Smart camera products are increasingly available in a range of form factors for indoor and outdoor use cases, making them some of the most highly adopted smart home devices. The consumer love affair with smart cameras will be fueled in 2022 by new product releases, along with updates to established favorites. Interestingly, Ring made no new camera announcements at CES this year nor did Google Nest, which introduced its redesigned lineup in fall 2021.
Still, there was lots to see. Here’s a rundown of seven models (notably all outdoor models) that caught the Interpret team’s eye, in no particular order:
Specs: Dual-camera video doorbell, downward facing 1080p camera with 120-degree FOV and forward-facing 2K camera with 160-degree FOV, hub for local storage
Price Point: $350 w/hub; $260 doorbell
Launch date: February 2022
Specs: Garage door controller with integrated camera, available in 1080p or 2K video, detects door status and animal or person in specified zones, 32 GB local storage
Price Point: $99 Control Cam, $129 Control Cam Plus
Launch date: March 2022
Specs: 2K/1280p HD video, wired and battery options, solar powered accessory coming, cloud and local SD storage, swivel head
Price Point: $100 wired model, $130 battery model, $45 solar accessory
Launch date: February 2022
Specs: 2K HD video, 160-degree field of view, 6-months battery life, full-color night vision, Wi-Fi or ethernet-connected, person detection, cloud subscription plan starting at $6 a month, comes with Chime integrated doorbell chime and Wi-Fi extender
Price Point: $80
Launch date: April 2022
Specs: Uses HomeKit Secure Video, 4 MP with 1200 x 1600 HDR, 178-degree FOV, dual band Wi-Fi, enhanced night vision, wired power, not supported in Wemo app, requires iCloud plan and HomePod, Apple TV or iPad for home hub
Price Point: $250
Launch date: March 2022
Specs: 1080p floodlight camera, designed for Apple HomeKit Secure Video, 157-degree FOV, infrared night vision and motion detection covering 100 degrees at up to 30 feet
Price Point: $250
Launch date: April 2022
Specs: Outdoor spotlight camera, 1080p HD video, radar motion detection, 1200 lumen light, 110dB siren, two-way audio, wired power with weather-resistant cord, 24 hours free cloud storage, cloud storage plans for $3/mo.
Price Point: $180
Launch date: February 2022
In soon-to-be-published research, Interpret’s Smart Home Matrix™ finds outdoor cameras command the second highest average price of all smart camera form factors at $134, eclipsed only by video doorbells. “Outdoor camera value is boosted by weather ratings, more advanced artificial intelligence and analytics, night vision, sophisticated motion detection, and the promise of providing a broader perimeter for security,” said Interpret Vice President Brad Russell. “Outdoor cameras, aside from video doorbells, also represent the highest average number of units owned, compared with other types.”
