Aqara today announced the launch of its latest home security camera, the Camera Hub G3 (albeit accidentally letting the cat out of the bag the night before – but hey we’ve all done it!). The new camera is a 2K, pan-and-tilt camera with the local facial and gesture recognition features, as well as including a built-in Zigbee 3.0 hub, allowing the device to connect up to 128 Aqara accessories*. It’s now available on the Aqara Amazon brand stores in the US, Canada and France, and is also expected to be sold by authorized Aqara retailers in North America, Europe and Asia in the following weeks**.
Thanks to a powerful NPU-equipped processor, the Aqara Camera Hub G3 supports facial recognition and gesture recognition features, both of which can be used to trigger home automations. Users can create automations to receive push notifications when their kids arrive home or when a stranger is detected (i.e. an unfamiliar face was detected), or to stop video recording when the face of a family member or a preset hand gesture is recognised.
The G3 camera hub also supports automatic cruising, human tracking as well as pet tracking, all enabled by the 110° wide-angle lens and the pan-and-tilt motor which provides a 340° rotation angle but with the 100º FoV, you’re effectively getting 360º coverage. The pan-and-tilt motor can be controlled manually, by the preset cruising path, or via home automations (for example, to turn to the front door when Door & Window Sensor is triggered). Combined with the high-resolution 2304×1296 pixel sensor and the infrared night vision enabled by the 940 nm LEDs, which are invisible at night, the G3 protects homes in 360-degree with no blind spot, day and night.
Compared to the previous G2H Camera Hub, the new G3 provides other advanced features including:
Wider compatibility with third-party platforms: as a camera, it supports not only HomeKit Secure Video*** but also streaming to Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant smart displays, while as a hub it allows connected child devices to support a wide range of third-party ecosystems and voice assistants, such as HomeKit, Alexa, Google Home, IFTTT, and more;
Local infrared control: the built-in IR controller allows the G3 to automate infrared-compatible devices (TVs, Fans, Streaming boxes, Games consoles, ACs etc), with the IR automation being local which means it remains functioning without an Internet connection;
Dual-band Wi-Fi support: both 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi networks are supported;
Privacy protection: The G3 is equipped with a privacy shutter that physically covers the camera lens, with the possibility to close the shutter manually or automatically;
Type-C port with video out: the G3 uses the modern universal connector that supports low-latency, high-definition video output via UVC protocol.
To celebrate the launch, Aqara is now offering limited-time discounts for the new Camera Hub G3 on its Amazon brand stores. North American customers will enjoy a 20% discount at check with the promo code USG3PRGE in the US and Canada, and the code will be valid through Nov 24, 2021. Aqara also offers French customers a 20€ OFF discount at its Amazon.fr store, with the promo code CAMERAG3FR, and the offering will expire on Nov 25, 2021.
You can watch our video above of the G3 we posted a while back (when it first came out in China), or you can check our in-depth written review below;
* To connect up to 128 devices, Zigbee routers/repeaters such as Smart Wall Switch (With Neutral) and Smart Plug are required.
** Product availability may vary among different retail channels and could be updated all the time. It’s recommended to check with the regional retailer(s) for real-time availability.
*** In HomeKit Secure Video mode, the camera records in Full HD 1080p and Pan/Tilt controls are not available due to the current limitations of HomeKit technology.