Amazon's Ring has announced the Ring Drone Cam, a $249.99 indoor security camera that flies from room to room, and the Ring Rover Cam, a $999.99 patrol robot for businesses. The Rover can be preordered now and ships in the US on December 16, 2026. The drone is due to ship in the US on January 27, 2027, but it still needs approval from the Federal Communications Commission, so for now Ring is only taking email sign-ups. Both need a Ring Protect plan for scheduled patrols and saved video, and neither has a UK, Canadian or Australian release date.[1][2][5]
 | |
| Maker | Ring (owned by Amazon since 2018), new Ring Robotics line |
|---|---|
| Announced | November 10, 2026 |
| Drone Cam price | $249.99 (US) |
| Drone Cam ships | January 27, 2027 (US), pending FCC authorization |
| Rover Cam price | $999.99 (US) |
| Rover Cam ships | December 16, 2026 (US), preorders open |
| Navigation | AI Pilot (cloud-based) |
| Subscription | Compatible Ring Protect plan required |
| UK, Canada, Australia | Not announced |
| Earlier version | Always Home Cam (shown 2020, never on general sale) |
What Ring announced
Ring calls the two products the start of Ring Robotics, which it describes as "a new category of autonomous, mobile security".[5][10] Amazon's own announcement gives the US dates and prices: the Drone Cam "will begin shipping to customers in the U.S. on January 27, 2027, for $249.99" and the Rover Cam on December 16, 2026, for $999.99.[1] The same figures appear in The Verge, GeekWire and Android Headlines.[2][5][9] Some outlets rounded the prices to $250 and $1,000.[3][4] Quartz noted that one early report listed the drone at $270, which does not match Ring's own page.[10]
The fine print on Amazon's page says the drone "has not been authorized as required by the rules of the Federal Communications Commission" and cannot be sold or leased until it is. That is why the Rover has an order button and the drone only has an email sign-up.[1][5] Ring founder Jamie Siminoff told The Verge the drone complies with FCC rules and is assembled in the US, and that the company is going through the normal certification process.[2]
How the Ring Drone Cam works
The drone weighs 165 grams and has a 2K camera with a 148-degree field of view on the front, a 1080p camera underneath and LED lights for dark rooms.[2][4] It sits on a dock with its camera off and covered. It takes off on a schedule, when you send it from the Ring app, or automatically when another Ring device is triggered, such as an alarm, a door or window sensor, a motion alert or a water leak sensor.[2][3][4] CNBC says it can fly upstairs, and Engadget says its moving lights are meant to look like a guard with a torch to anyone outside.[3][4]
The new part is software Ring calls AI Pilot. You carry the drone through the house once, it builds a floor plan, suggests patrol points and then plans its own path around furniture. The same system runs the Rover.[5][7] It also works with Alexa Home Map, the 3D home map Amazon showed in October, so you can tap a spot on the map and send the drone there.[4][6] The catch is that almost all of the drone's thinking happens in Ring's cloud. If Wi-Fi drops, it can only land.[2][7]
Battery life is short and the numbers differ. CNBC says up to eight minutes a flight, The Verge says five to eight minutes and Engadget says eight to ten minutes depending on the route. Both The Verge and Engadget say each minute of flying needs about eight minutes on the charger, so a five-minute flight means about 40 minutes of charging.[2][3][4] In practice this is a camera for quick checks ("is the back door shut?") rather than an all-night patrol.
The Ring Rover Cam for businesses
The Rover is a wheeled robot for shops, offices and warehouses. It streams and records in up to 4K while it moves, has a camera on a periscope mast that rises to look over shelves and counters, a siren, two-way audio and a "light tower" that shines a ring of light on the ceiling so staff can see where it is.[3][4][7] It patrols on a schedule, goes to a spot you tap, or reacts to alerts from other Ring devices. Unlike the drone, it keeps watching for people while it is docked, and a Sleep Mode lowers the mast and turns off the microphone.[4][9]
If it looks familiar, that is because it is built on Amazon's Astro robot. Amazon sold Astro for Business at $2,350 from November 2023, then discontinued it in 2024 and switched the robots off.[4][5] Ring says Astro owners told it roving security was the feature they liked most, so the Rover keeps that one job. At $999.99 it costs less than half the old business Astro.[3][5]
Do you need a Ring Protect subscription?
Yes, for most of what makes the robots useful. Amazon's page says "a compatible Ring Protect plan is required", and GeekWire and The Verge say scheduled flights and patrols and video storage depend on one.[1][2][5] Ring has not said which plans count. GeekWire asked and did not get an answer.[5]
For a sense of the running cost, Ring's US plan page on November 10 listed Ring Solo at $4.99 a month (one device), Ring Multi at $9.99 (all devices at one address), Ring Pro at $19.99 and Virtual Security Guard at $99.[11] These are Ring's own list prices and we found no second source for this exact set, so check the page before you buy. Over a year, a drone plus a Multi plan comes to about $370 before tax ($249.99 + $119.88), by our maths.
