a rare discount. For a limited time, you can pick up the Ring Video Doorbell 4 for just $170.

Why you should buy the Ring Video Doorbell 4

Video doorbells in general are a smart investment, not only helping combat package theft, but also keeping a watchful eye on the most likely point of entry to your home — the front door. They can send alerts right to your phone when someone presses your doorbell (or just passively triggers its built-in motion sensors) and they allow you to speak with guests without opening the door. Of course, each doorbell has its own set of features, and there are a few things that set the Ring Video Doorbell 4 apart from the others.

For starters, the Ring 4 can either be attached to your existing doorbell wires for constant power, or loaded with batteries to run completely wireless — most of the competition forces you to choose between one way or the other. It also has excellent image quality, even at night, customizable faceplates to match your home's decor, and Alexa support for compatibility with a wide range of smart home devices. This means that if you have an Echo Display, you can say things like, "Alexa, show me the front door," and it will show you live video from the Ring Doorbell.

As with Google's Nest Doorbell, and other competitors, a lot of the Ring's more premium features are hidden behind a subscription plan. There are three options, with prices that go up to $20/month, but rich notifications, saved video history, and most of the other stuff you want is all there in the base $4 option. It also doesn't play very well with Google Assistant, so those of you already heavily invested in the Nest ecosystem might want to consider that alternative. But for everyone else, if you're at all in the market for a video doorbell, the Ring 4 should absolutely be on your radar at this price.