The SoloCam S40 eufy security camera is another combination of beauty and power from the company. Imagine only having to charge your security camera for 2 hours and use it throughout the day and night. Even better, imagine you can complete these two hours of charging with just its solar panel.
Well, stop imagining. You can revel in this luxury for just $199.99. The SoloCam S40 eufy security camera features an in-built solar panel. Plus, this camera also features 2K resolution, an integrated spotlight, and a talkback speaker, all offering you the best value you can get for your money.
For most security cameras available today, you either have to connect them to the main power source or regularly recharge their batteries. And of course, this may restrict their positioning. However, the SoloCam S40 eufy security camera comes with a lot of flexibility, allowing you to position it in any way you like.
This is just a glimpse of what the SoloCam S40 eufy security camera has in store for you. Now, in this review, we will cover everything you need to know about the camera, starting from its build to its overall performance.
Let’s get in.
The SoloCam S40 eufy Security Camera Design: First Impression
In the package comes the SoloCam S40 eufy security camera and everything you need to mount it. These include screws, the pivoting bracket, and a ball joint. To set the system up, you also have a USB C cable and a mounting template that allows you to stick it to the wall.
Just like some other products from eufy, the SoloCam S40 eufy security camera is a standalone system, and you can connect it directly to your Wi-Fi network. Being a stand-alone IP camera also makes it flexible. It allows you to mount the camera anywhere you want. But remember that your Wi-Fi signal has to be strong enough for optimum performance.
When considering a location to mount the camera, choose a place where the camera can receive at least two hours of sunlight a day as it comes with an inbuilt solar panel. This is to keep the battery topped up fresh and extended. You can learn more about the eufy Solar Panel and best practices in our review here.
Now onto the design. The SoloCam S40 eufy security camera has its inbuilt solar panel located at the top of the unit. This panel design is quite different from the shiny photovoltaic sheet you see everywhere. Instead, it is matte black. The camera is also very lightweight, weighing just around 0.88 kg. It further comes with a weatherproof rating of IP67. This can rise up to any occasion and repel any potentially detrimental element nature throws at it.
Now let’s take a look at the back of the SoloCam S40 eufy security camera. When you open the flap at the back, you will find a USB C port and a sync button. The system also has a speaker that you will find below it for Two-Way-Communication.
Obviously, you would find the camera lens at the face of the unit. Now, to the top of the lens, you will find its microphone, on the left is the photosensitive sensor, LED status at the right-hand side, and PIR motion detection sensor at the bottom. The spotlights of the camera are on both the left-hand side and right-hand side of the lens.
With the SoloCam S40 eufy security camera, you can take footage of up to 2K resolution. There is also an alarm that sounds from the speaker whenever there is a trigger. You can set this trigger alarm to function automatically or manually based on your preference. You can make this alarm sound automatically when it recognizes a human using the AI human detection feature.
Even in darkness, the SoloCam S40 eufy security camera has a full colorful shooting feature that allows you to have colored night vision. Finally, with a command, you can control every one of these features using Alexa or Google Assistant. However, it doesn’t support the apple home kit.
How does the Solocam S40 eufy security camera perform?
One thing that has been a uniform trend among eufy cameras over the years is the ease of setting them up. The SoloCam S40 eufy security camera is not an exception in this regard.
However, always remember to charge the device to the fullest capacity even before installing it. This could take a few hours to achieve. But getting the battery to 100% before getting things running will benefit you in the long term as this ensures battery efficiency.
Again, remember that this might be the only time you have to charge the device since subsequent charging will be performed with its solar panel.
After these, the rest is history. All you have to do is install the eufy smart application on any device of your choice. You will be required to create an account if you don’t have one. This only takes a few seconds, so it’s almost a breeze. Once you’ve created an account, all you have to do is hit the sync button we mentioned earlier on the camera.
Once you’ve hit the button, go on to select the Wi-Fi network you’ll be using with the camera. At this point, find a QR code displayed on the device where you installed the application. Using your eufy SoloCam S40 lens, scan this QR code.
After this process is complete, your camera is good to go. Simply mount and use your security camera.
It is worthy of note that the Wi-Fi reception of the SoloCam S40 eufy security camera is commendable. In fact, you can position your router to as far as 15 to 20 meters and it will still maintain a satisfactory network connection.
Camera performance
The first thing that will captivate you about the SoloCam S40 eufy security camera is it’s 2K resolution. Who wouldn’t be impressed with this for a security camera? Even better, you can capture this resolution with a 130 degrees field of view in clear images and balanced colors.
In several security cameras, we’ve seen complaints about exposure blow-outs anytime the customer places them directly in sunlight. Fortunately, this concern is absent in this camera.
The SoloCam S40 eufy security camera also offers you crisp and clear colored feeds even at night. Kudos to the spotlight feature, you can even better capture intricate details and optimize the tone of your footage.
