New Google Nest Cams can record videos without a monthly subscription

Google is introducing updates to the Nest camera line with a new version of the Google Nest Doorbell and several new versions of the Google Nest Cam. The company is also easing the restrictive business model of the Nest Cam, which previously required virtually paying a monthly subscription to get a useful camera.

We’ll get to the new models in a minute, but the biggest news is that Google is making cameras more useful without a monthly subscription. Previously, basic camera features like video recording were stuck behind a $ 6- $ 12 monthly subscription called “Nest Aware,” but the new cameras can now record local video. You only get three hours of “events” (motion detection, as opposed to 24/7 video), but it’s a start. Google has also moved the activity zones and some image recognition features from the cloud-based monthly payments service to on-device processing, so that they also work without a subscription.

If you still want to pay for the “Nest Aware” subscription, it comes in two tiers. There’s the $ 6 “Nest Aware” that gives you 30 days of video history and facial recognition. The free tier can detect and alert you to people, animals, and vehicles, but the subscription adds facial recognition for “familiar faces” so Nest can tell if a loved one or stranger is at the door and you are at the door. alert accordingly. The $ 12 per month tier is “Nest Aware Plus,” which provides 60 days of event video history and 10 days of 24/7 video history if you have a wired Google Nest Cam (not powered by battery) (the doorbell can’t record video continuously).

Another added quality of life feature is that the cameras can now work offline. Local storage and on-device processing means cameras can operate without the internet; previously, the cloud was the only way for them to process and store video. This addition will help if your internet is spotty, but it will also come in handy when Google’s Nest cloud service goes down, which happens quite frequently.

Let’s talk about hardware. Unveiled today, with a ship date of August 24, are the “Google Nest Cam (battery)” and “Nest Doorbell (battery)” for $ 179 each. The two Wi-Fi-only cameras (up to 802.11n) have IP54 water resistance for outdoor use, speakers and microphones for voice communications, and motion sensors. The Nest Cam features a 1 / 2.8-inch 2MP sensor for 1080p and 30fps video output, while the doorbell features a 1/3-inch, 1.3MP sensor, ideal for 960p video. .

You may notice the designation “battery” after the name of each product: Nest cameras now have built-in 6000mAh batteries, allowing devices to operate during a power outage. If you do not wish to carry out any installation work, the cameras can run entirely on batteries. Battery operation is actually the default experience, and Google offers easy “wireless setup”. Battery life will depend on the number of motion events that occur per month, with Google predicting between 1.5 months and seven months of battery life, depending on traffic. After this point you will need to remove the object from the wall (the magnetic mounting system makes this very easy) and plug it in to recharge it.

Alternatively, you can save yourself a lifetime of recharging and simply install a power wire. The box contains a 1m (3.3ft) “charging cable” that uses a proprietary pogo-pin connection, but for a permanent outdoor installation, Google wants you to purchase the Nest Cam weatherproof cable from 5m for $ 34.99. The doorbell can charge via your doorbell wire, which is also necessary if you want it to ring a traditional doorbell chime.

Google also announced the “Google Nest Cam (wired)” at $ 99.99, which is indoor only and has a fixed power cord, and the “Google Nest Cam with projector” at 279.99 $, which has two large lights on the side for exterior lighting. The two have only been teased and don’t have a launch date or detailed information.

Please do not steal this totally wireless and magnetically mounted camera

OK, let’s put a few things together here. Nest cameras work over Wi-Fi, so they don’t have an Ethernet wire. They can also run entirely on battery power, so there’s no power cable either. And as has been the case for some time now, the connection system between the Nest camera and the wall mount is magnetic. So if the device is completely wireless and magnetically mounted, couldn’t someone just come up and steal the camera?

Yes, it appears to be. Google actually has a support document that says if someone walks away with your camera and you file a police report, the company will replace the device for free. You can mount it high enough to make it harder to fly, but you’ll still need to access the camera to charge it.

Google also sells a $ 14.99 “anti-theft bracket” that attaches around the Nest camera and allows you to secure the object to the wall with a wire rope. At least someone thought of this before a wave of thefts started, but it looks like the security of a security camera should be more of a basic design consideration.

These new cameras also mark the beginning of the end for the Nest app. Since Nest went from a separate Alphabet company to a Google sub-brand in 2018, Google has been working on phasing out the Nest infrastructure before the merger. We’ve already seen the demise of the “Works with Nest” ecosystem and Nest accounts, and these new cameras don’t use the Nest app at all and work through the Google Home app. The Nest app is now only for older devices.