Nest's cheapest camera and its Nest Cam with Floodlight go on sale
Nest's newest connected security cameras – including its first with a built-in floodlight system – are now up for order, offering new options inside and out. The Nest Cam (wired) and Nest Cam with Floodlight were announced back in August, alongside the second-generation Nest Doorbell and the new Nest Cam (wireless).
The latter two products went up for sale last month, but it's only today that you can buy Nest's most affordable new camera, and its outdoor floodlight camera. The Nest Cam (wired) is priced at $99.99, while the Nest Cam with Floodlight is $279.99.
Nest Cam (wired) aims for affordable security
Nest's first camera under $100, the wired Nest Cam (2021) is designed for locations within reach of a power cable. It's an indoor-only camera too, lacking the weatherproofing of the more expensive – and wireless – Nest Cam (wireless). Still, that also means you don't have to worry about charging it periodically, among other advantages.
Google has four different finishes for the camera. Snow, Linen, and Fog have the usual polycarbonate bases, with a posable mount for adjusting the angle of the lens. The maple version has a real wood base, meanwhile.
All four have a 2-megapixel sensor that streams or captures up to 1080p 30fps video. There's night vision up to 15 feet, and a speaker and microphone for hearing people and speaking to them. The cable is attached, 10 feet long, and with a USB-A connector on the other end.
Nest Cam with Floodlight banishes darkness
Intended for outdoor use, the Nest Cam with Floodlight is Nest's first model with an integrated LED light. That functionality is combined with the onboard machine learning: not only can you refine what notifications you get on your phone – not being alerted for general movement, say, but only when a person or vehicle is spotted – the lights can selectively come on only in certain conditions.
Alternatively, you can manually turn the lights on remotely. Routines support adjustable brightness, sensitivity, and how long the floodlight remains on. There are two light units, along with 180-degree motion detection.
As with the Nest Cam (wired), the new Floodlight model is designed to be permanently plugged in. Nest offers installation for $179 more, though it should be a case of routing the power cable to an outlet and then screwing the camera to a wall. As with the other recent models, there's night vision, 1080p HD quality, and bundled 3 hour event video history. If you want more than that – or intelligent alerts for familiar faces and sounds – you'll need a Nest Aware subscription.