INTRODUCTION

   Security related systems such as alarms and cameras belong in a segment of the electronics industry that has advanced considerably over the last decade or so. What's somewhat impressive however is that unlike most electronics this is more evident when it comes to affordable products and is not just limited to the really expensive ones. This means that regardless of which market segment you belong in there's always something you can get your hands on to help safeguard you, your loved ones and of course your property. Laxihub is Arenti's sister brand and since the Arenti VBELL worked very well during my tests (still wish it had a larger battery pack however) i decided to also take a look at the Laxihub F1 Outdoor Floodlight Security Camera which has a far wider range of possible usages.

   Laxihub is a sub-brand of Arenti Technology. As a full-solution smart home video surveillance manufacturer, Laxihub focuses on the development and manufacturing of smart, efficient, and friendly smart home product lines. Laxihub's products are driven by Arenti's technologies, combined with the original designs of the Arenti design team, Laxihub provides beautiful, easy-to-use, and cost-effective products to every user. At the same time, Laxihub pays attention to user privacy and user experience and uses the most cutting-edge technologies and the best service providers in product hardware design and software services to ensure user privacy and secure user data. In Laxihub, every user will experience the best quality IoT products.

   As expected from an outdoor floodlight security camera the F1 features an IP65 certified housing (essentially dust and water proof) inside which Laxihub has squeezed an Full HD (1080p) 2 Megapixel 1/2.9" CMOS camera (F1.2 with digital wide dynamic range and IR CUT Filter), speaker and noise cancelling microphone (2-way audio), 120dB alarm siren, motion sensor (120 degrees angle with 12 meter maximum range), 2.4G Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n) and an microSD card slot (128GB max capacity - records snapshots and clips of up to 60 seconds). On both the left and right of the F1 Laxihub has placed two 12.5W LED lights sporting a color temperature of 6000k and a maximum brightness of 2100 lumen. Needless to say, but with a maximum power consumption surpassing 30W (32W to be exact) the F1 requires to be connected directly with your power grid. Of course, all aspects of the Laxihub F1 can be controlled via the Arenti Smartlife iOS/Android App which I’ll also be showcasing in this review.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

The main product features next to a large product picture and the company logo are showcased at the front of the box.

A product description right next to the product specifications is printed at the base of the box in 22 languages.

The product features are also listed at the top of the box.

Proper installation instructions are printed at the rear of the box right next to several other products available by Arenti/Laxihub.

Along with the F1 floodlight security camera inside the box you'll also find its 2 piece base, mounting screws, two warning stickers and the quick start guide.

THE F1

Measuring 260mm in length, 132mm in height and just 62mm in width (without its base) the F1 is a rather compact floodlight camera.

At the center of the device we find the 1080p 1/2.9" CMOS lens which can record video at up to 2Mbps bitrate.

Further down the center we find the noise-cancelling microphone and the passive infrared (PIR) motion sensor.

On each side we find a single 12.5W LED floodlight capable of up to 2100lm of illumination (6000k color temperature).

At the rear of the device, we find the speaker, siren and the power cables.

Unlike the front which is almost entire made out of plastic the rear of the LED floodlights is entirely made out of aluminum (probably for heat dissipation).

At the base of the device, we find a rubber cap underneath Laxihub has placed a reset switch and the microSD card slot (supports cards up to 128GB in capacity).

ARENTI SMARTLIFE ANDROID / IOS APP

Typically to use this smart video doorbell you will need to download the Arenti Smartlife app and follow the installation/pairing steps.

Once you install the app it will search for firmware updates and inform you about it.

From the main screen you can change between HD and SD resolution, use the two-way audio feature, start recording, enable/disable the motion sensor and turn on/off the LEDs.

From inside the settings menu, you can change the default name of the F1, share the device with other people (via 2D barcode), check the status of the F1, access the installation guide, set the volume for the 2-way audio, switch between 12/24hr clock, enable/disable night vision, set the video recording time (alarm), adjust the motion detection settings, schedule when you'd like the LED floodlights to turn on/off automatically, format the microSD card, enable use with Amazon Echo/Google Home and finally you can enable a 3-month trial for the cloud recording service.

CONCLUSION

   As you may have noticed from the app page i decided to install the Laxihub F1 Outdoor Floodlight Security Camera at my vacation home and more specifically just over the parking area (has the least exposure to sun so i wanted to follow the steps laid out by the manufacturer). For the record i have an AVM FRITZ! BOX 6820 LTE modem installed roughly 6.5-7 meters away from that location (even used the 6890 model for my review just in case) with two brick walls in between. The reason i mention this is that even though I'm satisfied by most aspects of the F1 (including its good overall build quality, picture quality, LED lights strength, motion sensor, alerts, recording function, speaker and siren) i was let down when it comes to signal strength (microphone quality is far from superb as well but it gets the job done). Of course, since 2 brick walls could be a bit much i did try installing the F1 at another location just 4.5 meters away with a rock wall in between but the end result was the same (unfortunately only these two exterior areas had accessible power cables i could use). This means that choosing HD video was not always possible during my tests and in the end out of the 60+ times i used the camera i doubt i was able to switch to HD even 10 of those. Still if you place the F1 at a location where signal strength is not an issue (not all houses have thick rock and/or brick walls after all) then you should be more than just satisfied with it.

   Laxihub currently offers the F1 Outdoor Floodlight Security Camera for 66.90Euros inside the EU (Amazon.de) a price tag which is significantly reduced compared to its MSRP. This means that the F1 would indeed offer an amazing price/performance ratio, if not for its signal strength issues. Sure, you can resolve that by adding a repeater in the mix (if you do have signal strength issues like I did) but that’s not what I’d call ideal. Still, I do recommend checking the Laxihub F1 one since it does deliver on everything else from image quality and two-way audio to numerous useful features and two strong LED floodlights.

PROS

- Good Overall Video Quality
- Two Way Audio
- PIR & Human Detection Sensors
- IP65 Certified Enclosure
- 25W LED Floodlights
- Micro SD Card Slot (Local Recording / 128GB Max)
- Cloud Recording (Monthly Fee / 3 Month Trial)
- Smartlife Android / iOS App
- Price (For Some)

CONS

- Signal Strength
- Average Bitrate
- Microphone Clarity (Could Be A Lot Better)
- Overall Availability