YI Home Camera 1080p AI+ at Amazon for $21.49

Cameras from YI Technology have a long history with us. The manufacturer’s surveillance cameras have long been available on Amazon. One of them is the YI Home Camera 1080p AI+.

• YI Home Camera 1080p AI+
  • at Amazon for $21.49

The first product with which YI made a name for itself was the first Xiaomi action cam in 2015, and since then the company has broken away from Xiaomi and launched the YI 4K and YI 4k+, perhaps the best action cam in the world at the time. However, the company then withdrew from the market and concentrated on surveillance cameras, so-called IP cameras, and dashcams.

The camera has a full HD resolution, i.e. 1080p, at 20 fps. The frame rate would be low for an action cam or other camera, but for a surveillance camera this is sufficient. There is a fourfold digital zoom to enlarge the image section, and a shooting angle of 110°. There is also a night vision mode, which of course is especially important for a surveillance camera.

The “AI” in the name doesn’t come from anywhere. Thanks to integrated artificial intelligence, people in motion should be detected, but other moving objects or animals should not trigger an alarm. The camera also registers baby cries. In both cases the camera sends a message to the smartphone.

Other features include two-way audio (so you can talk to the person in front of the camera), live streaming from up to nine cameras simultaneously and optional local or cloud storage of data. The camera is also compatible with Amazon’s Alexa and can be integrated into the corresponding app.

The camera is primarily intended for use in the home, i.e. for monitoring in the event of a break-in or to keep an eye on small children or pets. YI has other camera models in its range for outdoor use. The camera has no built-in battery, so it must always be connected to the mains when in use.