- IMOU has launched a home security camera with “unlimited” battery life
- It uses low-energy image capture with motion-triggered video recording
- It can also switch between Wi-Fi and 4G LTE to stay connected
IMOU, the company behind some of the best home security cameras we’ve tested here at TechRadar, has just launched a new outdoor camera that’s completely wireless and offers “true, unlimited battery life” thanks to a solar panel, power-saving, always-on video recording and extra-large capacity battery.
The IMOU AOV PT 4G Solar Panel Camera System includes a 300-degree pan and 90-degree tilt camera, meaning you only need one to cover a large area. You can set custom privacy zones using the IMOU Life app. If you want total privacy, a physical privacy mode tilts the camera lens all the way down and disables recording.
The camera takes a picture every two seconds when idle and switches to full motion when it detects motion.
The “unlimited battery life” claim is based on its solar panel receiving two hours of direct sunlight, with 100 shooting events triggered per day (50 during the day and 50 at night). Your actual results will depend on the intensity of sunlight and the number of triggers.
This is where the camera’s built-in AI with person detection comes into play, helping to avoid false alarms. As we’ve seen with some other security cameras we’ve tested, false triggers aren’t just annoying, they can drastically reduce battery life. Companies like Reolink have shown how effective AI can be at preventing this, so I’m happy to see it being used more widely.
Wi-Fi and 4G switching
For areas with intermittent Wi-Fi coverage, IMOU’s new camera can switch to 4G LTE connectivity to maintain connectivity. It has a built-in SIM card and comes with a free trial of data so you can see if it’s useful where you plan to install it.
Your videos can be stored in the cloud (with a premium subscription) or locally on an SD card. In always-on video mode, without a recording trigger, you can store up to 690 days of footage on a 512MB card.
The IMOU AOV PT 4G Solar Panel Camera System is available now for £129.99 from Argos in the UK (approx $170 / AU$260). I hope to test the new camera very soon to see how it compares to competitors from e.g. Swann, Ring, Baseus and Blink, and give you a full review so you can choose the right camera for you.
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