The Aqara Camera E1 provides full, 360-degree coverage inside your home.
Instead of requiring a paid subscription, Aqara offers 24 hours of basic video storage at a lower resolution.
it’s possible for you to also use an optional microSD card or Apple HomeKit Secure Video through HomeKit.
Brent Dirks / MakeUseOf
Usually, pan/tilt cameras are substantially larger than other models because of the extra motors needed.
So I was really surprised unboxing the Camera E1.
Its as small, or even smaller, than any indoor camera Ive used.
The Aqara Camera E1 provides full, 360-degree coverage inside your home. The headlining feature of the camera is pan/tilt control so you can move the camera to better see what’s going on. Compatible with all three major smart home platforms—Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, and Google Home—the camera features clear and crisp 2K video during the day or at night. Instead of requiring a paid subscription, Aqara offers 24 hours of basic video storage at a lower resolution. You can also use an optional microSD card or Apple HomeKit Secure Video through HomeKit. If you’re OK with paying, there is an option for cloud storage of video at full resolution for 30 days.
That small size allows you to place the camera in an inconspicuous place in your home.
you’re able to choose to plant the camera horizontally as well.
Aqara includes a screw mount or wall anchors for maximum flexibility.
The Aqara Camera E1 provides full, 360-degree coverage inside your home. The headlining feature of the camera is pan/tilt control so you can move the camera to better see what’s going on. Compatible with all three major smart home platforms—Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, and Google Home—the camera features clear and crisp 2K video during the day or at night. Instead of requiring a paid subscription, Aqara offers 24 hours of basic video storage at a lower resolution. You can also use an optional microSD card or Apple HomeKit Secure Video through HomeKit. If you’re OK with paying, there is an option for cloud storage of video at full resolution for 30 days.
It can even be mounted upside down on a ceiling.
You will also need to provide your own power adapter since one isnt included in the box.
I had to use a longer 10-foot USB-C cable and my own USB-C power adapter.
Brent Dirks / MakeUseOf
If you dont have those, that could make the inexpensive camera more costly.
The camera is compatible with all three major smart home systemsAmazon Alexa, Google Home, and Apple HomeKit.
Getting set up takes just a few minutes.
Adding the camera to Apple HomeKit is done directly through the Aqara app.
Alexa and Google support is done through those companion apps.
I only used the Camera E1 with my HomeKit setup.
Head to the Aqara app for the most full-featured control of the camera.
There was no kind of delay when controlling the pan/tilt using the app.
Video quality at 2K resolution was great during the day and at night.
All the video was clear and crisp.
At night, with the night vision active, I could also see well.
One of the nice features of the Aqara app is person detection.
Brent Dirks / MakeUseOf
Its also a great way to filter out motion events from a pet walking around in the home.
Aqara said in the future youll also be able to use a similar sound detection feature.
Another nice option through the Aqara app is the ability to use pre-defined positions for the pan/tilt feature.
There are many set options already created, but you might customize as many as youd like.
Ive set up a few positions, and it makes using the camera much easier.
The pan and tilt functionality isnt available through Apples app.
Thats no fault of Aqara thoughApple doesnt natively provide pan/tilt control through its smart home app.
When you view the camera feed, it will be from wherever the camera is currently pointing.
If it’s crucial that you change that, youll need to open up the Aqara app.
In my use, thats been a minor annoyance, but not a huge dealbreaker.
Thats not the case with Alexa.
I was able to connect the Aqara Home Alexa skill and use the pan/tilt functionality.
I wasnt able to try out the camera with Google Assistant.
That can add up to a considerable cost over the lifetime of the camera.
But theres no need to worry about paying for access to recorded video with the Camera E1.
There are many different options to access recorded video.
First up, Aqara stores 24 hours of recorded video in the cloud for free.
Alternatively, it’s possible for you to also use your own microSD card to store recorded video.
The only limit with a storage card is its maximum capacity.
Anyone with Apple HomeKit should considerusing the camera with Apple HomeKit Secure Video.
This option will store up to 10 days of recordings on your Apple unit.
They dont count against your iCloud+ storage.
It can also recognize pets and packages.
The only real downside of HomeKit Secure Video is that it’s limited to 1080p.
A surprisingly small number of cameras support HomeKit Secure Video, especially at this price range.
There are a few other options from Eufy, but thats all.
So even with lower resolution, its nice to see Aqara offer the feature.
But those issues are offset by the many other positives.
And especially if youre an Apple fan, compatibility with HomeKit SecureVideo makes it a top buy.
