Eufy’s latest security package can track one person across multiple cameras
Anker’s smart home brand Eufy is revamping its camera lineup with a new SoloCam battery-powered outdoor camera ($199.99), Floodlight Cam E340 ($219.99), Video Doorbell E340 ($179.99), and Indoor Cam S350.
The signature hardware feature of the new line is its dual lenses — with one camera that’s wide angle and one telephoto for zooming in to better identify faces and license plates. But there’s also a new standout ability: cross-camera tracking and video splicing.
“This technology is taken from the banking and traffic industry,” Eufy spokesperson Brett White told The Verge in a briefing.
“Each camera can pick up motion and follow it — so you now get one spliced video showing every event across each camera.” The new tracking feature works with Eufy’s HomeBase 3, a hub for its cameras. The HomeBase uses on-device AI to identify a person on each camera connected to it, splice all the videos together, and then send just one notification and one video.
The Eufy HomeBase 3 ($149.99) also adds AI-powered smart alerts to the cameras for free, including facial recognition and person, pet, and vehicle detection. The HomeBase 3 now also comes with a 1TB hard drive. Locally stored recordings are accessible for free with no subscription, and paid cloud storage is also available.
On-device AI and locally stored recordings are features that should appeal to privacy-conscious consumers, not just those looking to dodge cloud fees — but note that Anker’s Eufy brand was the one we caught in a privacy scandal.
The new cross-camera tracking feature will be part of a free beta trial at launch, and White says a final version of the feature will be released in the “fourth quarter of 2023.” Pricing for the feature will arrive later this year — but it looks like it will be part of a subscription.
Older cameras that work with the Eufy HomeBase 3 will also add this cross-tracking capability, so you don’t have to buy new cameras to get the feature. White says that almost every Eufy camera device, except for some wired cameras and wall light cams, now has full compatibility with HomeBase 3.
Here’s a look at the new cameras:
Eufy SoloCam S340 — $199.99
A dual-lens battery-powered outdoor camera with a built-in solar panel, the S340 features a 3K resolution wide-angle lens and a 2K telephoto lens with an 8x hybrid zoom. It also has on-device AI, and the ability to track and zoom on a subject with a 360-degree pan and 70-degree tilt. Color night vision, two-way audio, and a 100-lumen spotlight plus four months of battery life and 8GB onboard storage round out the specs. It is compatible with the HomeBase 3.
Eufy Floodlight Cam E340 — $219.99
The first Eufy camera with the ability to record 24/7, the new floodlight camera comes with an onboard micro-SD slot for local storage up to 128GB. A wired camera with two light panels for up to 2,000 lumens of light, it’s designed to be mounted vertically on a wall. It has 360-degree coverage and can track a person in its field of view. It works with dual-band Wi-Fi 6, has two-way audio, a built-in alarm, lighting schedules, and adjustable brightness.
Eufy Indoor Cam S350 — $129.99
The new indoor camera has 4K UHD resolution, 8x zoom, and 350-degree pan and tilt. It can be set to “patrol” points of interest, and AI tracking can keep a subject in view. It also features a privacy shutter and is powered by a USB cable.
Eufy Video Doorbell E340 — $179.99
The successor to the Eufy Dual Video Doorbell, the E340 features two cameras — a 2K camera with color night vision up top for person detection and a second 1080p camera below for package detection. The doorbell can be installed with wired power or can operate on battery, and as the other cameras announced, it handles up to 60 days of event-based recordings locally (8GB storage built-in), accessible without a subscription.
All four cameras are available starting today on Amazon and Eufy’s website.
Eufy cameras work with Amazon Alexa and Google Home, but only the Eufy Cam 2 line is compatible with Apple Home. White says the company has been in discussions regarding Matter compatibility, for whenever the new smart home standard supports cameras. “It’s a possibility, something we’re looking at, but there’s nothing confirmed,” he says.
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