If you were hoping to buy one of the new Nest doorbells and connect it for continuous recording, Google tells us that won’t be an option. While the new battery-powered Nest Doorbell can be plugged in all the time, so you don’t need to charge it, it still won’t support 24/7 continuous video recording, even though the new Battery-powered Nest Cam will.

The product list of the new Nest Doorbell (battery) clearly indicates this requirement:

Whether you choose a battery-powered or wired installation, the Nest Doorbell (battery) cannot continuously record video history 24/7. Google Nest offers other cameras and a wired-only doorbell that can record 24/7 video history with a Nest Aware Plus subscription. “

According to Google, the restriction is not arbitrary; it’s thermal. When wired and potentially exposed to direct sunlight or hot environments, the enclosure may not be large enough for the heat generated. This feature probably would have required a larger doorbell. Google has opted for a compromise by offering event-based detection instead. Customers who prefer 24/7 recording can either add it to another Nest Cam with this feature or use the older wired model.

Artem made me play the title joke even though the name Nest Hello is removed just because “HELLO” is written on the outside of the new model. This disclosure was my troll toll to allow this.

The Nest Hello, Google’s old doorbell camera, supported streaming video recording, but it had to be hardwired for continuous power. Google is also renaming the Nest Hello to Nest Doorbell (wired) to make the distinction clearer.

This difference is a bit frustrating and confusing, as the new battery-powered Nest Cam offers continuous recording when plugged in – not all “battery-powered” models are apparently created equal.

We’ll be taking a look at the new battery-powered Nest Doorbell, so keep an eye out for our next review if you’re concerned the feature omission might be a deal breaker. I would expect some of our readers and more sophisticated smart home security camera customers to already know if this is a strict requirement.