Will The Yi Camera Work Outside
YI Cameras Review (Including Kami)
We tested these cameras for a few days to meet how they stand up to the contest.
After spending a few days testing Kami and YI cameras, we empathise why virtually of them are so inexpensive—and it's not all good news. If you need a inexpensive security photographic camera that streams good video quality to a mobile app and records to a microSD card, YI is more than enough to meet your needs. But you should wait elsewhere—like Wyze—if you desire affordable deject storage and robust customer support.
Pros
Unbeatable price
Core features are proficient enough for most people
Local video storage
Person and sound detection
Cons
Pricey deject storage
Pricing doesn't always brand sense
Blank-bones support resources online
YI and Kami cameras in this review
- : All-time overall
- : All-time wire-free photographic camera
-
YI Outdoor Security Camera
- : Best budget camera
- : Best video doorbell
Compare YI security cameras
*Amazon.com list toll equally of mail service date. Read full disclaimer.
Video: Kami Doorbell Review
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What to expect with YI security cameras
In general, YI cameras are skillful for folks looking to spend as little money as possible. Let's dive into why they work well for basic recording, where they can improve, and some differences betwixt the models in our review.
Are YI cameras skilful?
For virtually people, the core features are probably enough to seal the deal, and we tin't fault YI and Kami for nailing the basics:
- Born Wi-Fi and mobile app (actually two apps—both the Kami Dwelling and YI Home app piece of work with all of the cameras)—the app is swell for adjusting settings and watching videos from your cameras.
- The 1080p video resolution looks abrupt mean solar day and night. It holds upwards well to most other camera brands but lags backside Arlo, Nest Cam, and Reolink.
- There'south a microSD menu slot for local recording without a cloud storage program (except on the doorbell camera).
- Two-style audio allows you to use a photographic camera as an intercom through the app.
- Move-activated recording with person detection, sound detection, and adjustable sensitivity allows you to customize what and when the camera records and sends y'all move alerts (except on the Kami Wire-Free Outdoor Photographic camera, which has fewer options).
- Basic smart home integration with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant allows you to sentry camera feeds on compatible smart displays.
Where tin YI better?
If you don't have much experience with security cameras, YI seems like a bang-up bargain—the perfect impulse buy. But they lose a lot of luster with the cloud storage and client support resource.
Kami Deject plans
Data as of mail service date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to modify.
*Express to half dozen-second clips
Kami Cloud is expensive for what you get and is one of the least competitive cloud storage plans on the market. Exorbitant Deject subscription fees are how YI can afford to sell its cameras for less than any other make—including some Wyze models:
- The Gratis plan limits clips to six seconds and stores them for upwards to 24 hours. The clips are long plenty to effigy out what'southward happening on-screen but don't capture much particular, cheers to a mandatory cooldown betwixt recordings. This likewise limits how oft you get notifications.
- The Entry programme costs about $5 a month for a single camera, whereas competitors like Arlo, Wyze, Band cost $3 a month or less for the same benefits and more than seven days of video history.
- Recording multiple cameras on a single plan kicks in on the Standard program, which costs a whopping $12 a calendar month and limits y'all to five total cameras. By comparison, Reolink'southward five-camera plans beginning at $5 a month, Nest and Ring record unlimited cameras at $6 and $10 a month, respectively, and Arlo'southward v-camera plans start at $10 a month. In every case, Kami Deject is more than expensive (fifty-fifty if y'all score a discounted annual plan in the YI app).
- The emergency service on the Plus programme uses Noonlight monitoring to put y'all in affect with first responders, similar to a dwelling security system. Unfortunately, it costs two to three times more than than matching options from Arlo and Wyze.
Customer support resource
If you lot want to contact a real person for customer service, you have ii options: visit the YI Community forum or pay for a cloud plan to unlock telephone support. (It's not worth it.) The YI Customs should be your first terminate if y'all accept a question nearly your camera since you lot can connect with YI Technology representatives and other customers on any topic.
Y'all might desire to familiarize yourself with the mobile app's FAQ section and salve the manual that comes with your IP photographic camera because they're essentially the simply official resources worth using. Both explain how to gear up upwards the cameras and offer some troubleshooting tips but in a improve format than you'll find in the Kami Help Center.
Certain, the Help Center covers all of the same topics, but it'southward disorganized and doesn't add much depth. Nosotros similar that the resources don't beat around the bush-league, but they mostly feel like an reconsideration compared to the app and manual.
