The Nest Cam, while a security camera that can be placed (wirelessly) indoors thanks to its built-in battery, makes more sense when outdoors. We tested it for a few weeks and told you about it in the following review.
The device was presented internationally in the second half of 2021, and in Mexico, it was launched last November along with the new bells and thermostats from the Californian company.
Introducing Google’s new battery-powered Nest Cam
The configuration of the Nest Cam is carried out through the Home app, a hub that links products that work or is compatible with the Google Assistant, such as screens, speakers, smart plugs, and Chromecast players.
In the purchase package, in addition to the camera, the base to mount it on the wall and the charger are included. To place it on a shelf or table indoors, the user must purchase the corresponding stand separately (or have a small tripod).
Nest Cam
Nest Cam stands its ground outside, as the wall base houses a powerful magnet inside (it’s a fact that, even if it’s windy, the team will be safe).
Other relevant features include:
- A 2 MP color sensor.
- 6x digital zoom.
- Video up to 1080p at 30 frames per second.
- 130-degree field of view.
- Night vision (up to 6.1 m).
- IP54 rating.
- Speaker and microphone.
High quality.
Once the initial configuration is done from the Home application, the user can make use -for 30 days for Mexico- of the free trial of the Nest Aware subscription, which offers alternatives such as intelligent alerts, including those when the camera detects a face known or unknown; creation of activity zones (notifications are received when movements are caught in these areas); the option to share clips, and more extended event video history.
Of course, it is noted that some functions of this scheme, such as emergency calls, are only available to users in the United States.
First contact
In-Home, once the Nest Cam is selected, a central interface is displayed with several alternatives, from the approximate time of the battery life – which can be seen in percentage or by days – to the general configuration of the device.
In the lower part of this window, it is possible to view the live video of the camera, the history of events, that is, the clips recorded with any movement that has been detected (people, animals, or vehicles, mainly), and the More option, that makes it easy to turn off security equipment, perhaps useful when you’re at home and don’t want to keep track.
Nest Cam
The gear icon on the main interface is the way to access alternatives such as Device Information, Notifications, and Events, that is, the general settings.
- Device Information. It is the section to indicate what physical support is being used for the camera or to change the name of the camera.
- Notifications. In order not to receive alerts constantly on the cell phone (and to have greater autonomy), from this section, you can specify statements only if the camera is activated and the presence detection indicates that there is no one at home.
- Drums. Allows you to enable the saving function and choose the battery usage mode, such as More recordings, Balanced (default), and Longer battery life. Be warned that if the camera is installed in an area with many “events,” the battery will be consumed faster.
- Events. Determines what the computer will record in the video history. In addition to seeing the current zones, it also allows you to set others with an emphasis on people, animals, vehicles, or movement.
- Video. Everything related to the quality of the clips or night vision can be set from this section.
- Audio. It offers the possibility of activating or deactivating the camera’s microphone and, with it, having or not having live audio or in the history clips.
Finally, from the general settings, it is possible to delete the video history, in case no clip is of interest, and remove the equipment: the camera “will no longer be available in the Home or Nest app, and its history will be deleted Of video. Your Nest Aware subscription will remain active until you cancel,” explains Google.
As expected, the handling of the camera becomes “more natural” the more it is used. Yes, the different administration and control tools may, at first, be overwhelming for some people, especially since it is necessary to resort to other help sections to understand their scope fully.
It is not even entirely clear that there is the function of zooming in on the recorded image, both in the live video and history. It only requires de a pinch gesture for zooming in or out.
Likewise, the clips in the history can be downloaded to the mobile with the idea of sharing them (it is possible to find them in an application such as Files to send them through platforms such as WhatsApp or Gmail).
Is It Worth It?
We repeat it, while the new battery-powered Nest Cam is also meant to be placed indoors, it brings out its best when mounted outdoors, whether monitoring your driveway or patio.
Its registration options are pretty complete, although they need to be more intuitive, especially for people without much experience handling security cameras.
There’s no ability to store video on the camera or by integrating a microSD card, for example, so Nest Aware subscription may need to be considered after the free trial ends, especially for those who do require logging visual of certain events, such as Google calls them.
Finally, the Nest Cam is a good fit for those who take Google Assistant as the basis for their smart home. It is best to check other security cameras for those more interested in Alexa.