A smart doorbell with a camera is no longer a novelty in today's modern age. The Chinese giant Xiaomi already has several of them on offer, and we tested the latest version with the label Xiaomi Smart Doorbell 3S.
In the review, we will first look at the parameters of the doorbell, familiarize ourselves with its assembly and pairing, and then imagine its functions and reliability.
Where to buy Xiaomi Smart Doorbell 3S?
In cooperation with our close partner Gshopper we arranged the availability of the latest smart doorbell Xiaomi Smart Doorbell 3S, which was introduced to the market only this year. It's about the original global version, which works under the European regions in the Xiaomi Home app.
In addition to availability, we also managed to provide exclusive coupon with a special price, which no one else can offer you. The advantage is completely free postage and worry-free duty-free delivery within 15 days.
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Xiaomi Smart Doorbell 3S Global Version
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Technical specifications
| Model | Xiaomi Smart Doorbell 3S (MJML07-FJ) |
|---|---|
| dimensions external units | 146x52x29mm |
| IP coverage | IP65 |
| Drums | 5200 mAh |
| Input | 5V/2A (USB-C port); 8-24 VAC; 10-40 VA; 50-60 Hz |
| WiFi | IEEE 802.11b/g/n/ax 2.4GHz |
| Video resolution | 2K |
| Infrared light | 940 nm |
| Two-way audio | Yes |
| Operative temperature | -20 to 50 ℃ |
| Indoor unit (ringer) | MJJSQ04-FJ |
| Dimensions of the indoor unit | 60x60x39.6mm |
| Input | 5V/1A USB-C |
| Wireless connectivity | RF 433 MHz |
| Operating temperature | 0-45 ° C |
Content and quality of packaging
Xiaomi Smart Doorbell 3S, like most smart home devices from Xiaomi, is packed in a compact white cardboard box. Inside we find the doorbell itself, a speaker for ringing, a cable for connecting to the adapter, a base for mounting, a mat for tilting the doorbell and accessories for mounting (dowels, screws and cables).
Xiaomi also packs the main components in silicone bags and the accessories in a small box. Overall, we rate the quality and contents of the package positively.
Design and quality of workmanship
The bell design is standard, exactly as you would expect from such a product. Xiaomi sticks to a proven type of construction. The whole system consists of a doorbell with a camera and a ringing module with a speaker, which is actually an interior unit.
The bell has dimensions of 146 × 52 × 29 mm, and on its front side, in addition to the camera lens, we also find a PIR sensor and a button with the bell symbol, which is backlit. In the lower part, there is a speaker and a small hole to slide it out of the base. On the back there is a charging USB-C port and a button for resetting the device.
The indoor unit basically serves only as a speaker for spreading the ringtone indoors. It has dimensions of only 60 x 60 x 39,6 mm. It is connected to the mains using a USB-C cable and contains only one single button. This is for pairing with an external unit.
Assembly of the doorbell
The assembly itself is very simple and intuitive. In order to be able to fasten the external unit to the front door or to the gate, we must first mount the base, which serves as a stand for the doorbell.
For this purpose, the manufacturer includes dowels and screws, but they are relatively short and weak. If we do not want to drill for any reason, we can also stick the base using a double-sided sticker, which is also included in the package.
In the package, you will also find an additional stand, thanks to which you can tilt the bell to one of the sides. It will be especially useful when mounting next to the door, on the side wall.
As for the indoor unit, it is enough to plug it into the electricity and place it within the range of the wireless signal.
Connecting and adding to Xiaomi Home
The first steps lead to connection and addition to the Xiaomi Home application via smartphone. If we want to use the bell on a battery, it is enough to simply insert it into the stand. If we have the electrical installation ready, we can also connect the doorbell to the electrical circuit, which relieves us of the burden of charging.
Pairing with the application is easy and the steps are basically the same as for other smart products from Xiaomi. In our case, however, the smartphone could not find the doorbell nearby, so we had to connect to its WiFi network.
After successful pairing, you will see the Xiaomi Smart Doorbell 3S among your smart home devices. You can name it whatever you want and place it in one of the rooms.
As for the indoor unit, in our case it was paired and worked automatically as soon as it was connected to the electrical network. If this were not the case, just pair it with the outdoor unit using the single button that the indoor unit contains.
Environment in the application
The environment of the Xiaomi Smart Doorbell 3S in the Xiaomi Home application is simple and clear. On the initial screen, individual activity records for the last 7 days are displayed in a list with small previews and a description of the event.
There is also a button for turning on live image viewing. Through this option, we can take a video recording, a photo, or talk to the person at the doorbell, or play a previously prepared audio recording.
