Customer Ratings & Reviews

It doesn't matter how easy it is to set up, the look of the product, how great the battery life is, or the support, if it can't do it's 1 main purpose. Glad I tested out the quality before installing it on my house. If the video can't pick out any distinguishing features on me at 24 feet away, it's not gonna be able to help law enforcement if I wanted to hand footage over at all.

The new Nest Cam (battery) is Google’s latest camera under the Nest branding but this camera is only Nest by name marking a clear departure from the Nest brand many are familiar with. First let’s cover what makes this a nice choice when purchasing a WiFi based security camera. The camera now features a battery (non-removable) that provides 1-6 months of use heavily dependent on activity. At a pretty active door (pets and people), it used 25% after two weeks. Fortunately if you have an outlet within reach of the optional 10m outdoor cable, you are in luck as it can be powered like the previous Nest cams. When wired, you unlock additional features such as 24/7 recording provided you pay for the premium Nest Aware Plus service. Google does offer complimentary 3-hour event history for free, which is just enough to be practically useless. Obviously, they are nudging you to the reasonably priced Nest Aware that start at $6/month but you have to enroll in the Nest Aware Plus to fully unlock the camera and it’s 24/7 recording capability. Beyond the service lock in, Google has claimed to improve privacy by utilizing on device machine learning and biometric data. In addition, the face library is private and stored on device as well. One of the best features is the on-board memory allows the device to store up to 1 hour of events if the internet or WiFi is disrupted, providing additional insurance. The video quality is decent, comparable to the previous generation Nest Cameras (not IQ) but softer and less detail than the old IQ model which has an 8MP sensor as opposed to the 2MP sensor in the new Nest Camera (battery). Here is where the wheels fall off. It’s 2021 and this is a 1080p camera (HDR, H.264) that you have to pay at a minimum $60/year to make useful, the non-replaceable battery lasts on average 2-3 months between charges and you have to pay extra for a an oddly oriented outdoor cable to fully unlock all it’s advertised capabilities. The new Nest camera only works with Google’s Home App which is not as intuitive as the Nest app (iPhone). For those with old Nest cameras, the Google Home app does not offer feature parity for the older cams, a deliberate move in the vein of forced obsolescence. Accessing your timeline for a mix of old and new cameras requires two applications and though it is possible this could be addressed, Google has a poor track record for supporting legacy hardware. Fortunately, event history is available for all generations. The mount is magnetic however, so that’s neat. Overall it is a nice product but I feel they missed the mark on the video capabilities and current software integration. If you are buying this for your first or exclusively using these newer Nest Cameras you can safely ignore the software complaints and focus on if 1080p is good enough for your applications, which for most it is.

Let me start with the important part. This camera is very good. I'll say it again, it is very good. Loud and clear two-way communication. Near zero cool off time between events. No false alarms by wind, clouds, shadows or even wasps that often trip my other cameras. Easy to mount in more remote locations. Plus, without all the false alarms. Battery life is good. Just be sure to use setting that meet you criteria. Default battery saver video clips might be too short for many. I have many subs already so I tested this without the subscription to see what you get without fees of another subscription service. And while there are many useful ways this camera can be used without subscription. It will never be a full time security camera without paying the monthly fee($6/mo?). Nest Cam includes a 3 hour record feature for free. When I first read this I thought it was 3 hours of footage. Its NOT storage, it is only the last 3 hours of time. So, when you are asleep from 11pm till 7am for example. When you wake up at 7am, you will only see recordings from 4am or later. And as a security camera, this won't be of much use unless you allow your phone to send alerts at a high volume while you sleep. Any event worth sharing with friends or law enforcement requires your attention rather quickly so you can download it before the 3 hour window closes and the event is lost forever. Now if you do want to try the subscription service and unlock all the extras. You do get a generous 30 day trial. And it does look like this will be the way to go if you buy the Nest Cam for 24/7 security purposes. Be aware that the very strong magnetic kit (included) is designed for a vertical wall mount. If mounted high enough, it might also work mounted to a horizontal eve or overhang where the camera has more of a 45+ degree downward tilt. Otherwise you might want to include the anti theft and hardwire kit for a more permanent solution. Also note the odd forward leaning power cable required to recharge the camera. Odd google used this angled connector over USB-C. I included a picture and this might hinder clean installs if you need 24/7 power to the camera.

