With a lot
of bad things happening in the world today, it may be prudent to invest in a
CCTV security system for your home. While that idea may sound expensive, Xiaomi
might just have the solution for you. Xiaomi has been on the market for quite
some time now and proving to be quite a rebel, offering quality products at
affordable prices. Mostly known for their phones, they also make laptops,
routers, TVs, wearables and IP cameras and more. In fact, this is their third
IP camera.
Xiao Fang
might sound funny, but it means “small square” when translated from Chinese (at
least that’s what I’ve been told). The design is quite literally, a small
square. I have an existing IP camera, the Compro TN50W, which I also reviewed here. But
it’s starting to show its age so. Taking advantage of a flash sale on Lazada.com, I decided to take a chance on this Xiaomi
camera. Let’s see once again if I made the right decision.
Design and
hardware
True to its
name, the small square design is unique compared to other IP cameras. This
design allows it to have a square and flat stable base, which allows for more
mobility in different positions. The magnetic base provides additional mounting
options.
The camera
has 1080P HD F2.0 lens with a nice and wide 110-degree field of view. Together
with an infrared light provides a clear image day or night. It also has other
features like two-way audio calling, video recording via a micro SD card, Smoke
alarm detection, and WiFi. All of which can be controlled by the Mi Home App.
Another
bonus is the fact that it powers over micro USB, which means you can use a
Powerbank and place the camera in different locations even far away from a
power outlet.
Mi Home App
and Setup
First of
all, let me say that this was probably the easiest IP camera I have setup ever.
It took less than 5 minutes from the time I found the installation tutorial on
YouTube. With that said, all the instructions are in Chinese. Luckily, there
are lots of video tutorials that are easy to follow.
Once
connected, everything is controlled via the Mi Home App, which is available for
both Android and iOS. Again, the app is in Chinese, but once you set it up,
there are English menus. The app is pretty straightforward, and you can control
voice calls, video quality, recording settings, etc. The smoke alarm detector
doesn’t actually have a smoke sensor but what it does is it uses the microphone
to pick-up the sound from your smoke alarm.
Verdict
Overall, I’m
pretty impressed with this “small square” camera. For Php999 (US$20), it’s
quite hard to beat! It’s cheap, reliable, and video quality is pretty decent.
The lack of English instructions is a small price to pay for an affordable home
security camera system.
The good
Price
Size
Micro USB
power
Easy setup
The bad
Chinese
instruction
No local
support or warranty
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