How the doorbell works
If someone presses the button on the external unit, we immediately receive a notification on the smartphone from the Xioami Home application with the message "Someone rang the doorbell". There is almost no lag.
After opening the notification, the real-time mode is displayed, where we see a live video with the possibility of reacting to the ringing, which we mentioned above. Communication with the person at the doorbell is problem-free if we have a high-quality Internet connection. With a weak connection, you can already see the sound delay compared to the image. A voice changer is also available.
The application records a three-second recording during a standard ringing via the button of the external unit, which can be checked later in the history of the last days.
Security camera mode
The Xiaomi Smart Doorbell 3S also offers space monitoring in its field of vision. It will also serve as a security camera, as it sends motion alerts.
When motion is detected, it records a short, several-second video with the message "Someone is at the door" or "Someone passed by", which means that someone is at the doorbell or someone has passed by.
Videos are stored in the cloud and are available for free for the last 3 days. Monitoring has three levels of sensitivity and can work throughout the day, or only in a selected time interval. Unfortunately, the interval can only be one, uninterrupted.
If we don't want to monitor the entire field of view, we can select only a certain part. However, such zone adaptation is not at all accurate and the doorbell also records activities outside the selected zone.
The settings offer the option of delaying video recording in the range of 0 to 10 seconds. We can also set the interval between individual videos, which can be 0, 5, 15, 30, 60 or 180 seconds. Similarly, we can also set the maximum length of the video recording, but here we only have 3 options: 10, 20 or 30 seconds.
Video quality and night mode
The Xiaomi Smart Doorbell 3S records video in 2K resolution and its quality is quite good. It's not a high-end picture, despite the 2K resolution, but the quality is good for a bell. You can watch a short demo video below:
The colors are sufficiently saturated, contrasting, but the sharpness is not quite the best even at maximum resolution. As we have already mentioned, for the need of a video doorbell, this quality is completely sufficient, and therefore we are satisfied with the image quality.
The night video is a bit worse. With moving persons, the face is more difficult to recognize, and compared to the quality of the daily video, there is a significant deterioration.
Security
Many people are concerned about the doorbell being stolen, especially if it is placed in a place that is immediately accessible from the street. The manufacturer also thought about this threat and therefore implemented an alarm that is triggered when the external doorbell unit is forcibly torn off. It will also send a notification to your smartphone about this event.
In addition, while it is paired with our account in the Xiaomi Home app, no one will be able to pair it after it is stolen until we remove it from our account.
However, there is one big weakness. For the standard removal of the doorbell from the base, a needle is sufficient, the same as for opening the SIM slot in a smartphone. The manufacturer could have chosen a non-standard key that is not normally available.
settings
In addition to the mentioned settings related to space monitoring, the doorbell also offers several general settings. The basic setting offers a choice between standard and real-time mode.
In standard mode, we can watch live video only if someone presses the button on the doorbell. In real-time mode, we can switch to live video at any time. Furthermore, we can customize the volume and ringtone of the doorbell and the indoor unit. However, there are only three melodies to choose from for the outdoor unit and four for the indoor unit.
There is also an automatic response that you can use, for example, during your absence. Here you can also upload your own link and schedule the mode for the selected days and times.
Endurance per charge
We started using the bell at 86% capacity. We used it intensively on a daily basis, especially in the first days. Subsequently, we rang 5 times every day, and overall our capacity decreased by an average of 1% per day.
Xiaomi says the battery will last around 4 months, so charging three times a year would be enough. If the capacity decreased by 1% per day as in our testing, the doorbell would be exhausted in less than 3 months. However, in an ordinary household, no one rings the bell 5 times every day, so the duration indicated by the manufacturer seems to be quite realistic in this case.
What has changed since Xiaomi Smart Doorbell 3
Before the final evaluation, let's take a look at the changes that the new version brings compared to the older model Xiaomi Smart Doorbell 3. In the mentioned older version, there was no IP65 certification or the possibility of installation with connection directly to the electrical network.
In addition, the latest model also supports WiFi version 6 and adjustment of the monitored zone in the field of view of the camera. Night mode and power consumption monitoring have been improved.
Xiaomi Smart Doorbell 3S: Final evaluation
Xiaomi Smart Doorbell 3S is a smart video doorbell that offers 2K resolution. After pressing the button for ringing, the doorbell will immediately send a push notification to the smartphone, where we can comfortably see who is ringing and promptly answer.
Image quality is good, although a bit weaker than some security cameras. The quality of the sound transmission depends greatly on the strength of the wireless signal, as the doorbell connects to the WiFi network in the home.
Overall, it's a good product and we didn't experience any significant problems while testing it. On the other hand, it is not surprising in any way, we would rather say that it is a standard smart video doorbell.