These camera work great!! i came in looking for home security cameras and for years no cameras have actually worked well and had great quality like these, i the battery life is also great as long as you fully charge them if you only charger about halfway to 3 quarters they run out of battery in like 1 day a day and a half.

Long time user of Google phones. Was hooked on 6P had every phone up to a Pixel 5 (minus Pixel 2). But First time user of nest camera. I was skeptical with this product at first. But now I am a fan. Set up was a snap. Charged Followed App Connected to Wifi Signed up for Nestware (required for video history if you don't sign up you can't get history I tried first to not sign up that's how I know) Installed Used Nicely done Google. Your nest engineers thought this product through well. Build Solid metal body Nice color Battery lasts pretty long. I am on day 3 and still has 90% left Magnetic adjustable (see con at end of review) Requires special plug to charge (see con at end of review) Indoor table or counter or shelf mount is nice Good night vision has 6 IR to get good night vision Good 1080 Good daytime video. Clear. Good motion and animal detection. Picked up my dog or me. Software Easy to use Easy to scroll through and view history Easy to adjust notifications Overall great quality. Pleasantly surprised. So here is the only 2 cons that I could ding Google on. 1 is the magnetic attachment to the base. Although it gives maximum flexibility with adjustment and ease of install. This create a dilemma. Theft. It can be snatched up and taken away or vandalized easily. 2nd is the specialty plug to charge. I wished it would take a standard USB c type plug so I did not have to find this cable and charge it later when I needed to. Other than that well done Google. I would recommend this product for others knowing the above cons are ok with the buyer. Looking forward the Pixel 6 Pro.

I have two Nest outdoor IQ cameras and a nest wired doorbell. Both of these have better quality footage than the new battery powered cameras. But then again, the price is about half per camera compared to the IQ cameras, so a dip in quality would be expected. Overall these cameras do a good job. I go these to cover a deer food plot I have on my property that I was able to run a POE wifi router to. These are amazing for this purpose and the nightvision is extremely good. I personally think the night vision on these cameras are actually better than privious nest cameras. However, If you are using these cameras to get a positive ID on someone breaking into your cars or tresspassing I would keep looking. They are 1080p, but when you zoom at all the video quickly becomes grainy. They do not record 24/7 like previous versions, but again, these are battery powered so that would not be expected unless you want to charge your cameras constantly. They use a motion detector to trigger recordings that can be adjusted to how sensitive you want it to come on. You can set the record length of these clips up to 3 minutes. The audio is very good on the recordings. The biggest downside is that Google is doing away with the Nest legacy app, so these cameras do not show up in the Nest app. They do show up in the Google home app, as do the previous Nest cameras you may have. So you will have to adjust to using the Google Home app instead. This isnt a huge deal if it wasnt for the lack of PC support with this app. So you are no longer able to view the footage directly on a PC. This is something I hope Google fixes in the near future.

“I really like these cameras—the video quality is good and the battery holds up well. The only downside is that they tend to disconnect fairly often, and it sometimes takes a while to reconnect when I want to view the live feed. The battery life is decent, but I do wish it lasted a bit longer between charges. Overall, still a solid choice if you don’t mind those small inconveniences.”

