Last updated: November 2026
This guide is for people in the United States deciding whether a camera that moves through their home or business is worth it. It covers what Amazon announced on November 10, 2026, what the Ring Drone Cam and Ring Rover Cam cost once a subscription is added, where the video is stored, when each device records, and which questions Amazon's materials leave open. Prices and product details were read on Amazon's and Ring's own pages on November 12, 2026.
Key Takeaways
- The Ring Drone Cam is $249.99 and ships January 27, 2027. The Ring Rover Cam is $999.99, ships December 16, 2026, and is described by Amazon as designed for business. The drone cannot be sold until the FCC authorizes it.
- Scheduled patrols and saved video require a Ring subscription, and saved video is stored in Ring's cloud. Neither product page mentions a local storage option.
- Amazon's announcement does not address local storage, which subscription tier is required, or how police requests apply to footage from a camera that can move from room to room.
What did Ring announce?
Amazon announced a product line called Ring Robotics on November 10, 2026, with two devices: a flying indoor camera and a wheeled patrol robot. Both navigate with a system Amazon calls AI Pilot.
| Detail | Ring Drone Cam | Ring Rover Cam |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $249.99 | $999.99 |
| US ship date | January 27, 2027 | December 16, 2026 |
| Order status on November 12, 2026 | "Notify Me" email sign-up only | Pre-order |
| Marketed for | Homes | Businesses |
| Video | 2K, 148 degree field of view | Up to 4K, 152 degree diagonal field of view |
| Audio | No microphone or speaker | Two-way talk, remote siren |
| Coverage | Up to 8 minutes per flight, indoor only | Up to 5,000 square feet, indoor, single floor |
| When it records | Only while flying | While moving, and when it detects people while docked |
Ring's Rover Cam page lists the robot at 20.6 pounds and says it is "Not suitable for use around children under 3 years of age or small pets." Professional installation is offered for both devices, starting at $129.99 per device.
Can you buy the Ring Drone Cam yet?
No. Amazon's announcement carries this notice: "Ring Drone Cam has not been authorized as required by the rules of the Federal Communications Commission." It continues: "This device is not, and may not be, offered for sale or lease, or sold or leased, until authorization is obtained."
That is why Ring's page offers an email sign-up and not a pre-order. The January 27, 2027 ship date depends on that authorization.
This is Ring's second attempt at a flying camera. Ring announced the Always Home Cam in September 2020 at the same $249.99 price and said it expected to ship the following year, according to the trade publication SVC. It was later offered by invitation only and never reached wide release.
Does the Ring Drone Cam need a subscription?
For its main features, yes. Ring's product pages for both devices state: "Compatible Ring subscription required for scheduled patrols." Saved video history also requires a subscription. Ring's pages do not spell out what either device does without a plan, and they do not say which plan counts as compatible.
Ring's current plans, as listed on November 12, 2026:
| Plan | Monthly | Yearly | Covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solo | $4.99 | $49.99 | One device |
| Multi | $9.99 | $99.99 | All devices at one location |
| Pro | $19.99 | $199.99 | Multi features plus professional monitoring |
By our math, the device price plus five yearly plan payments comes to:
| Five-year cost | With Solo | With Multi | With Pro |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ring Drone Cam | $499.94 | $749.94 | $1,249.94 |
| Ring Rover Cam | $1,249.94 | $1,499.94 | $1,999.94 |
These totals assume today's plan prices hold for five years and exclude installation. With the lowest tier, the subscription costs as much as the drone itself. Ring has not confirmed that the lowest tier qualifies.
Where does the video go, and is there local storage?
Saved video goes to Ring's cloud. Both product pages state: "Your Ring motion event videos in the cloud are stored, up to 180 days from recording." Neither page mentions local storage or Ring Edge, Ring's existing local storage feature. TechCrunch reported on launch day: "It's unclear whether there will be an option for local video storage."
Navigation also involves the cloud. Amazon says AI Pilot "uses the devices' cameras, specialized vision models, on-device sensors, and cloud processing" to move through a space. The Rover Cam page says the robot "needs a Wi-Fi connection to map your space and get around." The Drone Cam page lists a Wi-Fi network as a setup requirement and does not say whether the drone can fly without an internet connection.
On encryption, Amazon says video from both devices "will be protected by Throw Away the Key encryption (TAKE), Ring's strongest default encryption yet." Amazon introduced TAKE on August 26, 2026 and said it would roll out in phases starting in September. Under that design, Amazon says, "A copy of the keys is temporarily held inside a secure enclave within the cloud" while features that analyze video run, and is then deleted.
When do the Drone Cam and Rover Cam record?
The two devices behave differently, and the difference matters for anyone placing one in a living space.
