"Keep going. You can find much better HomeKit-enabled cameras."
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Easy setup
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Low price (for a homekit camera)
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Bad capture frame rate
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Disappointing video quality
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Weak speaker
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Favorable construction
HomeKit is slowly putting together a decent range of home security cameras for Apple's smart home ecosystem. With iOS 14 offering new features, the future looks promising.
We checked the Logitech Circle View not too long ago and now we have another HomeKit offer – the Eve Cam. There are some similarities between the two of what can be expected from cameras that support HomeKit, but it saves a bit of the price.
Simplified setup
I can't stress the simplicity of setting up a surveillance camera for HomeKit enough, but the Eve Cam is once again proof. It is not technically necessary to download an app, although it can be installed using the Eve app for iOS, which ultimately only opens the home app. From here, simply scan the QR code on the Eve Cam with an iPhone XS – and that's it. Easy enough? You bet! The advantage of HomeKit is that I wasn't forced to register a new account or set up passwords as everything is managed through my iCloud account.
However, I had the annoying problem that I was initially unable to connect to the Eve Cam after moving it to another room. I tried several times to manually reset the camera, but my iPhone XS simply couldn't recognize it.
After several more attempts, it somehow recognized it, but the same problem reappeared when I tried to move it again. After repeating it several times, it miraculously connected, after which I noticed a firmware update notification.
Fortunately, this may have resolved my reconnection problems since the Eve Cam has since been able to reconnect when I unplug it.
Flattering design
Although the price is slightly lower than that of the equally competent Logitech Circle View, the Eve Cam has an unflattering design. For starters, the all-plastic design makes it feel brittle and cheap. It lacks the essential feel of Logitech Circle View, which has a metal base and a matte exterior.
The Eve Cam has a somewhat flattering design.
Indoor placement is critical due to the 150 degree field of view. It's average if you compare it to some of its contemporaries, but it follows the 180-degree field of view that you get with Logitech Circle View. It is best to place it in corners for the best possible coverage.
As soon as it falls onto a surface, the sticky coat under its base ensures that it stays in place. If you want to attach it to a wall or ceiling, it comes with the required bracket and a 7.2 foot power cord. The base is also magnetic, providing additional flexibility in choosing the facility.
Below average performance
The Eve Cam records videos with a resolution of 1080p and 24 frames per second. While the resolution is expected from a camera in this range, the frame rate is very disappointing as 30 FPS seems to be the norm. As a result, the footage does not look smooth. You can still spot a scene, but with a competition of at least 30 frames per second, the lackluster frame rate of the Eve Cam is a noticeable disadvantage.
The video quality isn't worth writing at home either, mainly due to the poor dynamic range, subdued colors and soft details. This is a more serious problem than the frame rate.
If there is a lot of contrasting light in the frame, the highlights are often blown out to achieve a more neutral exposure in the rest of the shot. It's usually not that difficult to spot faces, but finer details often appear soft. You will find it difficult to see fine details in clothing, and objects in the distance can be very difficult to identify.
John Velasco / Digital Trends
Night vision does most of the job. Visibility is an average of about 20 feet indoors. That should be more than enough for most average-sized houses, but again, the performance of the Eve Cam is disappointing – mostly due to the soft graphics that make it difficult to see details.
Finally, the internal speaker can be used for bidirectional navigation, but it won't scare intruders. It is crisp, weak and difficult to recognize voices in it. You are more likely to confuse thieves than to scare them.
Data protection at its core thanks to HomeKit
As a HomeKit-enabled surveillance camera, all concerns regarding data protection are eliminated. In fact, all cameras supported by HomeKit offer the same data protection functions. This includes encrypted videos stored in iCloud, LEDs on the camera that show the status of the Eve Cam, the ability to electronically disable the camera based on my iPhone's GPS location, and more.
Our opinion
The Eve Cam has all the basic ingredients to make it a decent HomeKit-enabled surveillance camera. However, the disappointing picture quality, the low video frame rate and the mediocre design make them well behind the rest of the package.
How long it will take?
The all-plastic construction makes it light but brittle. It may not hold as well as other cameras. It comes with a 1-year limited warranty that covers defects, though this is standard in the industry.
Is there a better alternative?
The Logitech Circle View is a solid HomeKit-enabled camera that offers the same features, but has significantly better performance and a more stable design. The best thing is that picking it up on the Eve Cam doesn't cost you much more.
Do you have a limited budget? In this case, the Eufy Indoor Cam 2K Pan & Tilt is the ultimate indoor camera, as it is available at an affordable price of $ 50 and offers 360 degrees of view with its pan-and-tilt function.
Should you buy it
No, just no.
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