The original Nest Cam from 2014 wasn’t the first Nest product, but it certainly became one of the company’s most popular releases. Since then, we’ve seen several variants and variations of this device that have helped make smart security cameras accessible to the masses.
However, over the years, Nest has stopped being the preferred brand for smart cameras. High prices and a lack of wireless solutions for indoor and outdoor cameras have sidelined the company. Now companies like Blink, Arlo, Ring, Eufy and others dominate the market. Google hopes to turn the tide with its new offering, the Google Nest Cam, with the Google Nest Cam (battery) model at the helm. At last, the company has a fully wireless indoor and outdoor security camera in its lineup.
[content-egg-block template=offers_logo hide=price]The Nest Cam looks a lot like the Nest Cam Outdoor we reviewed a few years ago, but it’s a bit larger at 3.2 inches long and 3.2 inches wide. The camera has a white, weatherproof (IP54) case that lets you install it outside in windy conditions, and a removable magnetic base that lets you position it at an optimal angle and easily detach it for charging.
Inside is a non-removable, rechargeable lithium-ion battery that lasts up to three months between charges with normal use. You can also power the camera via the included 3.3-foot power cord – just plug it into the magnetic power/charging port on the bottom and a USB power adapter. Inside, there’s also a Bluetooth radio and a dual-band Wi-Fi circuit that connects the camera to either the 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz band of your Wi-Fi network.
The Nest Cam records 1080p video at 30 frames per second and uses HDR technology for enhanced contrast performance. It has a 130-degree diagonal field of view, 16:9 aspect ratio, and 6x digital zoom. Six infrared LEDs provide black and white night vision. The camera assembly also includes a motion sensor, microphone and status LED. A small speaker is embedded in the bottom of the case.
Like the Nest Doorbell, the Nest Cam responds to Google Assistant voice commands and allows video to be viewed on a Nest Hub device. However, it does not respond to Amazon Alexa voice commands and does not work with Apple’s HomeKit platform. It also lacks support for IFTTT applets, which allow it to work with numerous third-party smart home devices.
The camera records video when motion is detected and provides smart alerts that tell you if the motion is caused by people, animals, vehicles, or other movement. It also sends an alert when it hears the sound of a smoke or CO alarm or breaking glass. You can watch videos less than three hours old for free, but if you want to access older clips or use the Known Faces feature, you’ll need to subscribe to a Nest Aware plan.