First and foremost, I would like to say not to judge a book by its cover. Unfortunately, I read many bad reviews about this camera, so I decided to share and review my experience with this nest battery and wire-powered indoor/ outdoor camera for five days of use. What includes in the box: 1. Nest Cam camera 2. Magnetic plate 3. Wallplate 4. Two wall anchors 5. Two wall screws 6. One charge cable, 3.3 ft (1 m) 7. One power adapter 8. Quick start guide & Safety & warranty document In addition to: 1. An indoor stand with included 10ft (3m) power cable 2. A 33ft (10m) weatherproof power cable that can be used indoors or outdoors Setup and camera features: Google Home app is required in setting up the camera, and there is such a hope to revive the nest app as Google had announced the nest account is being migrated to the Google Home app. I completely understand that Google wants to unify their devices under one application rather than having multiple apps even I'm partial to the nest app, but this is the company policy. Since the Home app functions, I'm getting used to it. Adding the camera was a breeze process, and within two minutes, the camera was added and up running. Note: The home app cannot detect the camera on battery; it should be wired to detect it and complete the installation process. This camera is versatile that can be installed and used indoors and outdoors. I set up mine indoors to keep my eye on my home during the morning until I return from work; the indoor stand is solid and sturdy (well-weighted) and holds the camera very well. Power cable is wisely made and long to reach the camera without hassle to move it close to a nearby power outlet. I left the camera for nearly 2 hours to be fully charged, and then I unplugged it to use it wire-free. My battery consumption estimator was 10% drainage every 18 hours of continued use, which means the camera detects all indoor activities such as people, sound, and motions. However, in the camera setting, I can customize the battery saving by choosing more recording to custom that battery life will determine the quality of videos depending on how much charge is there. The camera quality and the accessories are well made, and they don't look cheap at all. The camera continues to record locally for one hour if wifi or power get down and push the videos when service is back, which is a remarkable and essential feature. Two-way audio is an excellent feature, and it enables me to talk and listen through the camera microphone. Sound is clear, and loudness can be adjusted as needed. My favorite feature is the ability to preview live feed on smart nest display, and I don't need to open the app and look; instead, I keep my eyes on the display and watch live. Google Home app experience: Honestly, the Google Home app is not a bad experience at all. Conversely, it provides a simple layout and fast loading since it does not have too much animation in it. Nevertheless, the nest app seems to have a better look, and its user experience is well-designed. I can see and adjust/ customize all my Google-branded products in the Google Home app, including my nest bell with live feed and recent events. Most importantly, adjusting the notification to have the camera focus on people, animals, or vehicles helps reduce the number of notifications being pushed if they are unnecessary. Also, the activity zone creation is a simple way to have the camera detect a specific area that is most needed to be focused on. with the camera built-in machine learning; it can detect familiar faces intelligently for those who are labeled already on the nest doorbell or newly detected unfamiliar faces that I can add and name them. nest aware subscription: I have a long history with nest aware subscription since I had a nest doorbell years ago. But, honestly, the monthly fee is not a deal-breaker compared to the importance of having a whole month of feed history if an accident occurs or having a package stolen or even seeing what is going on through the day and save what is essential locally to my phone—moreover, one subscription across all devices. Finally, the camera functions as it should be and provides a high-quality picture, and is versatile to be indoor or outdoor and waterproof whatever suits my purpose of use. I'm so happy with the camera, and I'm not having any lag or buffering until the moment of writing this review. No regret so far!!

This is my first Google/Nest camera; I’ve been eager to try them for quite some time and just hadn’t taken the plunge until now. I’ve used cameras from several other vendors over the years -- Logitech, Reolink, Ubiquiti, Ring, etc -- so I’m not new to security cameras, just to Google's take on them. I’m pretty deep into the Google Home ecosystem and was really hoping this would play well with the rest of my Home. I’ve had this camera setup for a few days now and here are my observations. I’ll start with the summary and then flesh out the specifics. Overall: Video quality is good, and the Nest Aware free trial adds some truly advanced features (30 days of video event retention, “familiar faces”, auto calling emergency services) that you’ll want if you intend to use this for actual security monitoring -- most notable is that without a subscription you are allowed a paltry 3 hours of video event history. 3 hours of video event history is just too short to be of much use for security purposes, a limit which seems remarkably short for no other reason than to drive buyers to at least the basic Nest Aware subscription. My prior experience with Logitech Circle cameras, which I consider fairly direct competition to this, leads me to expect no less than a 24h video review window without an add’l subscription, so Google allowing just 3h by default is very disappointing. Although there’s a lot I like about this camera I have to say that “disappointing” sums up a lot of it. It does a lot of things right, and it clearly has potential, but until/unless Google updates the cameras and/or the software there’s just too much “basic” info and options missing for me to recommend these to anyone at this time. Security events: As a consultant for several schools and businesses I’ve had to export security events for Police several times and one thing that stood out to me very quickly about this system is that there is no option to overlay a date/time stamp on the video. The camera does overlay its own logo in the upper right of the video, so clearly it can do overlays, but Google has oddly decided not to even give the user the option to overlay such basic video information. You can export events with the Home app and I was hoping the exported filenames would at least contain useful data -- but it appears the filenames are based on a Unix Epoch timestamp but one which doesn’t obviously correlate to the actual time of the incident so I’m not sure what Google’s up to, perhaps the resemblance to a Unix Epoch time is strangely coincidental? Regardless, The filenames for exported events are consistent but not particularly useful, so if you find yourself needing to export events you’ll want to make your own careful notes about the times involved. In the old Nest app you could export and embed timestamps into the “closed caption” data but the Home app currently provides no such option which is another little disappointment. Notifications: The app has a lot of notification options -- it can distinguish people, animal, and vehicle events for example -- and all of which can be turned on/off by their type, or which can be configured to only trigger when it detects you’re “away”. Unfortunately, text and email notifications aren’t even an option -- you either get them on the app or you don’t get them at all. Not necessarily bad but pretty limited compared to other camera notification systems I’ve used. Video: Daytime video quality is excellent. It’s HD HDR which looks good and zooms in quite nicely though you won’t be reading license plates unless the vehicle comes very close to the camera. I’ve attached some sample screen-captured samples to this review. Nighttime video quality is respectably normal-ish for this range of camera. Battery: I’ve had mine less than a week but after a few days of activity to adjust the app estimates I’ll get 3-4 weeks of monitoring from a single charge.

