Aqara is a top HomeKit smart home device manufacturer. You can buy products like door and window, temperature, motion and vibration sensors from them, but when you combine a device like the Camera Hub G2H Pro, you can now connect everything without the need for a separate hub. That, coupled with some great privacy and security features, makes this indoor security camera well worth a closer look.
Aqara Camera Hub G2H Pro: Price and Availability
The Camera Hub G2H Pro is currently available on Amazon in the US for $69.99 in any color you want, as long as it’s white.
Aqara Camera Hub G2H Pro: Specs and Features
What I like about Aqara and this camera hub is their focus on privacy features and ease of use. Entering the Aqara Home app, you can click on Video Settings and set the privacy mask area. Let’s say you live in an apartment and your child’s bedroom window is on the first floor. You want to place cameras but not record them, only the viewport. Click on the Privacy Masking Areas feature, and using the grid, you can drag up to three areas on the screen, which will place black bars on your recording. No images or actions/movements will be recorded in the masked area. You can even disable recording to provide more privacy.
For a 1080P camera, the video is quite good. There are better options, but ultimately HomeKit Secure Video will take all 2k and 4k cameras and record at 1080P. Mounted opposite a large sliding glass door, the light streaming in from it will wash out some of the detail on that side of the room, but you’ll be processing detail from many cameras to varying degrees. Details in the film, such as text and faces on pictures on the wall, are easily discernible within about 20 feet of the camera, but they lose fine detail the further away.
With support for Siri, Alexa, and Google Home, this is a great camera for someone like me who primarily uses iOS, but my wife prefers Google and Alexa. Using Ark 2.0 makes it a unique choice for fail-safe automation use.
In short, Ark 2.0 allows some of your devices to connect to other devices over a mesh network and still run local automation even if the network connection is lost. This is a vital security feature as some malicious individuals use Wi-Fi jammers to compromise connected cameras before breaking into a home. These jammers are fairly easy to obtain for those interested in committing property crimes.
In terms of connectivity, G2H only supports 2.4GHz Wi-Fi and has a built-in Zigbee 3.0 hub. It’s powered by an outdated microUSB to USB-A cable.
Aqara Camera Hub G2H Pro: Construction and appearance
The Camera Hub G2H Pro is plastic, but I haven’t seen a bunch of negative reviews or Reddit posts complaining about long-term durability. It’s smaller than Aqara’s G3 and E1, only 3.24 inches tall and 2 inches wide, unless you put it on the retractable base.
The G2H Pro features a magnet on the bottom that is strong enough to attach to many metal or iron surfaces. I mounted it on an iron apron hook in the kitchen/dining area and it feels sturdy there. Additionally, at the bottom, you’ll find a microSD slot that supports up to 512GB of storage, along with a reset button next to it.
Aqara Camera Center G2H Pro: Easy to use
Aqara’s Camera Center G2H Pro is easy to set up and use. Opening the box, you’ll find a micro USB to USB A cable but no power adapter, a 3M patch for mounting to various surfaces, instructions, ejection tool, and metal plate. I didn’t use metal plates or 3M stickers to mount it; instead, I used strong magnets to attach it to an apron hook mounted on the wall between the kitchen and dining room. It feels very secure being installed there and allows me to see into my dining area, living room and part of the kitchen.
Connecting the camera to the Aqara app and HomeKit is as easy as scanning some QR codes and following the prompts, and the entire process takes less than 10 minutes.
Once connected to Wi-Fi, you can configure all privacy and security, automation, motion/unusual sound detection, and custom ringtone settings through the Aqara app. Since the Hub G2H Pro now supports Apple HomeKit Security, you can jump to the Apple Home app and set up automations and alerts based on the four alert modes the app supports. With these alarm modes and any motion or sound detection configured, you can use the available onboard storage (up to 512GB via microSD) to run videos continuously 24/7 or on every alarm event. If you run it 24/7, you’ll get about a week’s worth of footage.
Aqara Camera Center G2H Pro: Competition
The $69.99 Camera Hub G2H Pro doesn’t really have a direct competitor, as it includes a Zigbee 3.0 hub. That said, for an extra $40, you should check out Aqara’s Camera Hub G3.
Hub G3 also supports connection to up to 128 Aqara smart home devices, but it is more advanced than G2H Pro in all functions except image masking. The G3 also adds pan and tilt capabilities. If that $40 difference seems like a lot, a quick look at historical pricing shows that the G3 has been on sale twice in the past four months for $87.49, which is only a difference of about $15.
Aqara Camera Center G2H Pro: Should you buy it?
You should buy this if…
- You have invested in the Aqara ecosystem
- You want a camera with a variety of mounting options
- You want a camera with great privacy options
You shouldn’t buy it if…
- You need pan/tilt/zoom functionality
- You need a 5GHz Wi-Fi connection
Aqara Camera Center G2H Pro: Conclusion
A built-in Zigbee 3.0 hub, flexible mounting options, powerful privacy controls, and excellent video capabilities make the Aqara Camera Hub G2H Pro a great choice for anyone who wants to fill their home with Aqara’s wallet-friendly sensor and camera options. And the price of $69.99 isn’t bad either. Add in HomeKit Security and Ark 2.0 support, and you’ve got a powerful hub, camera, and essential security system to help monitor and protect your precious belongings.
If you’re new to the market, I’d recommend considering the newer Camera Hub G3, but you may not need all the features on offer. Either way, the G2H Pro is ideal for building smart home security.
Bottom line:
Aqara Camera Hub G2H Pro has smart privacy features, looks great in daylight and no-light conditions, and can control up to 128 Aqara devices. You won’t find anything better at this price!