Aqara Camera Hub G2H Pro — An affordable, 1080p security camera with HomeKit support
There aren’t a lot of security cameras that support HomeKit, but Aqara’s new indoor camera, the G2H Pro, does, and it costs just $69.99. The compact camera is neatly designed, standing just 3.26 inches high, with a magnetic tilt–and–swivel base, and there’s a wall–mount kit included as well, so it’s easy to set the camera up.
Despite the low cost, the G2H Pro provides 1080p resolution, and produces a clear, sharp image with an impressive 146–degree viewing angle. There's a bit of "fish—eye" distortion in the image, but many people will accept that in order to get that wide viewing angle. The low–light mode isn’t perfect — making out facial features at night is still a bit tricky — but it’s clearer and sharper than we’ve seen on several more expensive cameras. The camera provides a micro–SD card slot for storing your video recordings, but the HomeKit support means that you can also use an iCloud+ subscription (from $1 per month) to store video online too. The G2H Pro even acts as a hub that can control other Aqara accessories, such as door sensors.
The Aqara app is a little fiddly to set up. It took a few attempts to create a password and scan the QR code required to connect the camera to Wi–Fi — but once that’s done it’s quick and easy to use, and provides instructions. The low cost does involve some compromises, though. The camera doesn’t have a battery, so it has to be powered through a micro–USB port. However, Aqara doesn’t include a mains power adaptor — all you get is a 6.5 ft USB cable, so you have to provide a USB power adaptor yourself, or connect the camera to a Mac or other device that can provide power via USB. It only supports 2.4GHz Wi–Fi too, although other Aqara cameras do support 5GHz if required.
Aqara Camera Hub G2H Pro Features
1080p security camera, 146–degree wide–angle lens, night–vision mode, magnetic tilt– and–swivel stand, micro–SD slot, HomeKit support
Aqara Camera Hub G2H Pro Price
$69.99
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