If you want to get even more exceptional footage at night from the SoloCam S40 eufy security camera, explore the floodlight feature. Of course, this may take a toll on the battery life. This is why most people prefer to settle for the night vision mode which only allows you to capture in black and white.
Audio performance
Generally, the audio feature performs satisfactorily. The microphone gives you a crisp and clear sound and even better, the microphone works just as excellently in adverse weather conditions.
Is the AI motion detector any good?
The SoloCam S40 eufy security camera’s AI motion detector allows you to choose what kind of motion will trigger an alert. This could be a human, a pet, or any other form of significant motion. Plus, you can further restrict the activity zone. So, if the motion occurs beyond this zone, you will not receive any alert. This feature helps you eliminate the tendency of false triggers or alarms that are not valuable to you.
You’ll get clear and high-quality thumbnails of who or what caused the trigger when there is one. This feature is not 100% perfect. So, always expect some false alarms here and there.
Storage
The SoloCam S40 eufy security camera has an inbuilt storage capacity of 8GB, and you cannot add to this storage capacity. When the storage is full, the camera automatically rewrites from the oldest file.
Performance of the camera on the eufy Application
The functionality of the SoloCam S40 eufy security camera on the eufy companion app is exactly the same as every other eufy security camera. This application has gone through series of updates over the years. And overall, it works excellently and almost without bugs, whether you’re using it on your android device or IOS device.
Once you synchronize the SoloCam S40 eufy security camera with the app and complete the setup, the application interface shows you several thumbnails of installed eufy cameras. Then, you can click on any of the thumbnails to see the live footage of that particular camera you have installed.
With regards to recording, the SoloCam S40 eufy security camera doesn’t record nonstop. Instead, it only records short footages anytime it detects any form of motion. If the camera records nonstop when there is no sunlight, it’s normal for the battery to run down quickly. For this reason, the camera’s default setting is to stick to shorter clips. This setting is under the Power Manager on the app and has the following working modes;
(i) The Optimal Battery Life Mode – In this mode, the camera automatically records footage anywhere between 10 to 20 seconds.
(ii) The Optimal Surveillance Mode – In this mode, the camera automatically records footage for up to 60 seconds.
(iii) Customize Recording –In this mode, you can change the default settings and extend the recording time.
If you decide to take the third option, the puzzle would be finding the right balance between video length and battery lifespan. Remember that the lengthier the video footage, the more battery power is consumed. So, as you use the camera and experiment with lengths, it will become easier to identify the setting that cuts it for you.
It is also worth mentioning that motion detection works excellently. The SoloCam S40 eufy security camera typically alerts you of any motion detected within five seconds. It’s sent in the form of a notification. When you click on the notification, you will instantly see who and what triggered it with a live video recording.
Perhaps, one of the most innovative features on the eufy application is the ability to set a recording schedule. You can choose when you want the camera to start recording and it will, without your supervision.
The app also allows you to configure different alerts to expect from the camera. Furthermore, if someone is within the range of the camera’s view, you can communicate with them using your smartphone via the application and this functionality works satisfactorily.
Right on the application’s interface, you’ll also find controls that’ll allow you to tweak the spotlight brightness seamlessly. You can also configure the alarm siren on the application.
However, the only bottleneck to using the spotlight and siren is their location in the menu. On the application, it’s relatively difficult to use these features as they are deep within the sub-menu. So, if perhaps, you are looking to quickly turn ON the spotlights or deter an intruder with an alarm, this is not the best. Placing these features on the main screen would have been more convenient.
Tabular Specifications of the eufy SoloCam S40
Cons of the SoloCam S40 eufy security camera
The SoloCam S40 eufy security camera fulfills all the requirements of a modern security camera. But, the two Cons below may be a deciding factor for intending users.
(i) Very conspicuous.
(ii) Solar power charging is inadequate when sunshine is not so fantastic.
Final Thoughts
One thing this review has shown about the SoloCam S40 eufy security camera is that it is a dependable device for anyone looking for a security camera that works.
During the summer and spring months, you don’t expect the solar charging functionality to be an issue. But, how about winter and autumn when there is lesser sunlight? Well, you still don’t have to worry as it will function just as great. However, the spotlights do use a lot of power and if this setting is inadequate at this period of time, choose the optimal battery life setting.
Again, the SoloCam S40 eufy security camera is a cost-effective alternative for anyone looking to enjoy maximum security with a lean budget. Also, you don’t have to pay a dime as a subscription fee for storage. On top of that, you get a slick application with terrific UI/UX design.
The SoloCam S40 eufy security camera has crisp picture quality, capturing every detail you need for a profound assessment. Furthermore, its sound and communication results are impeccable. The impressive AI detection capability further cements the SoloCam S40 eufy security camera as an epitome of a modern security camera.
Lastly, you can also position the camera anywhere as it is wire-free unless you choose to use the USB charging option. However, make sure it can receive adequate sunlight wherever you decide to position it.
You may want to see our review of the eufyCam 3 and eufyCam 3C.
