Realme 360° Smart Camera Review: Feature-Packed Budget Security Camera

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Realme is continuously adding new products to its IoT portfolio in India. The latest and one of the most exciting additions is the Smart Cam 360°. It is the brand's first security device and is largely an entry-level surveillance camera for consumers looking for an affordable security solution for home and office use.

 

Rating:
3.5/5

Realme 360° Smart Camera Review: Feature-Packed Budget Security Camera

Priced at Rs. 2,999, Realme Smart Cam 360° comes equipped with a host of useful surveillance features and picks up a fight with the Xiaomi's 2018 Mi Home Security 360° Camera. We quite liked the Mi Home security camera for the performance and features it brought to the table. It's time we take a closer look at Realme's budget surveillance camera. Let's get started.

What Is Realme Smart Cam 360°?

What Is Realme Smart Cam 360°?

Realme Smart Cam 360° is an entry-level 360-degree security camera that can record video footage in both 480p (SD) and 1080P FHD resolution and supports two-way voice real-time calling. The budget surveillance camera supports up to a 128GB MicroSD card and is equipped for non-stop recording for 24 hours a day. You would need the ‘realme Link' companion app for setup, controlling the camera and for sharing video screen with family members.

The tiny dome-shaped camera comes in a white color body and looks quite futuristic. It is made up of high-quality plastic which feels durable; however, the body is not water-dust proof so make sure you protect the security camera from water damage. The microSD card slot is provided below the lensand the back of the spherical body has a speaker for two-way communication. The microUSB port is positioned at bottom along with a reset button.

Stickers To Add Some Character
 

Stickers To Add Some Character

Moving on, Realme offers some cool stickers in the package to customize the look and feel of your tiny surveillance system. While this is a small thing but we liked the creative thought behind it. The stickers look really cool on the dome-shaped security camera and there are lots of them to experiment with the look of the device.

Realme Smart Cam 360° Specifications

Realme Smart Cam 360° Specifications

  • Video Resolution- 480p, 1080P FHD
  • Memory Card Support- Up to 128GB
  • Phone Storage- Yes, Manual
  • Cloud Storage- No
  • Vision: 360-Degree, Field-Of-View: 105-degree
  • AI Motion Detection, Human Body Detection
  • Infrared Night Vision (940mm Infrared Light)
  • Two-Way Voice TalkBack
  • Sharing Mode
  • Realme Link Companion App (Android, iOS to follow soon)
  • AES-128 Data Encryption
Realme Smart Cam 360° Setup And Use

Realme Smart Cam 360° Setup And Use

Setting up the Smart Cam 360° camera is fairly easy as long as you have a working Wi-Fi connection at home or wherever you plan to install the security system. The camera supports both upright and inverted installation which means you can install it on a wall at 90-degree angle, the ceiling in an inverted position or can simply place it on a table in upright mode. The camera has a flat base and stays at its place even if it is not hard mounted on a flat surface.

The package includes the clamp and screws to help you perform the installation procedure. Once you have installed the camera, you would need the companion app- Realme Link, to get started with the setup process.

  • Install the Realme Link app and login with your account.
  • Go to ‘Add device' and search for the security camera.
  • Go to Security, select Realme Smart Cam 360° and enter your Wi-Fi password.
  • Ensure that the LED indicator on the camera is blinking Red. Click Next.
  • Let the app establish the connection with the camera and register it with your smartphone.
Realme Smart Cam 360° Features And Performance

Realme Smart Cam 360° Features And Performance

Post the setup process and with a stable Wi-Fi network, the camera starts streaming the live feed like any other security solution. You can check out the live feed on your smartphone and configure the stream quality between SD and FHD. The 1080P FHD feed looks crisp on phone's screen and the overall quality (colors, dynamic range and clarity) seems better in comparison to what Xiaomi's budget security camera has to offer. The budget security camera supports motion detection and it works very well. You can also activate ‘Alarm Push Messages' which when enabled from the app's settings send alarm messages on your smartphone when the camera detects any anomalies. The app allows you to choose between three sensitivity settings for alarm messages- Low, Medium and High.

Human Body Detection And Motion-Tracking

Human Body Detection And Motion-Tracking

Importantly, the Realme Smart Cam 360° is also capable of detecting human movement and sends notifications on your smartphone when it detects a human body coming into the camera vision. It's an important feature that you must activate during night time to ensure the security of your premises. Moreover, the camera also comes equipped with motion-tracking and can effortlessly track movement, provided that the feature is enabled from the ‘Pan-tilt' section in the settings. The camera movement is silent as the double motor-holder which controls the free rotation of the equipment makes no or almost zero noise.

(Please note that similar to the Mi Home security camera, the Realme's security camera also needs a continuous power supply of 5V1A.)

Night Mode Vision

Night Mode Vision

Realme Smart Cam 360° can also see in the night, thanks to a built-in infrared illuminator. The security camera has a viewing range of up to 10m, which is more than enough to get a view of any possible movement in the camera vision. The video quality in the night time is pretty good as the built-in 940nm infrared illuminator provides clear picture quality even when the light conditions are highly unfavourable. You can clearly see faces and any movement of anyone and anything that comes into vicinity, which Realme Smart Cam 360° a highly useful night-time surveillance system to be placed inside your children's' room or to monitor your pets.

Realme Link App Features- Zoom on Live Feed, Control Resolution, Enable Night Mode, Etc.

Realme Link App Features- Zoom on Live Feed, Control Resolution, Enable Night Mode, Etc.

The main screen of the companion app also lets you change the angle of vision with directional buttons. You can switch on/off the camera from the main screen, capture a picture and start the video recording manually. Sadly, there's no auto video recording mode to store the footage on a connected smartphone. Also, the security camera does not support cloud storage. You can use a microSD card to up to 128GB, which is double the storage limit of the Xiaomi's security camera.

The main screen also lets you choose the feed resolution, enable full-screen view and activate the two-way voice talk mode. You can also zoom in on the live feed to focus on a specific spot in the frame which comes very handy. Furthermore, you can tweak the anti-flicker settings (50Hz and 60Hz), rotate the feed to 180-degrees depending upon the camera's placement and correct the distortion. The night mode can be enabled manually or you can just set it on auto mode to let the camera decide the best possible view based on the available lighting.

Device Sharing

Device Sharing

You can link the security camera to multiple devices. Add the Realme account's details in ‘Device Sharing' in settings to provide access to your family members. The feature comes quite handy as all members of a family can monitor the house activities from their smartphones. I have installed three of these affordable cameras at home (Stairs, Balcony and Parking) and the access is provided to all family members. Anyone can access the feed from the cameras at any point of time from any part of the world which enables a full-proof and secure surveillance setup at minimal costing.

And while the companion app offers most of the required features, the security camera misses on some important features like cloud storage and automatic storage on the smartphone. The app is also a bit unstable at times and lags while accessing the live feed. Last but not the least; the Realme IoT management app is yet to be made available for iOS devices, which is a big letdown for iPhone/iPad users.

Verdict

Verdict

Realme Smart Cam 360° is an affordable and feature-rich surveillance setup for home and office use. It records high-quality FHD videos and pushes the live feed on your smartphone. The live feed can be accessed on multiple devices from any corner of the world which makes this affordable security camera a great buy for price-conscious Indian households. The app could use some improvements and the camera itself misses on some important features but for the price you pay, Realme Smart Cam 360° is a no brainer deal. Apple users should not buy this security camera for now as the companion app isn't available for iOS devices. If you have an Android device at home, you shouldn't think twice.

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