What To Look For In A Camera Outdoors Trespasser

For years, SimpliSafe's only option for outdoor video monitoring (other than the Video Doorbell Pro) was its indoor-only SimpliCam wrapped in a weatherproof rubber sleeve. At present, the visitor is finally offering a proper, battery-powered outdoor cam, consummate with a weatherized beat out, a spotlight, and people detection.

Available at present for $170, the SimpliSafe Wireless Outdoor Security Photographic camera is a graceful, cylindrical camera with a swiveling magnetic base of operations, Wi-Fi connectivity, Alexa and Google Assistant support, and a rechargeable, replaceable battery that promises to deliver between iii and 6 months of battery life on a single charge.

Equipped with two antennas, the new SimpliFi outdoor cam is capable of connecting to ii.4GHz Wi-Fi networks, simply it won't piece of work without a SimpliSafe base station. To become a base of operations station, y'all'll need to purchase ane of SimpliSafe'due south alarm systems, which start at $230 for a iv-piece kit.

The Outdoor Security Camera has a 140-degree field of view and supports HDR video resolution up to 1080p (720p and 480p are also options, with 720p being the default), likewise every bit 8x digital zoom.

The camera boasts 2 types of dark vision: full color, with help from the integrated spotlight, or black-and-white infrared.

Activeness zones let y'all designate which areas of the frame tin trigger motion alerts, allowing you to include (for example) your driveway while excluding the street or a neighbor's window.

The camera also supports people detection, but only if you pony up for ane of SimpliSafe'due south subscription plans. The company'south $10-a-month Cocky-Monitoring programme offers unlimited video events for up to five cameras, while a $25/month Interactive Monitoring plan adds 24/7 professional monitoring, unlimited video events for up to ten cameras, and cellular backup for the base station in instance yous lose your regular cyberspace connection.

Other features on the outdoor cam include 2-fashion audio and an 80dB siren for scaring off intruders, while "smart AI" helps to preserve battery life (presumably by preventing swaying branches and other random events from triggering video recording).

The Outdoor Security Camera has an IP65 rating, which means it offers complete protection from dust ingress, equally well equally resistance to powerful jets of water from any direction. In other words, the cam shouldn't accept any trouble withstanding rainy or snowy conditions, no rubber sleeve required. (You can read all about IP codes at this link).

simplisafe outdoor camera solar panel — The SimpliSafe Outdoor Security Camera seen with its optional solar panel, which is slated to arrive this autumn.

SimpliSafe is selling a couple of accessories to go forth with its new outdoor cam: a power string ($fifty, ouch) in case you'd rather not rely on battery power, likewise as extra battery packs ($thirty each).

Meanwhile, an $eighty solar panel for the cam is slated to go far this autumn. SimpliSafe says the solar panel should be able to power the outdoor camera provided it gets three hours of sunlight each mean solar day. Also coming in the autumn is a $35 permanent mount that replaces the included magnetic mount.

We'll take a total review of the SimpliSafe Outdoor Security Camera once we spend time with an eval unit of measurement.