Home security cameras have a bit of a reputation of lacking the kinds of features worthy of the excessive prices they’ve demanded. Seeing an opportunity, there have been a rash of companies looking to make better money by advertising a better product. iSmartAlarm is hoping their version of a lower cost yet versatile smart home camera will strike a chord with consumers looking for a better value.
Spot has all the expected features for a product in this category: HD-resolution video, night vision, sound and motion detection, push notifications, and both cloud and local storage supporting up to a 64GB micro SD card. The company tries to set its product apart in two ways.
One is via a patent-pending algorithm that alerts users to fire and carbon monoxide alarms in the home along with two-way audio capabilities for light communication. The other is a time-lapse feature for both practical and aesthetic purposes. Both iOS and Android users can grab a Spot for $69 and expect it at their doorstep in January 2016. The company is looking for $50,000 by January 18th, 2016.
Spot is a great example of a value-rich product. And although it integrates well with the rest of iSmartAlarm’s suite of connected home products, there’s no mention of integration with other platforms. To get the most out of Spot, though, multiple units will probably be needed. Similar products like Angie use a 360° camera to avoid this, avoiding unnecessary add-ons. Logitech has also recently released an extremely similar product in the Circle, with the differences lying in its portable capabilities and a higher sticker price.