This camera was a lot larger than I expected & it’s hard to discreetly hide it somewhere. I was provided the camera, stand & outdoor weatherproof cable . The cable has a very long cord (10 ft.) & allows you to keep the camera plugged in all the time. I prefer using the battery & go wire free. Setup took me a little while because I couldn’t connect only to find that I had the charging cord in the wrong way, yes, it fits both ways. After that, setup only took a few minutes. We have Nest smoke detectors & a lock so it used those as connecting devices. You can’t use the Nest app though, you have to get Google home app for the camera. I wanted this for our garage rec room for indoor use & the daytime video quality is pretty good, not near as good as our outdoor Arlo cameras. The night vision was pretty impressive, see pic below, because that room is very dark at night & everything shows clearly. The camera is very sensitive to movement & starts recording immediately & let’s you know if it’s a person, animal, vehicle. The videos are all saved in the app & are easy accessed & can be enlarged to full screen. The only downside is they’re only saved for 3 hours, if you want more storage you need to pay for a subscription. Not sure why all the bad reviews, it’s not the best out there but it’s definitely not the worst camera either.

Review of Nest Cam Battery Outdoor/Indoor The latest Nest Cam is a sturdy camera on hardware side. I had bit of hard time to find all of its attributes, hence here below the list in summary extract from Google Product support page (https://support.google.com/googlenest/answer/9259110?hl=en#zippy=%2Cnest-cam-outdoor-or-indoor-battery): Camera Sensor: 2-megapixel color sensor Video resolution is Up to 1080p at 30 frames/sec / High Dynamic Range (HDR) /H.264 encoding Zoom: 6x Digital zoom Field of View: 130° diagonal wide-angle view Night Vision: Up to 20 ft (6.10 m) illumination / 6 high-power 850 nm infrared LEDs Filter: IR cut filter Audio: Full-duplex 2-way audio with noise cancellation / High-quality speaker and microphone Light: RGB status light Weather resistance: IP54 rating Mounting and installation options: Magnetic mount / Nest Cam stand (sold separately) / 1/4” threading for any compatible 3rd party mounts Attach it magnetically to a metal surface. / Install its wall plate on a non-magnetic surface. / Set it on a surface. Power: Built-in rechargeable 6 Ah, 3.65V lithium-ion battery / Pogo pin magnetic connector / 7.5W USB-A power adapter / Weatherproof cable with cable clips (sold separately) Cables: Includes 3.3 ft (1 m) indoor rated charging cable that plugs into a power adapter (additional stand and longer cable available and sold separately) Security: On-device machine learning / Secure boot / Automatic security updates / 128-bit AES encryption with TLS/SSL / Built-in magnetometer sensor / 2-step verification available It the box: Nest Cam battery / Magnetic plate / Wall plate / Wall anchors / Wall screws / Charging cable / Power adapter / Quick start guide /Safety & warranty document Size and weight Camera : Length: 3.27 in (8.3 cm) / Diameter: 3.27 in (8.3 cm) / Weight: 14.04 oz (398 g) Magnetic mount: Diameter: 3.24 in (8.2 cm) Weight: Magnetic plate: 3.3 oz (94.7 g) / Wall plate: 0.27 oz (7.7 g) / Mount + plate: 3.6 oz (102.4 g) Wireless: Europe, Canada, Australia: 802.11b/g/n (2.4 GHz) / US, Mexico, India, Japan: 802.11a/b/g/n (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz) / WEP, WPA, WPA2, WPA3 encryption supported /Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) Connectivity requirements: Wi-Fi internet connection / Google Home app /Recommended: Phone or tablet running iOS or Android with Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) Bandwith Requirements: For optimal video quality at 1080p, working broadband internet connection with at least 2 Mbps upload speed per camera recommended (DSL may not qualify). / Cameras will use more bandwidth to stream video when there is more motion in the scene. / If you subscribe to Nest Aware, your camera streams all video to the cloud for secure offsite storage. You can adjust your camera’s video quality to use less bandwidth and monthly data. / The following article can help you estimate download bandwidth use, upload bandwidth use, and total monthly data use. Warranty: Rest of world: 1-year limited warranty / Europe: 2-year limited warranty Operating: Temperature: -4°F to 104°F (-20°C to 40°C) ------------------- Installing is straight forward by adding in the Google Home assuming it has already login and profile setup previously. It leverage mostly the setting available through Google Home for the camera like defining Activity Zone and Alert, Set stay Home status or Away, option to selective notification. One key benefit is the option to be independent of subscription as it retain 3 hours event history. If faced detection is needed it does require Nest Aware subscription that keep 60 days of video history. On camera resolution is not the best, feels the grain in the picture and video and during night as well. But still does suffice for the basic. However the most benefit seems the software behind for detection of motion and alert and trade for mobility as it use based on battery. Note on the magnet that hold the camera, it is a very strong magnet and has warning of awareness for heart pace maker which make sense and user should be careful to keep the distance. On the other hand, from the app, multiple users can view simultaneously the live video, and its audio deliver crisp sound conversation from mobile app and the camera allowing to maintain a conversation without lagging or froze of image and sound. It is recommendable as per its price range vs the pack of features that support and better if using the Google Nest ecosystem.

