Nest has headed outdoors with the launch of its latest product the Nest Cam Outdoor. In addition to offering a 130-degree viewing angle and 1,080p HD video resolution, the Nest Cam Outdoor also utilizes machine learning tech from Google.

We look at how the Nest Cam Outdoor stacks up against other outdoor smart security cameras currently in the market, including the Netgear Arlo Security System, Comcast xCam and the Kuna security camera and smart light.

Wide field of view and great resolution

Compared to the Netgear Arlo Security System, Comcast xCam and the Kuna, the Nest Cam Outdoor offers the best field of view out of the group. With a field of view of 130 degrees, its closest rival is the Kuna, but it still comes in 14 degrees short.

In addition to a great field of view, the Nest Cam Outdoor also offers great video resolution at 1,080p HD, the same quality offered by the Nest Cam Indoor.

Two-way audio

Whether you want to chat to the delivery guy or want to scare off unwanted visitors, the Nest Cam Outdoor features a speaker and microphone allowing for two-way audio.

The same feature is also offered by the Kuna, however, unlike the Nest Cam Outdoor, it also offers a 100dB alarm, which should easily scare off unwanted visitors.  

Person alerts

The person alerts feature in the Nest Cam Outdoor has leveraged Google’s knowledge in machine learning and is able to provide you with more accurate alerts direct to your phone. You will be alerted if a person is approaching your front door, but you avoid being alerted if your dog or a car is in the line of sight of the camera. Face detection is a feature that is already offered by the likes of Simplicam for its indoor camera, but it is a first for Nest.

To get access to person alerts you will need to be a subscriber to the Nest Aware service. The Nest Aware subscription differs depending on how long you want to keep your video recordings. A 10-day video history costs $10/month or $100/year while a 30-day video history costs $30/month or $300 per year.

When you pre-order your Nest Cam Outdoor, though, you will get a free trial of Nest Aware.

Wires included

Unlike the Netgear Arlo Security System, the Nest Cam Outdoor is not wireless, but it does mean you get continuous 24/7 recordings, barring you do not have a power failure. On the other hand, the wireless Netgear Arlo Security System has motion-sensing recording, but also offers live streaming capabilities. This, however, will have an obvious impact on the life of the batteries.

Redesigned Nest app

In addition to launching an outdoor camera, Nest has also redesigned its app, which now supports Apple Watch in addition to Android Wear that was added at the start of the year. The new features of the app allow you to share live streams with friends and family, camera feed view is expanded to full-screen width and introduces Spaces allowing you to easily control your Nest products by room.

Pricing and availability

You can pre-order your Nest Cam Outdoor from the Nest site now for $199, with shipment happening in 11-12 weeks. Pre-orders are also available from Best Buy while the Nest Cam Outdoor will be available for purchase in stores in the fall.

Check out the Nest Cam Outdoor in the video below and see how you can keep an eye on your kids, pets or the person at your front door.

Images via: Nest