The vast majority of our reviews come from verified purchases. Reviews from customers may include My Best Buy members, employees, and Tech Insider Network members (as tagged). Select reviewers may receive discounted products or points for an honest, helpful review.
Customers are pleased with the Philips Hue Battery Security Camera's video quality, night vision, easy setup, battery life, and motion detection capabilities. They appreciate the sharp and clear video feed, even in low light conditions, and the long battery life that reduces the need for frequent recharges. The camera's night vision is also well-received, providing clear images in complete darkness. Customers find the setup process simple and user-friendly, with the app guiding them through each step. The motion detection technology is praised for its accuracy in distinguishing between people, animals, vehicles, and packages.
The Philips Hue Secure Battery Camera has many commendable features, making it a notable contender in the home security market. This camera provides a sharp, high-definition video feed, ensuring that every detail is captured clearly. Its night vision capabilities are also impressive, offering clear images even in complete darkness. The integration with the Philips Hue ecosystem allows for seamless connectivity with other smart home devices, enhancing overall home automation. The design of the Philips Hue Secure Battery Camera is sleek and modern, fitting well into any home decor. It is easy to install, and the battery life is decent, reducing the need for frequent recharges. The accompanying app is user-friendly, allowing for easy setup and navigation. It offers various features such as motion detection, alerts, and two-way audio, which are essential for a comprehensive security system. However, there is one significant drawback that users should be aware of: the proprietary charger. In an era where USB-C is becoming the standard for most devices, the decision to use a proprietary charger is quite disappointing. Almost everyone has embraced the USB-C ecosystem. This choice feels somewhat outdated and can be a hassle, especially if you misplace the proprietary charger which I have done in the past with other electronics that use proprietary chargers. Furthermore, the proprietary charger limits flexibility and interchangeability. If the charger gets damaged or lost, obtaining a replacement can be more challenging and potentially more expensive than a universal USB-C cable, which is widely available and often already in use for other devices. This aspect somewhat undermines the convenience that the Philips Hue Secure Battery Camera aims to provide. Despite this flaw, the Philips Hue Secure Battery Camera remains a robust and reliable choice for enhancing home security. The high-quality video, ease of use, and integration with other smart home devices are significant advantages. However, Philips should consider updating future models to include a USB-C port to align with modern standards and enhance user convenience. Until then, potential buyers should weigh the inconvenience of the proprietary charger against the camera’s otherwise impressive features. Despite this I do recommend the camera but won’t give it 5 Stars because of this.
Posted by NyVetteGuy
I was excited to hear that Phillips was coming out with the line of Hue security cameras and now ive finally got my hands on one to see what all the fuss is about. The one I have is the battery powered one and before writing it off it can actually last MONTHS of battery use before charging depending on how many events the motion detection sees or sends per day. I have to say that was my biggest anxiety as in the past I had other cameras like door bells and they didnt last at all and needed charged almost every week. The 1080p camera provides a nice clear picture that is infinity focused so you never have to worry about if something captured is in focus or not. It has night mode of course and has an adaptive brightness to the infrared light that changes depending on whats in front of the camera to make sure it doesnt blow anything out to not see and it works really well in testing. The hue app (apple and google app stores) is the star of the show here and provides the user with the best experience in a security camera to date. Its really easy to set up and walks you though each step one by one until your good to go, even the physical mounting of the camera which is nice. Any steps you might need help with links you to a playlist on YouTube of videos demonstrating popular questions to resolution. Speaking of mounting the camera this is probably the easiest I've ever seen. It includes a base mount that you screw in and the magnetic portion twist into that. They include a very nice quality screw that's long enough to get through anything you might be mounting it on to properly hold it as well an anchor if needed for said screw to ensure security. Another anxiety point that I had with this was that the magnet wouldn't be strong enough but let me tell you if they get even within a foot of each other it's extremely strong! No worries there. Also if you mount this somewhere you think it might not be secure from theft they sell an extra safety tether that can attach to the camera as well to prevent this which is super nice if you need it for a garden or something where somebody could reach it. A deal breaker for some people that use apple home kit should know that none of the Hue line of security cameras are compatible with it and being as such I have to take one star off my rating. They are slated to have future support according to Phillips in Matter and of course Matter can be used with apple home itself so at some point in the future this would be resolved though as of July 2024 this is not the case yet. With a free plan for basic use and 2 paid yearly plans for cloud storage thats reasonably priced your pretty much all set with anything you could want in a security camera. You can set black out zones to ignore, detect packages at your door with an AI detection, it has light and sound alarms you can set up, has great motion detection built in, send live alerts right to your phone for review with end to end video encryption. It really is a complete package and comes highly recommended.
Posted by Manny
I recently received the Hue Battery Security Camera and was interested to see how/if it would work within my existing security ecosystem..which is not Hue based. Unfortunately, the camera, which is definitely a great product, does not play well outside of a Hue-based lighting or security system. With that said, I'll focus on the camera and its capabilities and will point out some of the "cons" of the camera also. In the Box: The Hue Battery Security Camera is capable of being used with the charger connected or on battery power so in the box is the camera, user's guide, power/charging cable and mount. The camera and accessories are well-built and the fit and finish it top-notch as expected by Philips. I really like the magnetic mounting system; it is very straight forward and easy to set up. The mount it two parts with one being mounted to the chosen mounting surface and the second piece is a magnetic mount that connects to the base and the camera. It's a single screw to install and the magnetic base allows for the camera to be adjusted in all directions vertically and horizontally. Set Up: As mentioned, I do not use Hue for other systems in our home, so I do not have a Hue Bridge or account. Download the Hue app, create an account and scan the included barcode and walk through the setup process...that's it and was very straight forward in my case. Once the camera was connected there was an upgrade that took a few minutes and then it was ready to be installed and used. There is a 30-day free trial of the advanced Hue features, such as alerts and package detection, but again without a Hue Bridge, many of these AI features were not accessible with my setup. Using the Camera: I mounted the camera on the front deck so it would cover the deck and lakefront area including our boats. The 1080p video was crisp and showed very little lag as was the same for the audio and speaker functions. I felt that the video quality is a bit better than other 1080p cameras I've used in the past, so this was a welcome surprise. The 141 degree viewing angle allows a single camera to cover a larger area of your home or yard. Night Vision worked as expected and people and objects can be seen clearly. Two-way audio and the microphone can be toggled on/off with a button on the app. The system worked well and there was no noticeable lag when trying to talk to my wife through the camera. Overall Impressions: The Philips Hue Battery Security Camera is an acceptable option for a non-Hue ecosystem, its value and features will really shine for a Hue-based user for sure. Video and audio quality are above average for a 1080p resolution, rechargeable battery and the camera's build quality (IP65 rating) make this a great choice for an internal or external security camera. The Hue app makes it easy to control the camera and adjust some of the basic camera settings and features. This camera will truly shine when connected to a Hue Bridge, as that will allow for all the advanced features to be used. This camera can compete with any option out there but will be best served in a Hue Ecosystem. Pros: - Rechargeable Battery capability so can be mounted wirelessly - 1080p video is crisp in day or night mode - Multiple AI-based camera and security features - Easy setup and use - Superb built quality and IP65 rating for external setup - Two-way communication audio is clear with very little lag Cons: - Most all functions are available for Hue Bridge users - Subscription is required for advanced features like stored videos and security features - Charging cable is approx. 6', making it a challenge to charge my camera without an extension cord
Posted by mstanleynh
$40.00
with