Article Image

China’s Ezviz summons a swath of new smart home products

Ezviz, the home security division of China's Hikvision, unveiled a diverse new line of smart home products that lean heavily toward home security and surveillance, one of the company's specialties.

Following its announcement of a slew of new products at Europe’s IFA 2018 conference in Berlin, Ezviz — a division of Chinese manufacturer Hikvision, whose controlling shareholder is the Chinese government — unveiled a new line of smart home-enabled products including a battery-powered camera, two smart doorbells, a smart plug, and more that lean heavily towards smart home security.

These new Ezviz products come completely compatible with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and IFTTT (If This, Then That) communication protocols and their associated devices. No word on availability in America just yet but the company is making an aggressive push into the European markets, including the imminent launch of its popular cloud storages devices.

Here’s a quick rundown of the new EZVIZ smart home devices

The C6T RF Edition is a robust surveillance camera with a few more bells and whistles than your average home security camera, including an HD pan-tilt camera that can swing 340 degrees in the horizontal plane, 80 degrees upward, and 10 degrees downward. It also functions as something of a security system hub with the ability to connect up to 32 Ezviz alarms and sensors. Smart tracking, a remote control, and automated alerts through the EzvizZVIZ app complete the package. No word on pricing yet but comparable Ezviz products range from $110 to $330.

A new smart home security camera is no surprise, given Hikvision and Ezviz’s background in video surveillance products but the sheer simplicity of the new C3A camera is refreshing. This is an outdoor stand-alone, wire-free, battery-powered security camera whose juice can be augmented by an onboard solar panel. A fully charged camera can operate up to 90 days on its own but solar augmentation can boost that operating time as well. The cam features full 1080p video, a diagonal 125-degree field of view, and two-way audio via the onboard microphone and speaker. A MicroSD card enables recording up to 128 GB, while users can also adopt an optional cloud storage plan. The product is currently listed on the U.S.Ezviz site for $230.

In an interesting side note, Ezviz also revealed it will launch an extension to the device in a battery camera base that will not only function as a control center and router connection but will also enable users to manage up to six C3A camera simultaneously.

Ezviz’s new DP1 smart door viewer was a 2018 Consumer Electronics Show Innovation Awards Honoree and a product that collects several smart home innovations into a single device. The DP1 provides the functions of a traditional door peephole, an IP camera, and a doorbell system, also accessed via a 4.3-inch LCD touchscreen. The device features a 124-degree HD wide-angle lens and is also equipped with a passive infrared sensor (PIR), motion alerts for human detection, and two-way communication via a smartphone app. A 3-meter infrared distance for night vision enables users to see and capture videos even when it’s dark. Meanwhile, a lithium battery can last up to three months without recharging. It should run around $230.

These two smart doorbells are pretty much the same including an onboard camera, alerts via the Ezviz app, and night vision up to five meters. The only difference is in power; the DB2 offers the same features as the DB1 but is powered by a rechargeable battery. No prices are available yet.

For people who just absolutely have to know whether it’s a burglar or the boyfriend skulking around in the backyard, EZVIZ offers a powerful outdoor Wi-Fi camera with super-bright 2,500-lumen LED floodlights. A 270-degree field of view, infrared, motion detection and a 100-decibel siren make this a pretty scary and effective tool for scaring off things that go bump in the night. No price yet but the company’s previous “Husky” outdoor camera retailed for $150.

Everybody’s got a smart plug these days and Ezviz is no exception. Their T31 smart plug turns most electronic devices into smart devices with full remote management via the Ezviz app. Users can also customize the names of multiple T31 devices and view power usage statistics to help them better understand and manage their power consumption actions.

Outdoor security cameras are not always practical if you live in an apartment or rental. Drilling into an exterior wall may be off-limits, while pointing a regular indoor camera through a window can create another problem once reflections start showing up after dark.

Baseus is trying to solve both issues with the new PrimeSentinel W1, a $69.99 security camera designed specifically to monitor the outdoors through glass. It mounts directly to a window without drilling and uses a 4K Starlight sensor with an F1.0 aperture for full-color monitoring during the day and at night.

This post is brought to you in paid partnership with Best Buy.

Technology evolves every day, transforming how we live and work. Our devices are becoming more than tools we use. They are increasingly capable companions that help streamline day-to-day routines and spark creative ideas. If you have been waiting for the right moment to upgrade your tech setup, the Discover Samsung Shopping Event offers an opportunity to explore what connected, AI-powered living can look like.

With AI progressing so fast, it's only a matter of time before we start getting AI companions like the ones we used to see in movies like R2-D2, Wall-E, or Baymax. Now, Singapore-based OKA Technology has unveiled Mori, a cute little AI companion that looks less like a conventional home robot and more like someone turned the Pokémon Foongus into a table lamp.

Mori isn't meant to clean your house or control your smart home, but to serve as what OKA calls a "Nature Companion." It uses subtle movements, warm lighting, nature-inspired sounds, and small reactions to make its presence around the house feel calming rather than distracting. Mori can sit quietly while you read, sway along to music, welcome you when you enter a room, or encourage you to slow down for a moment without requiring a screen or a conversation.