Logitech Circle View
A high–quality security camera with HomeKit support
$159.99 From Logitech, logitech.com Features 1080p HD resolution, wide–angle lens, night–vision mode
There are plenty of affordable security cameras available these days, but not many that support Apple’s HomeKit software. Logitech was one of the first companies to support HomeKit with its original Circle and Circle 2 cameras, which have now been replaced by the new Circle View. In fact, the Circle View is “designed exclusively for HomeKit,” with no mention of support for Android on Logitech’s website.
The Circle View is a little more expensive than some of its rivals, but it’s well–designed and packed with useful features, including a high–quality glass lens with HD (1920x1080) resolution that provides very clear, sharp image quality. The wide–angle lens also provides close to a 180° field of view, although there is a little “fish–eye” distortion on the outer edges of the image. But many people will consider that an acceptable compromise in order to get such a wide viewing angle for monitoring your home.
The camera is mounted on a sturdy metal stand, with a 10ft power cable, and Logitech includes a wall–mount kit in the box too. The camera is also rated IP64 for weather resistance, so you could run the power cable out of a window and attach the camera to an outside wall to monitor your garden or garage. There’s also a night vision mode, although our tests suggest that it provides a clear view for distances of around 10ft, rather than the 15ft quoted by Logitech.
Using HomeKit means that you do need to have an AppleTV, HomePod or iPad that can act as your “home hub” for controlling the camera, but as long as you have a suitable hub then setting everything up is very easy. You just scan the QR code on the base of the camera and the iOS Home app will automatically detect the camera and connect it to your Wi–Fi network. However, it’s disappointing that a relatively expensive camera such as this one only supports 2.4GHz Wi–Fi.
You can use the Home app to view the camera’s live video on any of your Macs or iOS devices wherever you are, and set it to send you a notification whenever it detects motion. The Home app provides additional features too, including the ability to recognize faces that are tagged in your Photos library. You can even tell the camera to focus on specific areas, called “activity zones” — although it can take a while to find any explanation of these features on Apple’s website.
Recording and storing video clips online does require you to purchase one of Apple’s iCloud storage plans, which start at $2.99 per month for 200GB of online storage. Your video recordings don’t count towards your storage limit, though, so you don’t have to worry about clogging up your iCloud with video clips of your cat.
THE BOTTOM LINE. It’s not the cheapest security camera around, but the Circle View is a well–designed camera with very good image quality and intelligent security features. CLIFF JOSEPH