New EufyCam S3 Pro promises impressive night vision

Latest security camera Eufy — Anker’s smart home company — can see clearly in the dark, uses radar motion detection for fewer false alerts, and records 24/7 when wired. Like other Eufy cameras, the new S3 Pro features free facial recognition, package, vehicle and pet detection, as well as locally stored recorded video with no monthly fee.

Unlike most other Eufy cameras, the S3 Pro will work with Apple Home and is compatible with Apple’s HomeKit Secure Video service.

EufyCam S3 Pro It’s coming out this week as a single-camera two-camera package. HomeBase S380 For $549.99. HomeBase 3 enables smart alerts and local storage (16GB onboard storage, expandable up to 16TB). It also connects the S3 Pro to Apple Home, making it the first Eufy camera to work with Apple’s smart home platform. EufyCam 2 series, from 2019.

The S3 Pro comes in a two-camera package with the HomeBase S380 (HomeBase 3). The camera can also be purchased separately.

Image: Eufy

Eufy spokesman Brett White confirmed threshold That the S3 Pro will be compatible with HomeKit Secure Video. Apple’s end-to-end encrypted video storage service. “The plan is for all future devices to have Apple Home compatibility, and we are considering reinstating older devices as well,” White said.

The S3 Pro has a new color night vision feature called MaxColor Vision, which promises “day-like images without the need for a spotlight, even in pitch black conditions.” I saw a demo of this technology at the IFA tech fair in Berlin this month and it was impressive.

A camera was placed inside a completely dark room and was sending video to a monitor outside, so I could see everything in the room as if it were daytime. Eufy says that the 1/1.8 inch CMOS sensor, F1.0 aperture and artificial intelligence-supported image signal processor power the technology.

Eufy’s MaxColor Vision technology can render a dark scene (far left) on the right as if it were in daylight in three MaxColor Vision modes.

Image: Eufy

While color night vision doesn’t use a spotlight, the S3 Pro includes a motion-activated spotlight that Eufy says can adapt to real-time lighting to give you the best image. Lighting can also be adjusted manually using the app when viewing a live stream.

The new dual motion detection uses radar detection technology combined with passive infrared (PIR) technology. This should identify people more accurately and not send an alert that a person is in the yard when there is a tree blowing in the wind. Eufy says it reduces false alerts by up to 99 percent.

The S3 Pro is powered by a 13,000mAh battery that provides power for up to a claimed 365 days. A built-in solar panel can power the camera for longer periods of time. While testing the EufyCam S3, which also has a built-in solar panel, I haven’t had to recharge it in over a year.

The S3 Pro’s solar panel is 50 percent larger than the S3’s, and Eufy claims it can keep the camera fully charged with just one hour of sunlight per day. Eufy also includes an external solar panel with the camera, so you can place the camera under an eave and still get power.

Eufy says the S3 Pro records at up to 4K resolution and works with a USB-C cable. When wired, it can record 24/7; This feature is Eufy’s first consumer-level battery-powered camera.

Full duplex two-way audio
Dual microphone array that can record human voice from up to 26 feet away
100dB siren and motion-activated audio alerts
24/7 snapshot feature that can take photos every minute
Activity and privacy zones
Integration with Google Home and Amazon Alexa
IP67 weather resistance
8x digital zoom

After some serious security and privacy incidents in 2022, Eufy has released a new security and privacy list. privacy commitments on the website. The company also worked with cybersecurity expert Ralph Echemendia in the wake of the issues, and last year completed an evaluation The company claims this shows it “meets all proactive and reactive security criteria.”