So, we thought we’d borrow Hermione’s Time Turner, turn back the clock, and see how the original Nest Cam Indoor holds up and whether it’s still worth considering today. (Spoiler alert! It’s still a pretty slick little camera.)
Step 1: Download the Nest app and create an account. Step 2: Plug in and power on the camera. Step 3: Scan the QR code on the back of the Nest Cam. Step 4: Done.
Ok, so it’s really a three-step process, which is even better. The whole thing took about five minutes—two of which were spent trying to come up with a name for our house. (The Red Keep, by the way.) It’s worth noting that if you pay for a Nest Aware subscription, you gain access to an Alert Summary feature, which does exactly what it sounds like—it gives you a summary of any notifications and alerts you received, all in one place (the Nest app). Activity Zones is a very practical feature, and it helps the Nest Cam know when to notify you so your phone doesn’t blow up with needless alerts. This means you review only the video clips that actually show activity instead of looking at hours of footage of your empty living room. You can jump to triggered footage and quickly scan for any unusual activity. Nest is also set up to work with other IFTTT devices. That said, even after years of competition and upgrades, the Nest Cam Indoor is still a formidable security camera. Its 1080p video quality and 130° field of view compete with almost most cameras on the market today. And when you consider you’re getting that for less than $200, it almost feels too good to be true. Or, if you like the Nest Cam Indoor but find it’s not techy enough for your taste, the newer version, the IQ, has facial recognition and other updates.
