Review: eufy SoloCam S40

When it comes to security cameras for your home, the biggest hassle you might run into is wiring for supplying power to the camera. Depending on where the nearest electrical point is, the whole installation experience could either be a walk in the park or daunting. eufy Security by Anker has been producing excellent security cameras for years now, and the latest to come out of its production facility is the eufy SoloCam S40.

As the name suggests the S40 is a wireless standalone security spotlight camera with an integrated solar panel. Quite a mouthful, but the key is “integrated solar panel.” That’s right, the S40 does not need an additional power source. Once installed, all it would need is around two hours of daily sunlight to stay charged.

Inside the box, you get the eufy SoloCam S40, the screw mount, a USB-A to USB-C charging cable, a screw pack, a mounting template, and a quick start guide, among other paperwork. Installing the S40 is a breeze – download the eufy Security app, create an account, and then select the home network you want to connect to.

Next, press the sync button on the camera till you hear a beep sound and the LED starts flashing. You then need to scan the QR code on your phone or tablet with the S40’s lens in order for it to connect to the home network chosen by you.

Once it gets connected, it is ready to be mounted. The only thing you need to consider while installing the camera is to install it in a place that receives at least two hours of sunlight every day.

The camera also integrates into the smart home setup. This means you can stream the live video feed to a compatible Alexa or Google Assistant smart display. In addition, the camera offers basic motion detection and you can set it to record people, animals, or any significant movement registered by the camera. The solar panel integrated on the top of the camera ensures it stays charged to keep you and your family safe from intruders.

The S40 offers crisp footage in 2K resolution and it also comes with a built-in spotlight, siren, and a talk-back speaker. Furthermore, it has 8GB of internal storage – this means you don’t have to pay for expensive cloud storage subscriptions for viewing the camera’s motion-triggered video recordings, as is the case with many devices out there in the market.

The overall design and build quality is very good, weighs 880 gms, and is weatherproof to the IP65 standard. Turn the camera around and you will find a flap just above the screw mount. Opening the flap reveals a sync button and USB-C charging port. The speaker is located on the bottom of the S40, while a microphone is placed to the left of the camera lens on the device’s face. You also get a photo-sensitive sensor and motion sensor LED indicator on the front.

The S40 also comes with some outstanding features such as a 90dB alarm that can be triggered either manually or automatically, AI person detection, automatic infrared night vision via a single LED as well as full colour filming in darkness via its built-in floodlight. As mentioned earlier, the S40 allows you to control various features and view the feed using the Alexa and Google Assistant voice assistants. Apple’s HomeKit, though, is not supported, but it isn’t a biggie.

The footage captured by the S40 is very crisp and detailed. It also maintained good connectivity with my router and the live feed was super smooth. The videos offer a 130° field-of-view and they were very clear and had a good colour balance. The detection features also worked really well during our review. The app presents clear thumbnails of detected humans, whenever the detection is triggered.

The eufy SoloCam S40 is an excellent security camera that can be used for your home. It offers a great design, build quality, and very good quality recorded footage. It also comes with a bunch of bells and whistles. However, the biggest feature the S40 offers is subscription-free onboard storage. For a price of AED 699, the eufy SoloCam S40 is highly recommended.

Price: AED 699