Privacy: what Ring promises
Ring says privacy is the "default" for both devices.[3] The drone records only while it flies, its camera is shuttered on the dock, an LED shows when it is recording, and the propellers are loud on purpose so it cannot creep up on anyone.[2][6][7] Video from both devices uses TAKE (Throw Away the Key Encryption). The Verge says it rotates keys every five minutes and Ring deletes its copies after 24 hours. Mashable points out that Ring briefly holds a key so it can run cloud AI features, which makes it weaker than true end-to-end encryption.[2][8] It is not clear whether there will be any option to store video locally.[6]
Ring's privacy record
The launch comes with history. In May 2023 Ring agreed to pay $5.8 million to settle a Federal Trade Commission case. The FTC said Ring had given every employee and hundreds of contractors full access to customer videos, and that staff had used it to spy on customers.[14][19] In April 2024 the FTC sent $5.6 million in refunds to 117,044 Ring customers. Amazon said it disagreed with the allegations and denied breaking the law.[15]
In February 2026 Ring dropped a planned deal with Flock Safety, a maker of AI cameras used by police, after a backlash that followed its Super Bowl ad for an AI pet-finding tool called Search Party.[3][16][17] A flying, cloud-run camera that maps the inside of a home is likely to restart that debate when it ships, as The Verge and TechCrunch both note.[2][6]
Why it took six years
Ring first showed a flying indoor camera, the Always Home Cam, on September 24, 2020, at the same $249.99 price.[12][5] It opened an invite-only sign-up in September 2021 but never put it on general sale.[13][5] Siminoff says the company has worked on a drone since 2016, before Amazon bought Ring, and came close to shipping two versions.[2][4]
He described the problem as a loop: more sensors needed more computing power, which needed a bigger battery, which added weight, which meant faster rotors, more danger, bigger guards and worse flying.[8][10] Done on the device, he said, the price would have gone past $5,000. About a year ago Ring started again with a simpler, lighter drone and moved the "brains" to the cloud.[2][4] The new model is about a quarter of the size of the version shown at CES in 2023.[2]
Can you buy it in the UK, Canada or Australia?
Not yet. Amazon's announcement and The Verge both give US shipping only, and The Verge says the drone "launches in the US only".[1][2] Ring has not said anything about other countries, prices in pounds or Australian dollars, or whether local drone and radio rules would need separate approval. If you are outside the US, the realistic wait is well into 2027 at the earliest. We will add dates if Ring announces them.
Ring also has new competition at home: Mashable notes that Apple has recently launched its own video doorbells and security cameras. Paid add-ons are a theme across big tech this month too, as with Apple's new Apple Intelligence usage packs.[8] For more on how connected devices get attacked, see our explainer on the latest Chrome zero-day, and for another Amazon rival story, Starlink Mobile's plan to take on US carriers.
| Ring Drone Cam | Fixed indoor Ring camera | |
|---|---|---|
| Coverage | Any room it can fly to, including upstairs | One room or view |
| Recording | Only during flights | Motion events or live view, any time |
| Run time | Minutes per flight, long recharge | Continuous on mains power |
| Internet | Needs Wi-Fi to do almost anything | Needs Wi-Fi for alerts and cloud video |
| Noise | Loud by design | Silent |
| Price | $249.99 | Varies by model (check Ring's current prices) |
The table is our own summary of the reported drone specs against how fixed cameras normally work. Ring's pitch is that one drone can stand in for several fixed cameras in rooms where people do not want a camera on the wall.[3][5] Reviewers have not yet tested whether it really can.[2]
Frequently asked questions
How much is the Ring Drone Cam?
$249.99 in the US, plus a compatible Ring Protect plan.[1][2]
When does the Ring Drone Cam come out?
Ring says it will ship in the US on January 27, 2027, but it cannot be sold until the FCC authorizes it. For now there is only an email sign-up.[1][5]
Can I preorder the Ring Rover Cam?
Yes. It is $999.99 and preorders are open on Amazon in the US, with shipping from December 16, 2026.[1][9]
Can the Ring drone fly outside?
No. It is indoor only and Ring says it has guardrails to stop it flying outside.[2][3]
How long does the battery last?
Reports range from five to ten minutes a flight, with about eight minutes of charging for every minute in the air.[2][3][4]
Is the Ring Drone Cam available in the UK?
No UK, Canadian or Australian release has been announced.[1][2]
References
- "Ring announces Ring Robotics, ushering in a new era of security". About Amazon. November 10, 2026.
- "Hands-on with Ring's new AI drone camera for your home". The Verge. November 10, 2026.
- "Amazon's Ring unveils flying drone and robot to patrol homes and businesses". CNBC. November 10, 2026.
- "Amazon finally launches the $250 Ring Drone Cam and also the Ring Rover Cam". Engadget. November 10, 2026.
- "Amazon's Ring tries again with a $250 flying home security drone and a $1,000 patrol robot". GeekWire. November 10, 2026.
- "Ring, known for its doorbell cameras, launches a home security drone and an enterprise security robot". TechCrunch. November 10, 2026.
- "Ring's Indoor Drone Camera Is Back, and Now Powered by AI". WIRED. November 10, 2026.
- "Ring to release indoor home security drone (for real this time)". Mashable. November 10, 2026.
- "Ring's Flying Indoor Security Drone Is Finally Coming for $249.99". Android Headlines. November 10, 2026.
- "Ring is unveiling an AI-powered home security drone after six years of delays". Quartz. November 10, 2026.
- "Ring Protect Plans". Ring. accessed November 10, 2026.
- "Amazon's newest Ring device is a flying security camera drone". CNBC. September 24, 2020.
- "Amazon is now accepting your applications for its home surveillance drone". The Verge. September 28, 2021.
- "Amazon's Ring to pay $5.8M after staff and contractors caught snooping on customer videos, FTC says". TechCrunch. May 31, 2023.
- "Amazon Ring customers getting $5.6 million in refunds, FTC says". CBS News. April 2024.
- "Amazon's Ring cancels partnership with Flock, a network of AI cameras used by ICE, feds, and police". TechCrunch. February 13, 2026.
- "Amazon's Ring ends deal with surveillance firm Flock after backlash". BBC News. February 13, 2026.
- "Ring's new drone patrols your home to keep an eye on things, even upstairs". ZDNET. November 10, 2026.
- "Ring's privacy failures led to spying and harassment through home security cameras". Federal Trade Commission (Consumer Advice). May 31, 2023.