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We all want to be able to monitor our house when we’re away, which is why home security cameras are becoming increasingly popular. There being a wide variety of security cameras available but choosing the right one is often the hardest part, especially when you find yourself on a budget.
Keeping that in mind, I spent the past few weeks testing the Annke HD 1080p WiFi Camera. Priced at under $100, it impressed me with a variety of features and affordable price tag. Let’s take a look.
Design
The Annke IP Camera is a great way to monitor and keep an eye on anything that is valuable to you. In terms of design, the Annke 1080P IP Camera has a sturdy build which is constructed from plastic. It surprisingly doesn’t feel flimsy thanks to a solid base which can rotate 360 degrees or tilt remotely using the companion app.
The camera has a white color scheme with minimal branding and in terms of size, it measures 3.97” × 4.88”. You’ll find all the necessary ports in the back with a DC in, ethernet, and even a micro SD card slot for external storage. A microphone is located just below the camera for two-way audio which works fairly well in our testing.
Setup and Features
Pairing the camera involves downloading the Annke Vision application and proceeding with all the necessary steps. This involved creating an account and then scanning the Annke IP Camera’s QR code to help speed up the pairing process.
I’ll admit, the initial setup took a more time than I expected due to difficulties pairing the camera to my WiFi network (it failed over and over again to locate my network). It was only after switching the IP Camera on and off that it paired successfully. From there on out, it operated just fine.
The camera can be accessed via your smartphone and either still or video recordings can be taken remotely, as well as interacting with the intercom and panning/tilting the device. If you would like to backup any recordings, you can insert a micro SD card and configure the recording via the application.
There’s also an impressive PIR detection feature (body temperature detection), which means any living being that enters the vicinity of this camera will be captured and you will immediately receive a push notification on your smartphone. Easily the best feature of this camera in my opinion.
In addition, you have the ability to create your own ‘region of interest’ which lets you save storage space having the camera focus on one specific spot rather than the whole room which can come in handy.
Quality and Performance
So the big question is what the camera quality looks like. Well, it’s somewhere in the middle. For general lighting conditions it performs perfectly well enough, but when in harsh lighting conditions it struggles to lock the exposure and provide a clear image. The image is reasonable, however.
When zoomed in, pixelation is apparent, but it’s easy to look past this considering it’s under $100. The 1920 x 1080 camera has a 2 megapixel sensor which is has a lot to do with the video quality not being the best when zoomed in. This is something I think could definitely definitely be improved upon, although 1080P video is extremely popular in the IP camera market.
Performance wise I have no complaints as it functions perfect. I was able to control the camera position inside the app without issue and take recordings and snapshots whenever needed for an extra backup.
Conclusion
At $79.99 on Amazon, the Annke HD 1080p IP Camera is definitely a solid choice if you are on a budget. It offers excellent value for money with PIR Detection, night vision, and the flexibility of remotely controlling the camera. Sure, the camera quality could (and arguably should) have been a tad bit better, but for the most part this is a strong product worth picking up if you are in the market for an IP Camera.
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