Ring's flying indoor camera ships in January for $249.99

Ring's flying indoor camera is finally set to ship. The Ring Drone Cam arrives January 27, 2027, for $249.99, in the US only, founder Jamie Siminoff said at a launch event in New York City this week. That is almost six years after Ring announced its first flying camera, the Always Home Cam.

What it does

The Drone Cam is a small AI-powered drone that patrols inside your home when you are away. It reacts to Ring sensors, such as motion, a door opening, a water leak or an alarm sounding. It then flies a pre-set route to a spot, where it livestreams and records in the Ring app. It can also run scheduled patrols or be sent out on demand.

It records in 2K resolution with a 148-degree field of view. Because it moves, it can cover 360 degrees. It weighs 165 grams and is for indoor use only. Ring's pitch is that one drone can replace several cameras.

The limits

• Flight time is 5 to 8 minutes per charge.
• Each minute of flying needs 8 minutes of charging, so a five-minute flight takes about 40 minutes.
• It depends on the cloud to fly. Without Wi-Fi, all it can do is land.

The Verge saw a 1-minute flight around a simple living room. Takeoffs and landings were smooth. Ring says it can fly up stairs and use LED spotlights in the dark, but did not demo either. Obstacles and pets were not tested. Whether it can really replace several fixed cameras remains to be seen.

Privacy and the cloud

Ring says the camera only films while flying. It is shuttered when docked, and the drone is loud in flight, so it cannot sneak up on anyone. Footage uses a new system called TAKE (Throw Away the Key). It changes encryption keys every five minutes and deletes Ring's copies after 24 hours. That limits Amazon's access while still allowing smart alerts and AI video search.

The cloud reliance is by design. Siminoff said Ring has worked on a drone since 2016 and came close to shipping two other models. It struggled to fit everything into a practical design under $250. About a year ago, it started over with a simpler drone and moved the thinking to the cloud, using a system called AI Pilot.

Also announced

The Drone Cam is part of a new Ring Robotics line. It sits alongside the Ring Rover Cam, a $999.99 security robot for businesses built on Amazon's Astro home robot. Rover is open for pre-order, with shipping expected to begin December 16, 2026.