The Google Nest Cam (Indoor/Outdoor, Wire-Free) is a fantastic security camera with crisp video quality, smart alerts, and seamless integration with Google Home. The setup is quick, and the magnetic mount makes installation super easy. The AI-powered detection is accurate, reducing false alarms. My only gripe is the battery life—it works well but could last longer between charges. Overall, it's a reliable and user-friendly security solution!

Great Camera Quality & Easy Setup, But No 24/7 Video Playback I’ve been a longtime Nest/Google camera user, and overall, these cameras have high-quality video, are easy to setup, and a user-friendly experience. The Google Home integration is seamless, the cameras are easy to position, and the battery lasts for months on a single charge. That said, they are impacted by cold weather, so keep that in mind if you live in colder climates. However, removing 24/7 video playback for battery-operated cameras is a huge disappointment. One of the main reasons I invested in Nest’s higher-end models was for continuous video history, not just event-based clips. As a paying customer, I expect full access to the footage for the days I subscribe to, just like older Nest products allowed. This feels like a step backward in functionality and significantly reduces their value. If Google brought back 24/7 video history, these would be near-perfect cameras. Until then, I can’t fully recommend them for those who need constant video coverage. If you’re experiencing the same frustration because of the loss of 24/7 video playback, please leave a review and contact Google directly. There’s strength in numbers, and if enough of us speak up, the developers may restore this critical feature!

The Google Nest Cam is a decent security camera, but it has its drawbacks. While the image quality is clear and it’s easy to set up, the battery life leaves much to be desired. I find myself having to recharge it at least once a week, which can be inconvenient, especially if it's mounted high up. If you plan on buying this, I’d recommend waiting for a sale and investing in the solar power attachments to avoid the hassle of frequent recharging. It’s a good camera overall, but the battery life could definitely be improved.

I have been using the Google Nest Cam (battery) for a while now, and honestly, it has exceeded every expectation I had. The setup was surprisingly simple — within minutes I had the camera up and running, connected to my phone, and giving me a crystal-clear live view of my home. The video quality is outstanding, both during the day and at night. The night vision is sharp enough that I can recognize faces and details without any problem. What I appreciate the most is the peace of mind it gives me. Whether I’m at work, traveling, or just away for a few hours, I can open the app and instantly know that everything is okay at home. The motion detection and smart alerts are very accurate — it notifies me about people, animals, or vehicles, and I love that it doesn’t spam me with unnecessary alerts. Battery life has also been very impressive. I was a bit skeptical at first, but even with regular use and several alerts per day, the camera holds its charge much longer than I expected. Recharging is quick and easy too. If I had to mention one small thing, it’s that the camera is so good that I ended up wanting to buy more for different areas of my house. That’s not a negative at all, but something to keep in mind because once you try one, you’ll want more. Overall, this product truly delivers on what it promises: reliability, quality, and peace of mind. It feels like an investment in security and comfort, and I can’t imagine not having it now.

