Hey folks! Gather ’round because we’re unboxing the brand-new Xiaomi Smart Doorbell 2, and trust me, there’s a lot to unpack—literally and figuratively.

Bigger Box, Bigger Expectations

First off, the packaging has put on some weight since the 1S. From the side, you can see it’s a bit taller—or should I say, it’s been hitting the gym and gotten thicker. Maybe it’s what’s inside that counts?

From Circles to Ovals: A Design Glow-Up

T

he inner screen? Same old, same old. But the doorbell itself has ditched the circular look for a sleek, oval design. It’s like the doorbell grew up and got a makeover on one of those reality TV shows.

Eye in the Sky: Enhanced Camera Angle

Now, let’s talk about that camera angle. We’ve jumped from 160 degrees to a whopping 180 degrees. That’s like going from a standard selfie stick to a GoPro on a drone! You’ll see everything—including that neighbor who keeps “borrowing” your newspaper.

Battery Life & Storage: The More Things Change…

Battery capacity remains the same at 8000mAh—if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right? It still fits doors ranging from 35 to 110mm thick, so unless you live in a castle with a drawbridge, you’re covered.

Storage is where things get sneaky. On paper, it says max support up to 128GB, but surprise! The new model actually supports up to 256GB. They just didn’t want to brag about it.

Pixels Galore: Sharper Images Ahead

Video resolution gets a hearty bump to 2048×1536 pixels—that’s 3 megapixels, up from the previous 2 million. It’s a noticeable upgrade, like switching from VHS to Blu-ray. The inner screen’s resolution wasn’t listed, but it’s jumped from 484×854 to 1280×720. Your visitor’s confused faces have never looked clearer!

Switching Teams: From Loock to 70mai

Here’s a juicy tidbit: the manufacturer has changed from Loock Technologies to Shanghai’s very own 70mai. The original 1S was basically a Loock product in Xiaomi clothing. If you Google Loock’s doorbells, you’ll find one that’s a dead ringer for the 1S. Sneaky, huh? 70mai, on the other hand, is Xiaomi’s go-to for car rearview mirrors and has a slew of its own gadgets.

Unboxing Time: Let’s Get Physical

Cracking open the box, the first thing we notice about the inner screen is the super-sized multi-function button in the middle. No, it’s not the power button—it’s more like the doorbell’s version of a magic wand, complete with an indicator light on top. A quick press wakes or sleeps the screen, while a long press resets the whole shebang.

Flip it to the bottom, and you’ll spot a Type-C port. Hold up—don’t plug your charger in there! It’s actually a ribbon cable connector for the doorbell camera outside. Once installed, it’s hidden away, so no port temptations.

The TF card slot has moved to the right side, making room for easier access. They’ve also axed the reset hole on this side; now, you just hold that big ol’ multi-function button for seven seconds to reset. Even the speaker holes got a facelift.

Side-by-Side: Old vs. New

Placing the old and new doorbells next to each other, the size difference is clear—the new one’s been supersized. The design shift from a circle to an oval gives it a more modern vibe, and the button’s grown into a prominent, easy-to-press circle.

Up front, you’ve got the camera lens, a light sensor, and the PIR (Passive Infrared) sensor—the trio keeping an eye out for you. The PIR sensor detects human movement outside your door and kicks the recording into gear. The second-gen model upgrades to dual PIR sensors, offering a 180-degree horizontal coverage. So unless someone’s perfected invisibility, they’re getting caught on camera.

Final Thoughts: A Worthy Upgrade

1s:

2:

The Xiaomi Smart Doorbell 2 doesn’t just tweak a few features; it brings substantial improvements, especially in image quality and detection sensitivity. It’s like upgrading from a bicycle to a Tesla—well, maybe not that drastic, but you get the idea.

Stay tuned for more hands-on impressions, but so far, it’s looking like this doorbell is ringing in some excellent upgrades!