Battery-powered cameras avoid having to draw power from outside, but they are often more expensive than equivalent wired models. With the Cell 3C, Imou seems to bring together the best of both worlds. And this model can also be supplemented with a solar panel to avoid having to recharge it.
A separate or integrated solar panel
The Cell 3C is more precisely equipped with a 5000 mAh accumulator. Certainly, this is quite far from the 10,400 mAh of the Ezviz HB8 for example, but Imou still promises three to four months of peace of mind. Charging goes through a USB-C port, but for even more peace of mind, the Cell 3C is available in a kit with a separate solar panel as well as in a so-called All-in-One version with the same solar panel, but integrated in this case . Thus, this latest version avoids not only recharging the camera, but also fixing two supports to the wall.
To benefit from solar energy, however, you will have to choose a location… sunny, of course. If you want to install the camera in a sheltered location, it is better to opt for the separate solar panel; the camera, moreover, is IP66 certified and therefore normally does not need shelter.
2K video and people detection
The Cell 3C also promises 2K images (2304 x 1296 pixels) and even a color mode for nighttime thanks to a small integrated projector. Infrared vision is of course also present, and the Cell 3C must be able to analyze the images to detect people. However, it does not detect movements from the video, but, like most battery-powered cameras, using a more energy-efficient passive infrared (PIR) sensor. It is therefore only once a movement is detected that it activates the video and can search for the presence of a person.
Videos can be stored on a memory card or in the Imou cloud (from €2.89/month) and the Cell 3C also includes a microphone to record sounds in addition to images. Thanks to a loudspeaker, it also allows you to chat live.
The Cell 3C camera alone is available commercially for less than €40 and the kit is priced around €50. We imagine that we will have to add a few more for the All-in-One version, but Imou is content for the moment to announce that it will be “exclusively available in retail“, without specifying any signs.