In that location's also a support chatbot in the app and when you select Client Support on the Kami website. The bot doesn't accept whatever questions beyond the ones it presents y'all. This makes it useful for looking up quick answers about some common issues simply non for anything else.
Similarities and differences
There aren't many differences between the YI cameras in our review, but here are some things to keep in listen when buying.
- Smart detection: Most of the cameras come with smart detection (people and sounds) except the Kami Wire-Gratis Outdoor Camera. Some cameras have confront detection and recognition (Kami Mini, Kami Doorbell Camera, and YI Dome Camera).
- Privacy mode: Some of the pan-tilt cameras (YI Dome Camera) take a privacy mode that physically hides the lens to prevent it from recording video in a room.
- Batteries vs. wired: The Kami Wire-Complimentary Outdoor Camera and the Kami Doorbell camera utilise rechargeable batteries, while the other cameras crave a power cablevision.
- Weather protection: Three cameras have built-in weather protection so you can utilise them outside your domicile: Kami Wire-Complimentary Outdoor Camera, Kami Doorbell Camera, and YI Outdoor Security Camera.
YI and Kami security camera reviews
1. YI Dome Camera: All-time overall
The YI Dome Camera is one of our favorite security cameras, thank you to its privacy mode, which allows you to hide the lens behind a physical privacy shutter. This is great for folks that desire a little more than control over what the camera sees and don't plan to apply the camera continually.
We also like that this pan-tilt camera tin expect around the room for movement—yous don't demand to indicate it anywhere specific in this mode since information technology patrols for you. Later on spotting movement, the photographic camera's movement tracking follows the subject—like an unwelcome invitee or seeing where your true cat prowls during the nighttime. Both of these features are mutual in pan-tilt cameras, like the Wyze Cam Pan.
Because this is a newer YI cam, it can also use AI smart detection to categorize videos with faces, people, pets, and sounds for easy review afterwards. It offers articulate 1296p resolution 24-hour interval and night, though it lacks the color nighttime vision of Reolink and Wyze'due south latest products.
Overall, the YI Dome Camera is an affordable security camera that performs well and is a good alternative to the Wyze Cam Pan—especially every bit a pet photographic camera. But it's unlikely to outshine the Reolink E1 Zoom, our favorite pan-tilt camera. Learn more in our YI Dome Photographic camera review.
2. Kami Wire-Free Outdoor Camera: Best wire-free photographic camera
The Kami Wire-Complimentary Outdoor Camera skips the power outlet and cord in favor of rechargeable batteries. Unlike the proprietary battery packs near other battery-powered security cameras employ, the Kami Wire-Free uses four 18650-type lithium-ion batteries. These high-ability batteries are popular in flashlights and RC cars, making it easy to buy spares from various third-party brands.
We similar that Kami includes the batteries and a charging station, but there's no way to recharge them without unmounting the camera—it doesn't accept a charging port (this means no solar power either). Still, the freedom you lot become from battery power makes it easy to mount this photographic camera where y'all demand information technology (and as long as there's a Wi-Fi signal). This is great for cameras on the perimeter of your property looking toward the house.
This is one of Kami'southward more expensive offerings (effectually $85), costing over twice every bit much as the YI outdoor photographic camera. And, while it works well enough, there are better wireless cameras that cost only slightly more than: Ring Stick Up Cam and Reolink Argus 3 Pro.
Even so, you lot might consider the Kami Wire-Free Outdoor Camera if you lot already accept other YI/Kami cameras and want a wire-free option with more installation flexibility (without relying on another photographic camera brand).
3. YI Outdoor Security Camera: All-time outdoor camera
The YI Outdoor Security Camera is one of the most affordable outdoor cameras you can purchase. Nosotros similar it for its clean bullet camera design and powerful night vision. When you compare it to other YI cameras, this unit has more night vision LEDs, which gives it brighter nighttime videos on the whole.
Its wired power source means you have fewer placement options, but it saves having to recharge batteries like on the Kami Wire-Free. At least the ability cord is 10 feet long, which means the power outlet doesn't need to be right next to the camera.
Barring the occasional auction or lightning deal, you can buy this camera for around $40 most of the time. This is a bit pricier than other wired budget cameras like the Wyze Cam v3 and ZOSI C190. While nosotros lean toward Wyze for budget security cameras, the YI Outdoor Security Camera is certainly a compelling alternative to more expensive offerings from Arlo, Ring, and Google Nest.