The Google Nest Cam Indoor/Outdoor Wire-Free is a testament to Google's commitment to delivering top-notch home security solutions that are both versatile and dependable. As someone who values the safety of their home and the ease of a wire-free setup, this camera has proven to be an exceptional addition to my smart home ecosystem. One of the standout features of this camera is its wire-free design. No more dealing with tangled cables or the limitations of power outlets. The Nest Cam Wire-Free is truly hassle-free when it comes to installation, allowing you to place it wherever you need it most, whether indoors or outdoors. This flexibility means you can keep a watchful eye on your property, front porch, backyard, or any other area without the constraints of wiring. The video quality is nothing short of impressive. With 1080p HD resolution and a wide field of view, the camera captures sharp, clear footage, both day and night. The inclusion of night vision ensures that you can monitor your surroundings 24/7, providing peace of mind around the clock. The camera's built-in infrared LEDs deliver clear and detailed images even in complete darkness. Setting up the Nest Cam Wire-Free is a breeze, thanks to the user-friendly Google Home app. The app not only guides you through the installation process but also offers a convenient platform for monitoring and managing your camera remotely. Notifications are customizable, so you'll receive alerts when motion or sound is detected, allowing you to stay informed about what's happening at your property. The camera's weather resistance ensures that it can withstand the elements, whether it's rain, snow, or extreme temperatures. This durability is crucial for outdoor use and ensures that your investment is built to last. With the Nest Aware subscription, you gain access to advanced features like intelligent alerts, familiar face detection, and continuous video recording. These features further enhance the camera's capabilities, making it a powerful tool for home security and surveillance. Privacy and data security are top priorities for Google, and this camera is no exception. The Nest Cam Wire-Free includes robust security measures such as two-factor authentication and data encryption, ensuring that your footage remains private and secure. In conclusion, the Google Nest Cam Indoor/Outdoor Wire-Free is a versatile, high-quality security camera that offers unmatched flexibility and reliability. Its wire-free design, excellent video quality, and user-friendly app make it a valuable addition to any home security setup. Whether you're keeping an eye on your front door, backyard, or any other area of your property, this camera delivers the performance and convenience you need. It's a reliable guardian for your home that you can trust, rain or shine.

I'm loving there simplicity of this camera. It can go anywhere you need it to go. It connects to your home and nest network with shear ease. The picture and sound quality is great and it simply looks great. Now, I want to say, the color choice isn't my cup of tea, considering the fact that's it's designed for indoor and outdoor use. I bring that up because that was one of the goals for the camera. They wanted it to look good. Snow isn't the hue you want when placing this camera outside. I use this camera inside my home, which makes it easier to keep clean. But beyond that, it's absolutely great. It's connection to my other cameras is seamless. And the battery life, considering the short time I've had it, doesn't seem to be an issue. It can be plugged in which will give you a continuous live feed and one of my favorite features is the ability to to keep recording even during a power outage (for at least 3 hours) and then upload that footage after you regain power. Charging takes about 5 hours and with that, your up and rolling. The speaker is great to communicate with couriers or random passers-by and from what I see, the latency is really good. It's a relatively affordable camera that has some cool accessories ( like the wall mount seen in the photos, sold separately but useful but not necessary). I want to also mention the powerful magnet base on the camera itself. It adheres tightly to almost any metal you place it on. In the end, I would definitely recommend this camera to a friend and associate.

