Aqara Camera G100 Review

Introduction

Aqara has been on a rampage as of late, building one of the widest smart home portfolios around, included a bunch of smart security cameras that often pack in a wealth of extra features.

The Aqara Camera G100, however, keeps things simple and lands squarely in Wyze, Blink and TP-Link territory on price, while promising broader platform support and local storage without a subscription.

After testing it indoors and out, the big question is whether this tiny camera does enough to stand out, or if it is simply cheap and cheerful.

Design and installation

• Wall or bookshelf mounting
• Connects via Wi-Fi
• Weatherproof

The first thing that stands out is just how small the G100 is. It is noticeably more compact than most outdoor cameras and works just as comfortably indoors as it does mounted outside.

It can be wall or ceiling mounted using the included screw, but realistically most people will plonk it on a shelf or ledge and call it a day.

The camera rotates freely within its mount, giving you a full 360-degree adjustment to dial in the angle, paired with a 140-degree field of view.

On the front you get the lens, a surprisingly punchy spotlight, a blue status light and a microphone. It looks simple, but not cheap.

Aqara includes a USB-C cable but no plug, and while the camera itself is weatherproof, the power situation still needs planning. You either need an outdoor socket or to route the cable indoors. Aqara does at least include a rubber sleeve to seal the cable connection against moisture.

It comes in either black or white, I had the latter in for this review.

Setup is painless; as with all Aqara devices the process is really easy. Power it up and the Aqara Home app immediately spots it and walks you through the process and the camera itself also, quite literally, talks you through the process.

As usual, Aqara gives you options when it comes to where you want a device to live. You can add it directly to Apple Home without touching the Aqara app, or add it to Aqara first for access to the full feature set and deeper automations.

Both QR codes are next to each other on the base, so cover one up with your finger when scanning to avoid having to scan again if it grabs the wrong one.

HomeKit Secure Video is supported, which is a big win at this price and undercuts the likes of the Eufy Indoor C120 and the Tapo C125 to be the cheapest HKSV camera on the market right now.

The camera also plays nicely with Alexa, Google Home, SmartThings and Home Assistant via RTSP, making it one of the more flexible budget cameras around.

Outside of Apple’s ecosystem, the camera tops out at 2K, 2304 x 1296. However, if you add it to Apple Home directly, Apple caps the feed at 1080p, and that limitation also carries over into the Aqara app while HomeKit is connected.

That is not Aqara being awkward, it is simply how HomeKit works.

The camera supports Wi-Fi 6 and WPA3 security, although it’s not dual-band like some Aqara cameras; it only works on 2.4GHz.

Features

• microSD card slot
• Human, pet and facial recognition

One of the strongest selling points is storage flexibility. There is a microSD slot supporting cards up to 512GB, meaning you can run the camera entirely without a subscription.

Basic AI features like motion and human detection are handled locally and do not require a monthly fee, which immediately puts it ahead of many rivals.

If you want more advanced detection, including pets, parcels and facial recognition, that is locked behind Aqara’s HomeGuardian plan. You also get Aqara cloud storage as an option, alongside support for SMB-compatible NAS storage.

Combined with HomeKit Secure Video, this is one of the most flexible setups you will find at this price.

It is worth noting that this is not a hub. Aqara sells several cameras that double as Zigbee hubs (and also Matter controllers), but the G100 keeps things simple and does not connect to other Aqara devices directly.

Two-way audio works, but just about. The microphone is fine, but the speaker is thin and tinny, making conversations possible but not pleasant. It is usable for a quick shout, not for anything more.

The Aqara app experience will feel familiar if you have used other Aqara cameras. Live view loads quickly, snapshots are clear, and controls are easy to find. It is functional rather than flashy, which suits the product.

You won’t get anything flashy like motion zones but there are plenty of settings to tweak with in order to get the G100 running exactly as you want, with the level of notifications and updates totally up to you.

Video quality

• Solid daytime image quality
• Very good nighttime image quality

For the money, daytime video quality is solid rather than spectacular.

Details are clear enough, colours look natural, and motion handling is perfectly acceptable for general security use. You are not getting flagship performance here, but it easily clears the bar for a sub-£35 camera.

Night vision is where the G100 punches above its weight. You get two modes, standard black-and-white infrared or full colour using the built-in spotlight.

Both work well, with the colour night mode being genuinely useful rather than a gimmick, provided you are happy to have the light come on.

Should you buy it?