Howdy epicaGear readers! Today we’re here with the Xiaomi XiaoYi “Ant” 720P Wi-Fi IP camera from our friends at www.GearBest.com. Just want to give Gear Best a quick shout out of thanks for sending us this along with another project to review!
Let’s get started.
If you’ve been in the market for a Wi-Fi IP camera very long, I’m sure you’ve already realized the wide-range of product offerings and the varying price range that comes along with features, uses and size. There’s a lot to choose from but Gear Best has a great, affordable option for those looking for an entry level IP camera that can be used on a daily basis.
Feature Highlights:
- Built-in microphone and speaker, support two-way remote dialogue
- 4x digital zoom
- Clear 720P video streaming
- 110 degree wide-angle lens
- Storage: Support Micro SD card up to 32GB
- Clean, elegant design
- Lightweight
Pros
Video Quality: The Ants IP camera truly surprised me in terms of overall video quality! While this particular model sports 720P resolution, the streamed video is clear, crisp and on par with even the more expensive 1080P models on the market. The response time was amazing and much better even than older yet more expensive Motorola IP camera I use on a regular basis. This unit will not disappoint in terms of video quality!
Design: The first thing you’ll notice about the Xiaoma XiaoYi IP camera is its modern, hip design that largely favors the much more expensive DropCam (older white model). It’s lightweight and small so putting this camera in a discreet place should be very easy – its visual footprint is small and elegant.
Day to day use: The most important part of any WiFi IP camera is its dependability for day-to-day use. After two weeks of usage, I found the Xiaoma XiaoYi IP camera highly dependable with only once hiccup of streaming outage due to bad Wi-Fi connection which was easily corrected by resetting my router. I used and trusted the device as a baby monitor and basic security with little to no problems.
Cons
Setup: The only true con would be overall setup for the Xiaoma XiaoYi completely due to the setup instructions being in Chinese without any English option. Getting the camera actually setup after I figured out the process was VERY easy but overall challenging since clear instructions in English was not provided. Check out this video from SecurityGem – I used this to help setup my camera and it truly helped.
Delivery Charges: Due to its origin, customers are likely going to pay more for shipping than the actual camera itself, which has to be considered when looking for the right purchase for you. It’s just something you will have to consider before going this route. The positive note that even with shipping charges, this camera is still going to be much cheaper than a similar IP camera located in the US.
You can purchase the orginal Xiaomi XiaoYi 720P IP Camera at www.gearbest.com and also view other affordable IP camera options they have.
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