4. YI Home Camera: All-time upkeep camera
The YI Dwelling house Camera 1080p is i of the all-time security cameras you can buy for under $30—non that there are too many options for this price. Nonetheless, the good video quality and smart detection features brand information technology a worthy adversary to the Wyze Cam v2. (It's not waterproof, then the newer Wyze Cam v3 ultimately pulls ahead.)
More than YI'due south other security cameras, this photographic camera's greatest forcefulness is numbers:
- Two for the toll of a Ring Indoor Cam
- Five for the toll of a Reolink Argus 3 Pro
- Eight for the price of an Arlo Pro 4
- Seven for the toll of a Google Nest Cam (Bombardment)
Nosotros recommend this dwelling house security camera for folks wanting an easy option to bank check on the house when they're out of town. It also works well as a baby monitor for the nursery. Learn more in our full YI Home Camera review.
5. Kami Doorbell Photographic camera: All-time video doorbell
The Kami Doorbell Photographic camera helps lookout man over your porch for guests and packages. A unique matter about this doorbell is that you can pre-record quick responses for visitors. Most other doorbell cameras with quick responses don't have custom recordings only employ preset options instead.
We honey that this camera has a wide 160ยบ field of view—comparable to that of other video doorbells. The video is just as well-baked as other Kami cameras, though we had some trouble at first switching information technology out of dark vision mode during the day.
When someone presses the push, you lot get a notification on your phone, but the default chinkle dissonance isn't very loud, so you might need to utilise ane of your phone's notification tones instead. We also found the speaker on the doorbell to be a picayune tranquillity. We tested this unit in the battery-ability way, then we don't know if it'south louder when you connect information technology to doorbell wiring.
At $100, it's similar to the Band Video Doorbell, but Kami's cloud storage plan is less affordable. This production is notwithstanding fairly new, then nosotros're hopeful that Kami will set up some of the performance problems in a future firmware update or the next camera version.
Larn more from our full Kami Doorbell Review.
Other YI and Kami cameras we considered
*Amazon.com list price as of mail service date. Read full disclaimer.
- KamiBaby: While any YI camera tin function equally a baby monitor, the KamiBaby has specific tools to help you spotter over your baby, similar sensors for temperature, humidity, crying, and breathing patterns. Like other babe monitors, information technology has lullabies and a dark light you tin utilise for your baby.
Final word
Utilitarian is the best word to describe YI and Kami security cameras. The cameras perform their video recording task well and for a cheap enough cost—most folks probably won't care almost the expensive cloud storage and limited client support. Simply, because their cost isn't too far off of Wyze's superior cameras, it'due south hard to recommend them as a better option.
YI Dome Camera: affordable pan-tilt camera with a physical privacy shutter to protect your personal space
Kami Wire-Free Outdoor Camera: record outdoor video in your yard without power cables
YI Outdoor Security Camera: cheap wired camera that works outdoors or for garages and carports with less weather condition protection than the residuum of your home
YI 1080p Home Camera: a fly on the wall at home when yous're on vacation
Kami Doorbell Camera: a decent alternative to Band—we didn't say it was better
Cheque out our Wyze cameras review for a budget security photographic camera make that's similar merely sticks the landing amend than YI. You can also compare it with other rivals in our cheap security camera review.
How nosotros reviewed
Although we didn't utilise every YI photographic camera in our review, nosotros were able to test the Kami Mini, Kami Wire-Free Outdoor Camera, and the Kami Doorbell from a home office in an apartment. These three cameras were plenty to give us a glimpse into the video quality, notifications, recording options, and back up resources of this brand—and whether information technology's worth your time.
Kami cameras during testing
The general lack of information and minimal client service resources for YI and Kami cameras makes them almost incommunicable to research. Even so, we scraped together whatever nosotros could find to write our comparison. Stop by our ranking methodology to detect out more most how nosotros test and review products.
FAQ
YI and Kami are made past the aforementioned company—two sides of the same coin, though Kami products are more often than not newer.
They use the same apps, look the same, and accept nearly identical specs. Honestly, whether you cull YI or Kami comes downward to whichever has lower prices.
There's no subscription fee if you choose to tape video locally on an SD card (sold separately) or use the limited-space free cloud storage.
Only you do need to pay a monthly fee if you want more cloud storage, particularly on cameras that lack a microSD slot like the Kami Doorbell Camera.
You need the internet to set up the cameras, but they can record automatically without it—as long every bit you install a microSD to shop video locally.
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