- Drone Cam. Ring's page says: "Ring Drone Cam only records while it's flying." It stops recording when it returns to its dock, and it has no microphone or speaker. Amazon says of the propellers that they "aren't quiet."
- Rover Cam. Ring's page says: "It records when it detects people while docked, and anytime it's on the move." It has two-way audio. Amazon says a Sleep Mode "retracts the periscope and turns off the microphone with a single tap."
A fixed camera sees one field of view. A camera on a scheduled route can see every room on that route, so the patrol schedule and the route are the main privacy settings.
Can police get footage from a Ring Drone Cam or Rover Cam?
Amazon's announcement and both product pages do not mention law enforcement. Ring's existing law enforcement guidelines apply to video Ring holds, and they state: "We do not produce content information in response to subpoenas." They also state: "We may produce non-content and content information in response to valid and binding search warrants."
Ring reserves the right to respond to emergency requests involving imminent danger of death or serious physical injury without a warrant. Ring's guidelines also say it can access a device's video only under certain conditions, one of which is that the user had a subscription at the time of the event.
That condition matters here. Scheduled patrols require a subscription, so patrol footage is, by design, video stored on Ring's servers. Our guide to who can access doorbell camera footage covers the warrant, emergency and voluntary sharing routes in detail, and our Ring privacy guide covers the company's record, including the Federal Trade Commission's 2023 case over employee access to customer videos.
What has Amazon not said?
Five questions are open after reading Amazon's announcement, both product pages and Ring's plans page:
- Whether either device will support local storage.
- Which subscription tier is required for scheduled patrols.
- What each device does with no subscription at all.
- Whether the drone can fly a route when the internet connection is down.
- Whether Ring features that analyze video, such as Familiar Faces, apply to footage from these devices.
We will update this article when Ring publishes answers.
What does a moving camera need from your home network?
Both devices depend on WiFi along the whole route, not only at the dock. Ring recommends a minimum upload speed of 5 Mbps for the Drone Cam and 15 Mbps for the Rover Cam, and both use 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz WiFi.
- Check upload speed, not download. Cable plans often have upload speeds far below the advertised download figure.
- Check coverage in every room on the planned route. A dead zone is a room the camera cannot report from.
- Put any camera on its own network segment so it cannot reach your computers. Our VLAN guide for smart home devices shows how.
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Is there a local-first alternative to the Ring Drone Cam?
Not a flying one. We know of no consumer flying camera that stores video only on hardware you own. The job the drone does, checking rooms while you are away, can be done with fixed indoor cameras that record to a memory card or to a recorder in your home, with no monthly fee.
Fixed cameras cover less per unit, and that is the trade. In return, the video stays on your hardware, the cameras keep working when the internet is down, and there is no patrol route to schedule. Our local storage security camera guide and our guide to cameras under $100 list specific models. If you already own cameras, our camera exposure check shows how to confirm they are not reachable from the internet.
FAQ
How much is the Ring Drone Cam?
$249.99, according to Amazon and Ring. Scheduled patrols and saved video require a Ring subscription, which starts at $4.99 per month or $49.99 per year.
When does the Ring Drone Cam come out?
Amazon says it will begin shipping in the United States on January 27, 2027. It cannot be sold until the FCC authorizes it.
Does the Ring Drone Cam record audio?
No. Ring's product page says the Drone Cam "doesn't have a microphone or speaker." The Rover Cam does have two-way audio.
Does the Ring Drone Cam work without a subscription?
Ring has not said exactly what it does without one. Its page says a compatible subscription is required for scheduled patrols, and saved video history also requires a subscription.
Is the Ring Rover Cam for homes?
Amazon's announcement says the Rover Cam is designed for business, and Ring's page markets it for business security. It is limited to indoor, single-floor spaces.
How long can the Ring Drone Cam fly?
Up to 8 minutes per flight, according to Ring, tested with a new battery under controlled conditions.
Sources and how this article was reported
Product details, prices and quotations come from Amazon's and Ring's own pages as read on November 12, 2026. Statements about privacy and encryption are the company's own and have not been independently tested, because neither device has shipped. We did not contact Amazon for comment. This article contains no affiliate links. ModemGuides is an Amazon Associate and earns from qualifying purchases made through links in other guides, including the camera guides linked above, and it sells refurbished networking equipment.
- Amazon: Ring announces Ring Robotics, November 10, 2026
- Ring Drone Cam product page
- Ring Rover Cam product page
- Ring subscription plans
- Amazon: Ring introduces TAKE encryption, August 26, 2026
- Ring law enforcement guidelines
- TechCrunch, November 10, 2026
- SVC: Ring Always Home Cam coverage, first published September 2020
