After launching their first Nest cameras here almost four years ago, there’s a new Nest Cam range from Google and for the first time ever, they’re bringing a doorbell.
The new Nest range of cameras includes a lot of firsts for Google, with the option to use the Nest cameras on a free tier, as well as offering more battery powered options.
The range includes the new Nest Doorbell, their first battery-powered doorbell, the Google Nest Cam (battery) another first in that it’s their first outdoor/indoor battery-powered camera, the Google Nest Cam with floodlight, their first connected floodlight camera and finally the Google Nest Cam, a wired, indoor camera that’s their most affordable yet.
The Nest Doorbell and Nest Cam (battery) are IP54 rated, so you can confidently leave them out in all weather, with additional endurance testing including Drop, Rain, UV and Wind Testing all a big factor in the cameras design.
As well as new hardware, Google has updated the services on Nest with Smart Alerts and the ability to set activity zones included for free. The Smart Alerts for the Nest Camera range include detection of people, animals and vehicles with the Nest Doorbell getting additional support for Package detection to alert you specifically when a delivery driver rocks up with a package.
For better privacy and security, Google has opted for on-device machine learning which offers increased privacy and security. The on-device processing can differentiate between alerts so that they intelligently alert you about events, rather than when a tree branch waves in the background.
The cameras all include an LED light which lets anyone know that the camera is recording, with an additional ‘breathing’ glow effect when someone is logged in and watching live. There’s also built-in two-way communication so you can speak through the camera no matter where you are.
The cameras support 24/7 live streaming, and will send snapshots for events in a three hour window on their free tier. The three hour window is fine for the free tier, however anyone looking to extend that can do so with 30 or 60 day options with Nest Aware and Nest Aware Plus packages which includes 24/7 playback for the past 10 days on the Nest Aware Plus option. The Nest Aware package also incorporates Familiar Faces which uses cloud-based face recognition to match your contacts.
The new Nest cameras support on-device recording in the event of a power or internet outage. The cameras will continue to record up to an hour of event footage which is uploaded as soon as power or internet access returns.
The new Nest Doorbell is the first doorbell that Google has offered in Australia. It’s a great entry point, offering a wireless option to compete with offerings from Ring, Arlo and more.
The Nest Doorbell has a clean, sleek design featuring rounded ends on a slim frame that will mount easily to your door frame, with a wedge included in the box to help you position it ‘just right’.
It’s battery powered for convenience, however for anyone with a wired doorbell it can also be wired into an existing setup for continuous battery charging. Google says you’ll get about three months of life out of the Nest Doorbell, and it will take just over five hours to charge.
The Doorbell has a 145-degree field of view, which allows the camera to see visitors from head-to-toe, as well as being able to see packages as close as 20cm from your door. The recordings are captured in 960p resolution at up to 30fps and offer options for zooming in to see what’s happening.
Hearing alerts on your phone is one thing, but you can also utilise their speakers including the Nest Mini which can chime when someone is at the door or see who it is instantly on your Nest Hub.
Google says the Nest Doorbell will go on-sale on August 25th for $329 through the Google Store. It may also pay to check the Google Store Specials page where they’re bundling a Nest Hub (2nd Gen) right now.
The new Nest Cam (Battery) is designed to be used indoors or outdoors also running on battery making it a versatile option to set up around your home.
The camera captures 1080p and also includes night vision and HDR making for great quality video playback. The camera will offer a lot of coverage as well with a 130-degree field-of-view.
The Nest Cam Indoor/Outdoor includes a magnetic mounting bracket letting you easily position it, but if you want to use it on a shelf or have it a little mobile you can purchase a custom stand for $59.
The Nest Cam includes a 6 Ah, 3.65V lithium-ion battery but how long that lasts will depend on usage. The are ptional extras you can purchase for the Nest Cam Indoor/Outdoor including weatherproof power cables and even a solar panel to keep them charged.
The Nest Cam Indoor/Outdoor will go on-sale for $329 for a single, $619 for a double pack, or $899 for a 3-pack on August 25th through the Google Store. As with the Nest Doorbell, if you check the Google Store Specials page you can nab a free Nest Hub (2nd Gen) if you pre-order.
The Nest range is also now getting a floodlight model, offering dual floodlights as well as their camera which can capture 1080p video with support for HDR as well.
The Floodlight camera departs from the usual motion sensing nature of floodlight cameras, with the Nest Floodlight Cam able to differentiate between a tree branch moving, or car driving past and someone walking by who actually needs the floodlight turned on.
While the Doorbell and Nest Cam go on-sale August 25th, Google hasn’t announced a launch date for the Nest Cam Floodlight but pricing has been announced with the Nest Cam Floodlight priced at $549.
Finally, there’s a new Nest Cam Indoor, their cheapest to date, coming in at just $169.
The new Nest Cam has a new design from the slightly awkward looking 4-year old model. The new design includes a permanent base and is more in keeping with the new Nest range, and it’s compact enough to fit in almost anywhere.
Google hasn’t announced a launch date for the new Nest Cam here in Australia as yet, but we’ll let you know when it does.
When I talk to people about Security cameras I think they fall into one of…
This week's podcast is huge but there's no extra charge. A bumper edition of The…
Sweeping changes to two of Cupra's top-selling models in Australia – the Formentor SUV and…
Netgear has long been a leader in the market of home WiFi and networking, from…
Motorola aren't just launching a new phone, it feels like they're relaunching the brand with…
Ten months after the ACCC gave a solid "No Soup for you!" to TPG and…