Ring has refreshed its entry-level outdoor camera. The Ring Outdoor Cam (2nd Gen) keeps the familiar £99.99 price point but adds a sharper Retinal 2K sensor, 6x Enhanced Zoom and improved low-light performance. UK buyers can pre-order now, with shipping starting 12 August 2026. Here is what has changed, what has not, and whether it is worth ordering ahead of anyone else on your street.
Ring Outdoor Cam (2nd Gen): the basics
The Outdoor Cam sits below the Spotlight Cam and Floodlight Cam in Ring's UK line-up — it is a compact, weatherproof camera without an integrated light or siren, aimed at buyers who want solid video coverage of a driveway, side passage or garden without paying for extra hardware they will not use.
Key specifications: Retinal 2K resolution with up to 6x Enhanced Zoom, a 140-degree horizontal and 85-degree vertical field of view, colour night vision that uses ambient light before switching to black-and-white infrared, two-way talk, and motion alerts through the Ring app. It is priced at £99.99 and is available to pre-order in the UK now, with delivery from 12 August 2026.
What has changed from the original Outdoor Cam?
The headline upgrade is resolution and zoom. Ring describes the new sensor as delivering "Retinal 2K" video with 6x Enhanced Zoom for digitally cropping into recorded footage — useful for reading a number plate or checking a delivery driver's face after the fact, rather than relying on the wide-angle view alone. Ring has also upgraded the imaging sensor to hold onto full-colour footage for longer using ambient light, before falling back to standard black-and-white night vision, which should mean fewer washed-out night clips than the previous generation.
The 140°/85° field of view is wide enough to cover a typical UK driveway or garden corner from a single fixed mounting point, and matches what we have seen from other cameras in Ring's current range.
Wired or battery: which version to buy
As with the outgoing model, the 2nd Gen Outdoor Cam is available in wired and battery-powered versions at the same £99.99 price. The wired version needs a nearby mains or low-voltage supply and gives uninterrupted, always-on recording. The battery version is easier to fit anywhere — no cabling required — but you will need to periodically remove the battery pack to recharge it indoors, and 24/7 continuous recording is not available while running on battery power. If you already have a suitable power source at the mounting point, the wired version removes that ongoing chore entirely.
Subscription and video storage
Live view, two-way talk and instant motion alerts work without a subscription. To save and review recorded clips, you need a Ring Protect plan — Basic covers a single device, while Plus covers every Ring device at one address and adds a hardware discount. If you are already weighing up the wider Ring range, our Ring subscription cost guide breaks down current UK pricing for both tiers.
How it compares to the Ring Spotlight Cam and Floodlight Cam
The Outdoor Cam is the more affordable option in Ring's outdoor camera range. The Ring Spotlight Cam adds an integrated LED spotlight and siren for a similar footprint but at a higher price, while the Ring Floodlight Cam steps up further with 2,400-lumen floodlights and 3D radar-based motion detection, at a mains-wired-only premium price. If you just need reliable video coverage of an entry point without extra lighting hardware, the Outdoor Cam is the leaner and cheaper choice; if illuminating the area matters as much as recording it, the Spotlight or Floodlight Cam is worth the extra spend.
Smart home integration
As an Amazon-owned product, the Outdoor Cam integrates natively with Alexa — live view on an Echo Show, voice-triggered snapshots, and Alexa motion announcements. There is no native Google Home or Apple HomeKit support. Home Assistant users can bring the camera into HA via the Ring integration, though full clip history still requires an active Ring Protect subscription.
Installation and mounting
Both versions mount with a standard bracket that lets you angle the camera to cover a path, gate or driveway corner rather than pointing straight ahead. The battery version is the simpler option for a rented property or a wall without existing wiring, since it needs nothing more than two screws to fit. The wired version is worth the extra effort if you already have a cable run in place — it removes the battery-swapping routine entirely and keeps the camera recording continuously rather than only when motion or a scheduled clip triggers a wake-up.
Should you pre-order it?
At £99.99, the Ring Outdoor Cam (2nd Gen) is competitively priced for a 2K camera with genuine zoom and improved night-time colour capture, and the choice of wired or battery power covers most mounting situations. The catch is the same one that applies to every Ring camera: ongoing subscription costs if you want to keep and review footage. For UK buyers who already use Ring or Alexa and want an affordable, capable outdoor camera without floodlights or a siren attached, pre-ordering ahead of the 12 August launch is a reasonable bet. If you are starting from scratch and unsure which Ring camera fits your property, our Ring doorbell buying guide covers how the wider range fits together.
