Smart home gadgets are not only designed to make life easier. On top of that, certain devices can provide more security. For example, more and more consumers are opting for a surveillance camera that is integrated into the home network. This makes it possible to check what’s going on inside or outside at any time, both at home and on the road. It’s no wonder that SwitchBot, as an expert in smart household gadgets, also has suitable models on offer. In today’s SwitchBot Outdoor Spotlight Cam review, we want to take a closer look at a surveillance camera that is supposed to be used outdoors. Among other things, this one wants to score with an AI that can distinguish between humans and animals.
Technical data
| Dimensions and weight | 86 x 86 x 83 mm and 320 g |
| User environment | Indoor and outdoor |
| Viewing angle | 126 ° diagonal, 110 ° horizontal, 53 ° vertical |
| Operation | App operation, voice control (Alexa, Google Assistant) |
| Video resolution | 1,080p (Full HD) |
| Night vision | 850 nm LED infrared night vision, color imaging combined to spotlight |
| Audio | Microphone and speaker (100 dB) |
| WiFi | IEEE 802.11 b/g/n; 2.4 GHz |
| Bluetooth | BLE 4.2 |
| Memory | Cloud storage or microSD (max. 256 GB) |
| Protection against dirt and water | IP55 |
| Battery | 10,050 mAh (up to 90 days battery life) |
| Price | € 34.95 * |
Scope of delivery
At first glance, you’ll notice that the camera comes in an extremely compact package. That’s why you shouldn’t expect a lavish scope of delivery here. Nevertheless, SwitchBot includes everything that is necessary for using the camera. In addition to the camera itself, you’ll find a practical mount that allows wall mounting.
The manufacturer also includes the necessary screws and dowels. If you don’t feel like drilling holes in the wall, you can also use the alternative in the form of an adhesive mount. Furthermore, a charging cable (USB-C) with a length of one meter is included. Of course, the obligatory paperwork in the form of an instruction manual must not be missing.
SwitchBot Outdoor Cam Spotlight review: workmanship and design
- Camera in eyeball design
- Excellent build quality
- Protection to IP55
When I first held the Outdoor Cam in my hands, I immediately noticed the excellent build quality. Here it cracks and creaks at no point. Annoying gaps as you sometimes find in other cameras of the class, you also look in vain here. To be honest, anything else would have surprised me. After all, the manufacturer has already scored with high-quality gadgets like a SwitchBot Lock (test), Hub 2 (test) or Curtain Rod 2 (test) in our test series. The manufacturer also stays true to its line when it comes to color schemes.
As with the majority of the in-house smart helpers, SwitchBot also relies on the color white here. A cool contrast is the black camera unit, which scores with a large field of view (110 degrees horizontally, 53 degrees vertically, 126 degrees diagonally). The camera unit is joined by two infrared headlights, which are supposed to provide a clear view even in absolute darkness. You’ll also find two LED headlights, a brightness sensor and a motion sensor. The two status LEDs in green and red provide information about the current status of the outdoor cam.
The Outdoor Cam comes in a spherical shape and measures 86 mm in diameter. This makes it pleasantly compact and not much bigger than a tennis ball. The weight of 320 g makes it clear that there is a lot of technology under the hood. More about that later. I find the design very well done. It reminds me of an eyeball, which is certainly no coincidence. Particularly in combination with the corresponding base, this impression is once again reinforced.
SwitchBot Outdoor Cam Spotlight Test: Local Storage Option
- Fixing with drilling or gluing possible
- Save recordings to cloud or microSD
- Recording in Full HD
Small but mighty! This is undoubtedly true of the technical features of the surveillance camera. After all, it is quite surprising what SwitchBot accommodates in the rather small housing. The heart of the device is of course the camera technology. The sensor has a resolution of 1,440 x 1,080 pixels and thus produces sharp pictures in FHD. The camera relies on Bluetooth 4.2 LE to establish wireless connections to other devices. However, the Bluetooth is actually only used in the setup.
Finally, you tie the camera into your home wireless network to then control it via smartphone and co. Unfortunately, the Outdoor Cam can only be connected via 2.4 GHz. A network connection via 5 GHz is not possible. What is really cool is the possibility to save recordings locally on the camera itself. This principle may be familiar from classic surveillance cameras. However, more and more modern manufacturers are opting for a pure cloud solution, where recordings can only be accessed via the Internet. SwitchBot offers both here. The storage medium is a microSD card, which you place in the corresponding card slot on the back.
Up to 256 GB are possible. The slot is located under a silicone cover just like the USB-C port. You can charge the battery of the wireless surveillance camera via this port. A reset button allows resetting the camera, and the on-off switch turns it on and off. The protective covers as well as the rest of the housing provide protection against damaging penetration of dirt and water according to IP55. On top of that, the surveillance camera is supposed to be able to work reliably at temperatures between -20 and 50°C. So it undoubtedly earns the name Outdoor Cam.
