Hive, the British company known for its smart home products, has launched a new indoor security camera. Yep, the Hive View is a product that’s got little to do with smart heating or colourful lightbulbs, but what I’ve seen so far is very interesting indeed.
But you’re possibly already sceptical. There are plenty of smart home security cameras ripe for the choosing, from the likes of Netgear and Y-Cam – not forgetting that Hive has already launched an indoor camera – so what makes the Hive View so different?
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If you need a bit of convincing, I’ve had a brief hands on time with it, and have gathered all the important details about the Hive View in one handy place, to save you the effort of Googling it yourself. Here’s everything you need to know about the Hive View.
Hive View: Everything you need to know
Hive View UK price: How much will it cost?
The Hive View can be purchased for £189 or as a two-camera bundle for £319, saving £59. Additionally, you can also opt for a Hive Video Playback membership (more on that later) for £4.99 a month.
There’s also a monthly bundle plan called “Hive Close to Home”, which includes the Hive View, two Hive Active Lights, two Hive window/door sensors, a Hive Active Plug, Hive Hub and 30-day cloud storage for £30 a month. If you already own a Hive Hub, the plan is available for £27 a month.
Hive View UK release date: When’s it coming out?
The Hive View is currently available to buy from Hive’s official website.
Hive View design and features: What’s special?
Available in either black and brushed copper or white and champagne gold, the Hive View is a bit different to your bog-standard security camera. In short, it’s a lightweight cube-like camera that can disconnect from its skinny vertical stand, and placed in all sorts of areas in your home.
This “grab and go” feature that Hive calls it, means you can use the camera for up to an hour away from the wall socket. The idea is to use the View in a pinch to watch over your kids, or pets for example. It’s a handy feature, even if you are at the mercy of a not-so-long battery life.
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As for the camera, the View incorporates a 130-degree wide-angle lens with the capability of livestreaming 1080p video footage to your phone or tablet, so long as your device is running Android 4.4, iOS 9 or higher.
The new Hive View includes motion detection, which notifies you whenever the camera detects movement and sound. An advanced version is coming later in 2018, which can detect faces and send you a notification with an included picture of the culprit’s mug.
A feature called Hive Actions also launches in February, which enables you to link different Hive smart devices to specific actions in the Hive app. I haven't had the opportunity to play around with this just yet, but just know that it’s in the works, and coming soon.
Hive View: Early verdict
The View may not be the first security camera from the British Gas-owned company, but it’s a stylish little indoor security camera with a few tricks up its sleeve. It might be pricier than most, but it looks great, and the sheer portability of its cube-like camera is a handy feature.
I currently have a Hive View in for review, so stay tuned for my full verdict in the near future.
