The new Google Nest Cam with battery offers quite a few advantages. This way you can hang this video watchdog anywhere in and around your home, since no power point is required. Furthermore, the wireless security camera recognizes people, faces, animals, vehicles and movements on its own. At your request, Nest Cam records these events in a recording, after which you receive push notifications on a smartphone. See what’s happening live or watch recorded video clips in the Google Home app.
Google Nest Cam
Price
€199.99 (two pieces for €359.99)
Camera lens
1/2.8 inch 2-megapixel color sensor
Resolution
1920 × 1080 pixels
frame rate
30 fps
Aspect ratio
16:9
Video codec
H.264
Diagonal viewing angle
130 degrees
IP certificate
IP54
wireless
802.11b/g/n (2.4GHz), Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)
Battery capacity
6000 mAh
Dimensions
8.3 × 8.3 centimeters
Weight
398 grams
Website https://store.google.com/nl/
9 Score 90 
- Pros
- Free placement due to battery
- Easy assembly
- User-friendly and comprehensive app
- Local Emergency Storage
- Smart Recognition Features
- Excellent video quality
- Wide viewing angle
- Negatives
- Theft sensitive
- Only three hours of video history without Nest Aware
- Continuous recording only with mains power
- Not compatible with Nest app
- Pricey
With the Nest Cam, Google introduces its first battery-powered weatherproof security camera. The cylindrical housing contains a 2.4GHz adapter, so you can connect the device with the wireless home network can connect. If you use the camera outdoors, the available WiFi coverage is a point of attention. This should be sufficient to transfer the images to your smartphone.
Magnetic construction
The assembly is arranged in a sigh. After ‘scanning’ the supplied QR code, the Google Home app will tell you exactly what to do. Screw the wall mounting bracket to the wall, fence or ceiling with two screws. Then you screw the magnetic mounting bracket onto it, after which you can attach the Nest Cam. This magnetic construction allows you to accurately aim the camera lens. The Google Home app lists the remaining battery capacity, so you know exactly when the camera needs to be recharged. The magnetic construction comes in handy here, because you simply detach the Nest Cam from the mounting bracket. Unfortunately, the video watchdog is therefore susceptible to theft.
Video quality
The camera films in a resolution of 1920 × 1080 pixels and a frame rate of 30 fps. The images look fluid with a true-to-life color reproduction. The wide diagonal viewing angle of 130 degrees is beneficial, so you can monitor a large area. With the help of 6× digital zoom you can effortlessly bring objects closer, although this is at the expense of sharpness. The Nest Cam also makes usable recordings in the dark, because the housing contains six infrared LEDs. A plus is the smooth operation of two-way audio. The camera contains a microphone and speaker, so that you can communicate with a visitor via the Google Home app. Even if the Nest Cam is hung quite high, two-way audio works just fine.
Nest Aware Subscription
The Nest Cam stores recordings in the cloud. You can review recorded events from the past three hours at no additional cost. That is very short day for surveillance purposes, so you are more or less forced to purchase a Nest Aware subscription of five or ten euros per month. This gives you access to a video history of events from the last thirty or sixty days. Continuous recording is also possible with the most expensive subscription. A prerequisite for this is that the Nest Cam is connected to permanent AC power. For outdoor use, you can purchase a separately available five or ten meter cable for this purpose. If you want to put the camera inside, the Nest Cam Stand is a good solution. In the event of a power outage or WiFi, the video watchdog also has local emergency storage. There is room here to store one hour of recorded events.
Google Home App Features
In addition to accessing live images and recorded videos, the Google Home app has a lot more to offer. Indicate within the settings for which events you want notifications. You can also choose to receive these notifications only during your absence. In addition, set up a zone using virtual lines. Demarcate an area and prevent you from receiving push notifications of events on the public road or in the garden of the neighbors. The app also includes all kinds of battery-saving features, so you don’t have to charge the Nest Cam as often. It is important to know that this new security camera only works with the Google Home app. So you can’t use the Nest app for this. A disadvantage of this is that if you own multiple Nest devices, you are forced to use two apps side by side. Hopefully, Google will be able to create a cohesive Nest ecosystem in the future.
Conclusion
The Nest Cam with battery is relatively expensive, but you do get a quality security camera in return. Due to battery power, you can place this video watchdog anywhere, provided the WiFi coverage is good. Under the guidance of the Google Home app, the assembly and configuration are arranged in about fifteen minutes. Then enjoy sharp video playback with a wide field of view. The automatic recognition of people, faces, animals, vehicles and movements is nice, whereby you may receive push notifications. The main disadvantages of this new security camera are the theft-sensitive mounting and the more or less mandatory purchase of a Nest Aware subscription.
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