Aqara Video Doorbell Comparison: G4 vs G410 vs G400

A battery doorbell sleeps between events to conserve power. Detection, live-view use, cold starts and recording length all affect battery life. A wired doorbell can remain awake and support continuous recording, but only if its supply, cable route and isolation are correctly planned.

G4 can run from six AA batteries or a compatible AC/DC doorbell supply. Battery power avoids chasing a cable through a finished entrance, and wired power permits continuous recording while the batteries can remain as backup. Actual battery life depends on event frequency, live viewing, temperature, signal quality and recording settings; the headline estimate is not a promise for a busy corridor.

Its 1080p camera has a 162-degree diagonal view, infrared night vision, two-way audio and on-device face recognition. It supports Apple HomeKit Secure Video and can stream to compatible Google and Alexa displays. The separate indoor chime repeater provides the audible chime, helps the outdoor unit's connection and holds the microSD card away from the doorway.

Choose G4 when an established feature set and simple physical installation matter more than the higher resolution and hub functions of G410 or the always-powered architecture of G400.

G410 moves to a 2K sensor with a wide 175-degree field and a 4:3 frame intended to show a visitor from head to toe together with the area near the threshold. It supports two-way talk, local detections and major household platforms, including Apple HomeKit Secure Video within Apple's own recording limits.

Its indoor chime is also a smart home hub: it coordinates compatible Aqara Zigbee devices, provides Thread border-router functions and acts as a Matter controller and bridge. That can remove a separate hub from a small entrance system or improve radio coverage near the front of the home.

Like G4, it supports battery and compatible wired installation. Choose it when the newer image, detection and hub package justify the cost. The chime still needs continuous indoor power and a good network position; do not hide it in a metal cabinet merely because the outdoor unit is battery powered.

G400 is designed around permanent power. It can use Power over Ethernet, carrying network data and power on one cable, or a compatible low-voltage doorbell supply. PoE gives the doorbell a deterministic wired path and avoids battery maintenance at the entrance.

Its 2K camera uses a tall 3:4 frame and 165-degree field for faces and parcels in one view. Local person and motion detection, configurable activity zones and an IP65 enclosure suit an exposed security role. Continuous power enables 24/7 local recording where configured and supported.

Choose G400 during renovation or when an existing cable route can be reused properly. Retrofitting PoE through a finished fire-rated door frame, stone wall or concealed corridor can cost more than the camera. A visible surface cable may also undermine the entrance design and tamper resistance.

Measure the flat surface available beside the door, not only the gap to the nearest trim. The doorbell body and any angle bracket must clear the opening leaf, gate, grille and neighbouring wall. A narrow reveal can point a wide-angle camera into the opposite wall while leaving the visitor at the edge of the frame.

Mounting height should balance face detail with the parcel area. A tall 4:3 or 3:4 image helps, but it cannot compensate for an extreme sideways angle. Use the live preview at the proposed position and check a tall adult, a child and a parcel on the ground before drilling final holes.

For a gate outside the main door, decide which leaf carries the doorbell and where a visitor naturally stops. Movement of the gate and the gap between gate and door can damage a protruding unit or make the call button inaccessible.

For G4 and G410, the outdoor unit communicates with its indoor chime or repeater. Keep the chime close enough for a strong link while placing it where occupants can hear it and where Wi-Fi remains reliable. Reinforced walls, metal gates and electrical cabinets weaken 2.4 GHz radio signals.

For G400 PoE, route exterior-rated or properly protected cable back to a suitable PoE switch or injector. Label the switch port and keep the power source on appropriate backup if the entrance must remain available during short outages. If G400 uses Wi-Fi with wired power instead, test the signal at the exact mounted position.

A doorbell notification path can involve the outdoor unit, chime, router, internet service, phone permissions and household platform. The indoor chime provides a local audible fallback even when a phone is unavailable; preserve that simple function.

G4 and G410 place local storage in the indoor chime, protecting the card from simple removal at the doorway. G400's always-powered architecture is better suited to continuous local recording. Aqara cloud services and Apple HomeKit Secure Video provide other recording paths with separate retention, subscription, encryption and resolution conditions.

Decide whether the household needs call snapshots, motion events, pre-roll, continuous recording or an off-site copy. Battery operation naturally favours event recording. Continuous recording requires permanent power and enough storage for the chosen bitrate and retention period.

Test what happens when the internet is down but local power and network remain. Local recording and chime behaviour can continue while remote notifications or cloud uploads cannot. Document which evidence remains available after each type of outage.

A doorbell facing a common corridor or public pavement can generate constant events. Frame the entrance tightly, use activity zones where supported and avoid treating every motion event as a security alarm. Person detection can reduce noise but still needs testing with backlight, rain, shadows and people approaching from the side.

Face recognition should be a convenience signal, not sole proof of identity for a high-consequence action. A familiar-face automation can announce an arrival or turn on a light; automatically unlocking a door deserves a more conservative access method and explicit household agreement.

Keep account ownership, notification recipients and recording permissions current. A doorbell watches visitors as well as residents, so access should not remain with former installers, tenants or household members after their role ends.

Take photographs looking toward and away from the door and include the electrical and network termination points. This survey makes the G4/G410/G400 choice much clearer than comparing resolution numbers in isolation.

• Available mounting width, depth and preferred camera height
• Door and gate opening paths and collision clearances
• Required angle bracket or flat mounting surface
• Battery, low-voltage wiring or PoE route
• Indoor chime position, audible coverage and Wi-Fi signal
• Required event or continuous recording and retention
• Apple, Google, Alexa, SmartThings or Aqara Home requirements
• Weather exposure and protection from direct water paths