The Nest camera is a really great cam for indoor/outdoor uses. Like the title implies, if you are new to the Nest/Google ecosystem, then you will be good. If you are already using older Nest cams and use the old Nest App, then you might run into some frustrations. The camera itself is built solidly. Feels like a premium device and has the performance to back it up. Magnet is super strong to hold it in many different angles. Inside the box you will find the cam, charging cable, mounting hardware (there is also an optional sold separately indoor stand you can buy) and the quick start guide. Once the camera is fully charged, set up is where I found my first issue. Now I use the Nest app, well because....it's the Nest app, but I quickly found out when trying to add new devices, it takes you to a screen that tells you you can only use the Google Home app to add the camera. Really? It's just my personal opinion but the Google Home app isn't the greatest as it is so convoluted. Yes, once everything is set up, you can just press the camera button on the top of the app to see all the cameras, but then why kill off the Nest App that is only for the cams? Ok, my personal rant is over. The camera itself can be used wirelessly as the name implies, or you can also leave the cable on and keep it a wired cam if you do not want to keep charging it. Though in my honest opinion, the design of the cable charger is a little flawed as it angles OUTWARD toward the front of the camera causing me some awkward cable management issues. I will say this though, after mounting it in my backyard and using it for 3 days straight, it only drained ~3-4% and that was with me constantly logging in and turning on the camera to view live feed. But in the end, I just keep the charging cable in and routed the cable to make it 100% always plugged in. Video and Sound quality are great as with all of other Google's line of cameras. HDR and Video quality was always sharp, day or night to see what is going on. Sound sensitivity can be adjusted to record all things ranging from dog barks, insect activity to people/cars. Sound is loud and clear. After getting over the fact that I can't use the Nest App and started training myself to just use Google Home instead, I found myself not caring so much about it. It really does a nice job on what it is supposed to do. All in all, the Nest Cam is a great camera and worth it.

I have reviewed roughly six different cameras over time: Arlo (two types), Eufy (two types), Blink, Lorex and now Google. Of all of them, this sits right in the middle. Unboxing, set-up and initial use was easy. Scan the QR code with the Google Home App that you likely already have on your phone/tablet; then you’re off to the races. The magnetic mount is solid, however Google really sticks it to you (pun intended) because in order to have it face forward or down-ish, you need “their” stand which stinks in my opinion. If you try to lay it down to get a straight-on view, it rolls, as you’d expect from a round camera. To get around this, cut the end off of a 4x2 about the size of the diameter of the bracket and screw the mount into that; you get the flat edge from keeping the camera from rolling around and it faces forward without the need for a mount (see pics). After a full charge, the battery indicator said I had 6 weeks of battery. After a week (but not a crazy amount) of motion, but motion nonetheless, I also had 6 days left of battery - so the estimations seem pretty off. I’ve even moved it around the house to areas with not-so-great WiFi & it still seems to do well on battery life. Another saving grace here, is that the camera is only 1080p and doesn’t need to do all that extra processing. This camera is more of an “observation” camera vs something you’d use for stealthy security, as it does a few odd things. First, you can “dim” the status LED, but you can’t turn it off all together. I don’t like this as I don’t want the camera to illuminate anything green and obvious at night when it detects motion. Next, if you go to say something out of the two-way microphone, it plays a tone first. The only reason I know this, is I was messing around with the App and hit the mic button accidentally and the people outside started looking around and asked me about it. From a color and clarity perspective, Google is a bit darker for video quality (see pics). From within the App, you can download a local copy of your video but you can’t take a picture of what’s on the screen - you have to “screenshot” your phone/tablet to get a picture. That’s pretty weak. There isn’t any local storage and you have to save your videos (without a subscription) within 3 hours. So, your house was broken into while you were at Disney World for the afternoon? Sorry, those clips are gone by the time you returned home; want to avoid this - pay more money to Google. With the subscription it’s cool to be able to ‘not alert’ when I get home, but do I really want that much _more_ facial recognition to be handled by these guys? I’ll start with the Pros and Cons then wrap it up. Pros: Easy set up Sturdy Strong Magnet Clarity / Quality MagSafe-like magnetic charging cable Battery Life Cons: ONLY 3 hours of saved video playback for free No local storage Can’t take a picture within the App Google Home as the interface (and the buried menus) Non-customizable notification sounds Status LED can't be disabled Overly bright Red IR lights Activating Microphone plays a chime out of the camera Isn't designed to sit flush on a table so they sell a mount that I have to buy Subscription for: 30 days of video ( or 60 days for a premium price ) and the cool services Do I recommend this camera? I’d say ‘No’ because there are better quality (2k/4k) cameras out there that allow for on-site/local storage without a subscription.

Very easy setup right out of the box. I already use the google home platform so integration was very simple. Physical installation was easy as it only has 2 screws needed to mount the hardware. The setup instructions walk you through the entire process from start to finish. Only issue I'm having right now is with the battery life on 2 cameras. Its only lasting a matter of days rather than weeks. I'm working through battery optimization to maximize the battery life. Video feed is great and provides clear video. Night time vision is solid. Overall, I am satisfied with these.