INTRODUCTION

   Small wireless surveillance cameras may have come a long way in recent years but just like many others out there i too was sceptical prior to using them both at home and at the office. Let's face it, unless you have a reason to use one chances are you'll not even think about it and since in my case there was a break in at home i simply couldn't take any chances. Well just like with most things in the electronics market there's a large number of cloud surveillance cameras one can choose from and even though all of them should provide a decent degree of security getting the best bang for your buck is always how it should be. Aqara may not be one of the well-known manufacturers of smart home devices but their products have received very good ratings by consumers and so today I'll be testing what's probably their most popular camera model to date, the Camera Hub G2H which was released almost 2 years ago.

   Founded in 2016, Aqara is a leading smart home provider with offices in New York and Shenzhen. The Company provides comprehensive smart home products and solutions that are beautifully designed, long-lasting, and easy to use. Products range from a variety of smart sensors to switches, curtain controllers, and smart door locks. Over the last few years, Aqara has opened more than 600 Aqara stores to provide more personalized smart home solutions for individual households and businesses. Aqara currently serves more than 2 million customers worldwide, with distribution partners in the United States, EU, Russia, Southeast Asia, Korea, and China. The Company also offers one of the most comprehensive suite of HomeKit compatible smart home solutions in the market, and its products can also be found in Apple Stores across Europe and Asia. As the Company continues to expand its global footprint, Aqara hopes to bring more accessible, smart home technology to households around the world.

   As revealed by its name the Camera Hub G2H combines two wireless (2.4GHz g/b/n) devices in a tiny body, an 1080p high definition camera with two-way audio (5 meter range omni-directional microphone paired with a small speaker which sports a maximum volume of 85dB) and a ZigBee 3.0 certified smart hub capable of controlling up to 64 compatible smart/home automation devices by Aqara. The camera features both wide angle lens (140 degrees) and IR night vision, can keep video recordings and still screens both locally (microSD card slot - supports cards up to 32GB in capacity) and on iCloud and just like the hub it also supports integration with Apple's Homekit (also compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant). Of course, just like many other WiFi smart cameras the Camera Hub G2H can start recording and/or send alerts to your phone the moment it detects motion (also supports specific activity zones) but unlike most other models it can detect abnormal sounds. So, let's see what Aqara's most popular WiFi camera model to date has to offer.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

The G2H is packed in a tiny box that just has the company and Apple Homekit logos and a small product picture at the front.

A product description is placed on the left side in 9 languages just over a few extra details.

Aqara lists all the main product features of the G2H on the right side.

The product specifications are printed at the rear of the box just under a product picture and over several certifications.

Along with the Camera Hub G2H inside the box you'll also find a USB to MicroUSB charging cable, USB power plug, 3M sticker and the user manual (since i got the white version i decided to take pictures with a black background).

THE CAMERA HUB G2H

The Aqara Camera Hub G2H is a tiny WiFi camera that measures just 82.4mm in height, 56.5mm in width and 50.5mm in length.

Aqara has equipped the G2H with 140 degrees wide angle lens that can record 1080p video (the microphone is located just under the lens).

At the top we find a function button which can be used to record a video message when pressed for 5s.

Both the speaker and the microUSB charging port are located at the rear.

The base of the G2H is basically a magnet so you can attach it on metal surfaces.

Raising the base reveals the microSD port and reset switch.

As you can see the base rotates so you can attach the G2H easier on metal surfaces (you can use the bundled 3M sticker on non-metal surfaces).

AQARA HOME APP

To use the Camera Hub G2H you will need to download the Aqara Home App on your phone and pick the model from the list as seen above.

After that you may name the camera and the room where you will place it.

As expected, the app checks for available firmware updates so this review was made with the latest available one.

The main app tab shows all connected/paired devices.

Inside the settings tab there's a wide selection not only for the camera itself but also connected devices.

You can access all camera settings from the more settings tab.

So, from here you can enable the status LED, change the language of the hub, set the volume and check the status of the microSD card (you can also format it).

You can also enable time stamp on your videos, rotate and invert picture and configure the night vision feature (on/off/auto).

Both motion and abnormal sound detection can be configured from the alerts tab.

From the network information tab, you can check things like WiFi signal strength (useful to see where you can position the camera for optimal results).

The app also allows you to place a password, control other Aqara accessories, use 3rd party devices (like from Sonos) and setup the device for use with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa.

VIDEO QUALITY

As you can all see from the above pictures the Aqara Camera Hub G2H delivers quite good video quality. Yes, it doesn't stand out as something unique but for a WiFi camera with a bitrate that hardly ever exceeds 200KB/s (thus easy to transmit wirelessly) picture quality is actually quite good (both during the day and night). Audio quality is not great but clearly a step up compared to several other models I've had the chance to test through the years. Again, nothing really unique but it does work better than expected.

CONCLUSION

   Aqara is a name I first heard by some of you so I really didn’t know what to expect from their products, not only in terms of performance but also quality. So, I am happy to report that the Camera Hub G2H scored rather high in all my tests. It’s tiny (not to mention available in multiple colors – although they seem somewhat hard to come by), can be mounted on virtually any surface, has good 1080p picture (including night vision), can record video both locally and on iCloud, sports 2-way communication, supports both motion and abnormal sound detection alerts and recording and can be used to control up to 64 smart Aqara devices. Compatibility with ZigBee 3.0 and Apple’s Homekit are also features that some consumers are certain to find useful. Now i would had liked to see a more durable housing than the one used but for indoor use i guess it's sufficient. All that’s left is to see just how much the Camera Hub G2H retails right now.

   So, at the time of this review the Aqara Camera Hub G2H retails for just USD64.99 inside the USA (Newegg.com) and for just 56.99Euros inside the EU (Amazon.de) a price tag which feels alright for what you’re getting. At the end of the date the Camera Hub G2H by Aqara may already count 2 years in the market but it does a good job not only with helping you keep tabs at what’s happening at home or at the office but also as central hub for your smart devices and that’s why it deserves the Golden Award.

PROS

- Full HD 1080p (Good Overall Quality)
- Two Way Audio
- Smart Device Hub (Up To 64 Devices)
- Motion & Abnormal Noise Detection Sensors
- Micro SD Card Slot (Local Recording)
- Apple Homekit & ZigBee 3.0 Compatible
- Aqara Home App Android/iOS App
- Magnetic Base
- Price (For Some)

CONS

- Average Bitrate
- Speaker & Microphone Clarity (Good But Could Be Better)
- Enclosure Durability