Keeping an eye on your home when you head away has never been easier. There are now swathes of internet connected cameras and doorbells which can beam live footage straight to your smartphone and even send alerts when something strange is spotted. Amazon’s Ring system and Google’s Nest devices are some of the most popular on the planet, but they can’t quite match a new device from the team at Swann and it could be just what some of us have been waiting for.
Most outdoor systems offer cameras powered by rechargeable batteries. This reduces the need for a power supply and means you can place them pretty much anywhere – as long as they are within reach of the Wi-Fi network of course.
The only issue is remembering to recharge them, as when they run out of power, you’ll no longer get those all-important live feeds and alerts.
Refilling can also be a bit of a pain as you have to take the camera off the wall to power things back up, but it’s an issue Swann reckons it’s now fixed. The firm’s new EVO Wireless Solar security camera does exactly what it says it on the tin with it offering 24/7 video recording using the power of the sun.
Swann says that just 45 minutes of solar energy will keep the camera connected for daily use, and that should end the need for removing it and filling up via charger.
Other features include two-way audio—so you can talk to anyone outside your home—and intelligent heat and motion detection.
It also records in 2K Full HD and night vision tech makes sure it won’t miss any action when the sun goes down.
Another bonus is on-device storage via the included 16GB MicroSD card. This feature means there’s no need to pay a monthly fee to store video in the cloud – that’s something with Ring and Nest users must do if they want to access content filmed by their cameras.
Of course, this is a device that’s meant for outdoor use so it’s fully protected against the elements and should survive the usual British weather.
Fancy giving it a go? The EVO Wireless Solar is available now from Swann.com and soon from leading retailers – it costs £99.99.