Swann Wire-free
CHEAP, CHEERFUL, BUT CAPABLE WIRELESS CAMERAS WITH GOOD IMAGE QUALITY.
OUTWARDLY THERE’S NO difference between the 1080p model of the Swann Smart Security Camera and its 720p predecessor. Both use the same compact casing, both use the same mount – and that latter feature is a shame. In theory the rubberised magnetic dish on the back, coupled with a rough-textured metal ball mounted on the wall, would be an excellent and infinitely adjustable mount, but in practice it’s slippery and the magnetic connection isn’t quite strong enough to hold the weight of the camera and its internal battery in a fixed position. Given that its awkward handling of sunlight can give this the shortest battery of the three on test here, you’re in for a lifetime of readjustment if you try to use the magnets – particularly irritating if you’re installing it on the eaves of your house.
There’s no dedicated hub involved here. Each camera connects directly to your router via Wi-Fi, and streams to your phone (or to the outside world) from there. That’s a neat solution, or at least one that saves a power socket and an ethernet port, but we can’t help but feel it’s also the reason for the Swann’s slightly sluggish response times. Even more than the D-Link camera, the Smart Security Camera has a tendency to be a gamble whether it’ll successfully connect to live view or not. It’s also a little slower to kick in its recording functions when it first detects motion, so it’s possible that it’ll miss a fleeting appearance on camera by an intruder.
That said, we have absolutely no other qualms about the Swann’s motion detection credentials – it’s perhaps the most sensitive of this trio, and the only one to explicitly include heat detection to avoid false positives. It’s quick to send an alert, and convenient in terms of storage given that it supports both cloud uploading and an on-board microSD card for each camera. Picture quality is also superb, with the sensor managing impressive clarity even in difficult lighting conditions. Sure, Swann’s app is, to put it mildly, a bit of a mess, but it’s easy enough to navigate and its motion detection timeline works well.
If you’re looking to gradually expand your security net as wide as possible, this is possibly the best choice going – there’s no reliance on a hub, so theoretically no limit on the number of cameras you can place around your home. It’s cheap, too, at least in the context of similar cameras. Though the edges might be a bit rough, there’s lots of sparkle here.