The Google-owned Nest Cam is a decent enough home security camera. But at $170, it’s a bit pricey for a device that really doesn’t include any of the advanced features that so many other cameras tout. A perfect example is the Samsung SmartCam PT, a device that many people likely don’t even know is in Samsung’s portfolio. This awesome little home streaming camera is the same price as the Nest Cam, but it packs so many advanced features that the Nest model just can’t touch. Examples include a pan and tilt feature that you can control from your iPhone or Android phone, position memory that lets you save up to four positions the camera can return to wth a single tap, Motion Select Zones that let you draw a box on the screen and get alerts if motion is detected in that zone, and plenty more.
Here are some highlights from the product page:
- 1080p Full HD Streaming Camera
- Camera Pan 350°, Tilt 155°
- Auto Tracking for Monitoring a Moving Person or Object
- Privacy Mode (Tilt -80)
- Wide Dynamic Range for Backlight Correction
- Night Vision up to 16ft (5m)
- Two-Way Talk Function
- Storage up to 128GB (Memory Card NOT Included)
Of note, the free companion app for the iPhone is a bit outdated in terms of design, but Samsung says that it has a big update planned for sometime in the first half of 2017. The current app is fine in terms of functionality, but it’s long overdue for a visual refresh.