SwitchBot Outdoor Cam Spotlight review: 90 days of battery life
- According to the manufacturer, the battery lasts for three months
- 10,050 mAh battery capacity
A look at the bottom of the camera makes it clear that it not only has a microphone to record sounds. On top of that, there is a speaker here. Furthermore, you will find a thread for a standard camera tripod. This way, you can easily set up the camera at the desired location. To avoid frustration when using a wireless surveillance camera, the battery life should be long enough. SwitchBot is also aware of this. That’s why the company has placed batteries with a total capacity of a proud 10,050 mAh here.
SwitchBot says that the camera can last up to 90 days. It is difficult to say whether the three months of use are realistic. After all, the usage behavior of users can sometimes differ significantly. Especially in the early days, users tend to take a look at the camera’s recordings regularly. However, this becomes less with time. For example, I can say that the battery of my camera still had a remaining battery of about 75 percent after just under 20 days of use. Thus, SwitchBot’s claim seems quite realistic.
SwitchBot Outdoor Cam Spotlight Test: Setup
Setting up the outdoor camera is child’s play, as is typical for SwitchBot. In particular, the interaction with the manufacturer app worked excellently again in the test. So you simply add the camera as a new device in the app.
After your smartphone recognizes it, you will be guided through the setup step by step. Once set up, you can configure it according to your preferences. Here, the app surprises you with many different setting options.
SwitchBot Outdoor Cam Spotlight review: app usage
- Setup via app very easy and fast
One basic setting is the schedules. Here you can specify when the camera should record at all. This is particularly useful if you have your garden including sitting area in sight. Simply set the camera to record when you are asleep or not at home anyway. Or do you want to watch yourself at a cozy get-together or barbecue? You can also set how large an area you want the camera to alarm in.
Really cool in this context are the AI features. Namely, the camera can distinguish between humans and animals. Especially those who live in rural areas and use an outdoor camera will know the various false alarms caused by cats, rabbits, birds and other animals. Anyone who finds this annoying can simply set the system to only detect movement in the case of humans.
Then, once motion detection occurs, you’ll receive a push notification to your smartphone via the app. If necessary, the speaker on the underside can be used here. You can use it to talk to people or scare away animals. I also really like the interaction with the two most popular voice assistants Alexa and Google Assistant. For example, you can also let Alexa answer via the speaker. Amazon Echo owners can also view camera footage on the device’s screen.
SwitchBot Outdoor Cam Spotlight review: benefits of SwitchBot
- Possible to link with other devices from SwitchBot
- Use of cloud service only with paid subscription
Over the years, SwitchBot has grown from a rather unknown manufacturer to a well-known player in the field of smart home gadgets. It is primarily the practical ecosystem with which the company scores points with customers. This construct also comes into play with the SwitchBot Outdoor Spotlight Cam. In combination with the app, you can view the recordings. SwitchBot stores them in its own cloud. However, you have to pay a monthly subscription fee. It is cheaper to use the microSD card. You can also access the recordings stored on it via the app. A big selling point for all SwitchBot products is the interaction with other devices from the manufacturer.
You can already see what options are available on the camera’s packaging. For example, you can operate the camera with the SwitchBot Outdoor Solar Panel without regular charging of the battery. You can also automate certain processes here. For example, you can set the SwitchBot Color Bulb to turn on automatically when the Outdoor Spotlight Cam registers you. Furthermore, the camera can automatically turn off when you enter the house or turn on when you leave the house. This is where the SwitchBot Contact Sensor comes into play. In combination with the “curtain robot” SwitchBot Curtain, you can also set the curtains to open automatically when you come home. The possibilities here are very diverse.
SwitchBot Outdoor Cam Spotlight Test: Practical Test
In practice, the Outdoor Cam scores not only with a high user comfort. We have already clarified that. But what about the picture quality? The Outdoor Cam scores with sharp moving images in Full HD in the test. Even when the sun has set, this positive impression does not fade. Finally, it also offers good image recognition at night with its IR sensors. Thanks to the 100-degree viewing angle, you can monitor a large area.
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Very practical! Not only visually, but also auditorily, the performance is very good. The microphone ensures good intelligibility and the 100 dB loudspeaker sends your or Alexa’s words out clearly. The 100 dB pays off especially with the siren. If someone unwanted is on your property, they will probably quickly run away when the alarm system sounds. Not to mention the powerful glow of the two integrated LEDs.
Conclusion
At a price of just under 100 euros, the SwitchBot Outdoor Cam Spotlight really offers a lot. The compact, chic and unobtrusive design lends itself to mounting several of the spherical surveillance cameras on the house at once. In practice, it scores with an uncomplicated start-up, long battery life and good image quality. I also find the possibility of using a microSD card for local storage extremely commendable.
Here SwitchBot could have simply gone the way of many other providers and made the paid cloud mandatory. I only have one gripe: connectivity. I find it a shame that the camera can only connect to the WLAN via 2.4 GHz. However, most users should have no problems with that. Apart from that, it is a flawless surveillance camera that can provide more security in your home.
SwitchBot Outdoor Cam Spotlight
Workmanship & design
Hardware
Usability
Value for money
91/100
The Outdoor Cam Spotlight is a very good outdoor surveillance camera and a great addition to the SwitchBot ecosystem.
