Pricey but smart indoor camera

SwitchBot is a popular brand in the smart home market, making a wide range of gadgets, from smart lights to vacuum cleaners. It also manufactures cameras built with smart home integration in mind. The new SwitchBot Pan/Tilt Plus 3K Camera offers 3K resolution, capturing a clear and sharp view of what’s going on at home. It works seamlessly with other devices in the SwitchBot ecosystem, like motion and contact sensors, for a fully automated home monitoring system.

Even as a standalone device, it brings a lot to the table, whether you’re looking to monitor pets, check on family members, or ensure that your home is safe when you’re away. It can pan, tilt, and rotate, offering extensive coverage and ensuring that no corner goes unnoticed. Let’s see how it performs compared to other, more affordable cameras.

Price, availability, and specs

A bit expensive, but plenty of features

The SwichBot SwitchBot Pan/Tilt Plus 3K Camera costs about $70 on Amazon and on SwitchBot’s online store. It’s a bit expensive for an outdoor camera. However, since it has plenty of features, it’s worth the investment, especially considering its high image quality.

What’s good about the SwitchBot Pan/Tilt Plus 3K Camera?

Plenty of smart features and excellent video quality

Video quality is the SwitchBot Pan/Tilt Plus 3K Camera’s key feature, boasting a 3K resolution with 5MP clarity, which many other cameras can’t match. This makes it easy to identify faces or see what’s happening in the background.

The Privacy Mode is another thoughtful feature. Instead of a physical shutter, the camera’s lens retracts fully into the device, preventing it from recording anything. Since it’s motorized, it can even be done remotely. This is much smarter than Ring’s alternative, which offers a privacy cover that needs to be closed manually on its Indoor Cam (2nd Gen).

The SwitchBot app also offers a split-screen viewing capability. This allows you to monitor up to four different SwitchBot camera feeds at once, preventing you from switching between devices. The camera can also automatically follow and record movements around your home. If it sees a person or a pet moving, it can automatically pan and tilt to follow them.

The SwitchBot Pan/Tilt Plus 3K Camera offers flexible video storage. You can choose between a microSD card for local storage or secure cloud storage, which provides easy access from anywhere. The latter costs $4 a month or $35 a year for a single device, with smarter options if you have two or three devices.

Another key strength is the camera’s ability to integrate seamlessly with other SwitchBot devices, making it easy to automate your home security. For instance, when connected to a contact sensor, the camera can automatically start recording when a door or window is opened, ensuring it captures potential intrusions. Similarly, the camera also connects with the SwitchBot Lock, allowing it to automatically turn on for surveillance when you leave home and switch off when you return.

It’s also incredibly easy to set up. You can either connect directly to it and connect it to your Wi-Fi network or have the app generate a QR code for you that you can scan with the camera. Should you need help with installation, you can also follow a step-by-step wizard to mount your camera securely. To finish, the process helps you adjust your settings according to your preferences and even link it with other SwitchBot devices.

What’s bad about the SwitchBot Pan/Tilt Plus 3K Camera?

Quirky performance and a bit expensive

Despite its many strengths, the SwitchBot Pan/Tilt Plus 3K Camera isn’t perfect. The first notable drawback is its price point, which is on the higher side, with a $70 MSRP. While the camera offers a lot of features, the cost might not be justifiable for everyone, especially if you don’t need all the advanced capabilities it provides.

Another issue is design. While functional, the camera is somewhat conspicuous, mostly because of the built-in motor and the sensors. The camera’s feed is also slow to load, often taking several seconds to display live footage. It’s probably due to the very high resolution, but it’s often frustrating, particularly when you need to check in quickly or monitor a real-time event. This lag could be a significant inconvenience in situations where every second counts, detracting from the camera’s otherwise high performance.

Finally, the camera’s inability to work with standard protocols, such as support for RTSP streams, makes it impossible to integrate with other ecosystems. It’s understandable that SwitchBot wants you to use their cameras and gadgets together, but a more open approach would have been better. There’s also no way to access the feed using a computer, which would have been nice in an office setup.

While not deal-breakers, these issues do affect the overall user experience. However, performance problems and incompatibility with other systems could be easily solved with a software update, making the overall experience smoother.

Should you buy it?

Consider it, depending on your needs

If you’re already using SwitchBot products or want a camera with solid automation and privacy features, the SwitchBot Pan/Tilt Plus 3K Camera is worth considering. Its high-quality video and seamless integration make it a powerful tool for home security. It also comes with advanced features that justify its relatively high price.

However, if you’re on a budget or need something more discreet and responsive, the camera’s higher price, visible design, and some performance quirks might lead you to explore other options. Ultimately, it’s a strong contender, but it may not be the perfect fit for everyone.