Why You Can Trust CNET You'll have to step outside to see Nest's next security camera
Nest finds a new way to protect your roost -- a face-detecting Nest Cam designed exclusively for outside.
The Nest Cam Outdoor will be available this fall.
Nest Cam Outdoor, a $199/£150 outside-only Wi-Fi security camera, is slated to join the smart home brand's product lineup this fall. International availability is expected to follow soon after.
Complete with 1080p video resolution, livestreaming capabilities, two-way talk, a 130-degree field of view, and night vision, Nest Cam Outdoor shares a lot of specs with the Google/Alphabet property's existing Nest Cam, now called Nest Cam Indoor.
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See all pricesThe team super-sized the power adapter for the outside version, and extended the power cable to roughly 25 feet. A magnetic disk gives you an instant base plate when it makes contact with a gutter or another obliging surface. And since the palm-sized Nest Cam Outdoor has a magnetic backing of its own, outdoor installation sounds really simple. In theory, at least. Of course, if you don't have something magnetic handy, the team also includes a screw-in base for a more permanent installation.
On the software side of things, Nest Cam Outdoor will be accessible via the same Android and iPhone apps as before. You'll still have access to Nest Aware (the brand's opt-in month-to-month subscription service), too -- with a few changes. Nest Aware already allows for advanced features like motion and sound alerts, and continuous cloud recording, but it will add a facial-recognition feature called Person alerts with the launch of Nest Cam Outdoor.
While Person alerts won't be able to distinguish between specific people and strangers like the ArcSoft Simplicam or the Netatmo Welcome, it is supposed to be able to tell the difference between a face and something else, like a passing car. Maxime Veron, Nest's director of hardware product marketing, said in an interview that the Nest Cam Outdoor might be able to distinguish among more things in the future, too. Veron also confirmed that IFTTT and Works with Nest integrations will be available at launch.
No, this new security camera isn't a huge departure for the brand. In fact, we've been waiting for Nest's next piece of hardware for quite awhile. Even so, I'm intrigued by Person alerts and look forward to trying it out when Nest Cam Outdoor hits stores this fall.