[ 024 ]
Swann
Wire-free
CHEAP, CHEERFUL, BUT CAPABLE
WIRELESS CAMERAS WITH GOOD
IMAGE QUALITY.OUTWARDLY THERE’S NO difference between the
1080p model of the Swann Smart Security Camera
and its 720p predecessor. Both use the same compact
casing, both use the same mount – and that latter
feature is a shame. In theory the rubberised magnetic
dish on the back, coupled with a rough-textured metal
ball mounted on the wall, would be an excellent and
infinitely adjustable mount, but in practice it’s slippery
and the magnetic connection isn’t quite strong enough
to hold the weight of the camera and its internal
battery in a fixed position. Given that its awkward
handling of sunlight can give this the shortest battery
of the three on test here, you’re in for a lifetime of
readjustment if you try to use the magnets –
particularly irritating if you’re installing it on the
eaves of your house.
There’s no dedicated hub involved here. Each
camera connects directly to your router via Wi-Fi, and
streams to your phone (or to the outside world) from
there. That’s a neat solution, or at least one that saves a
power socket and an ethernet port, but we can’t help
but feel it’s also the reason for the Swann’s slightly
sluggish response times. Even more than the D-Link
camera, the Smart Security Camera has a tendency to
be a gamble whether it’ll successfully connect to live
view or not. It’s also a little slower to kick in its
recording functions when it first detects motion, so it’s
possible that it’ll miss a fleeting appearance on camera
by an intruder.
That said, we have absolutely no other qualms about
the Swann’s motion detection credentials – it’s perhaps
the most sensitive of this trio, and the only one to
explicitly include heat detection to avoid false
positives. It’s quick to send an alert, and convenient in
terms of storage given that it supports both cloud
uploading and an on-board microSD card for each
camera. Picture quality is also superb, with the sensor
managing impressive clarity even in difficult lighting
conditions. Sure, Swann’s app is, to put it mildly, a bit
of a mess, but it’s easy enough to navigate and its
motion detection timeline works well.
If you’re looking to gradually expand your security
net as wide as possible, this is possibly the best choice
going – there’s no reliance on a hub, so theoretically
no limit on the number of cameras you can place
around your home. It’s cheap, too, at least in the
context of similar cameras. Though the edges might
be a bit rough, there’s lots of sparkle here.
The metal ball mounted on the wall is in theory excellent and adjustable, but in practice it’s slippery and
not quite strong enough.BARGAINHUNTERWIRELESSSMARTSECURITYCAMS