Pros & Cons
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- Sharp 2K video
- Effective use of Gemini AI
- Intelligent alerts
- Face recognition
- Voice control
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- Many features require a subscription
- Doesn't support HomeKit or IFTTT
Google Nest Cam Outdoor 2K Wired 2nd Gen Camera (Snow) Specs
| Alarm | |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi |
| Field of View | 152 |
| Integrations | Amazon Alexa |
| Integrations | Google Assistant |
| Night Vision | |
| Resolution | 2K |
| Storage | Cloud |
| Two-Way Audio |
When we reviewed the original Nest Cam Outdoor in 2016, it earned high marks for its durability, sharp video quality, and support for third-party devices. The second-generation model looks a lot like its predecessor and is also wired, but this time around, it offers 2K video and uses Google's Gemini AI to provide detailed event descriptions. It’s a great choice for Google Home users, and at $149.99, it won't break the bank (though you’ll have to subscribe to a Google Home Premium plan to unlock this and many other features). If you don't use Google Home and can live without written event descriptions, the $179.99 Aqara Camera Hub G5 Pro offers many of the same features as the Nest Cam but also serves as a smart home automation hub with support for the Matter, Thread, and Zigbee protocols, making it our Editors' Choice for outdoor security cameras.
Design and Features: Sleek, Weatherproof, and Familiar
This second-gen model of the Nest Cam Outdoor closely resembles the original. Its puck-shaped IP65 weatherproof enclosure comes in white (Snow) or gray (Hazel) and measures 2.7 by 3.0 by 3.0 inches (HWD). The glossy black front features a camera lens, a microphone, two infrared LEDs for black-and-white night vision, and a status LED that glows green when the camera is operating correctly, blue during setup, or red when a connectivity issue occurs. A speaker is located at the bottom of the enclosure.
Unlike the $179.99 Nest Cam Battery, this version only uses AC power. Protruding from the bottom of the enclosure is a 20-inch power cable that connects to an 18-foot weatherproof AC power cord. The camera uses a magnetic mount similar to previous Nest models. In addition to the magnetic mount and power cord, you get a wall plate, mounting screws and anchors, cable clips, and a quick-start guide.
The camera captures 2K (2,560 by 1,440) HDR video at 30fps and has a 152-degree field of view, a 16:9 aspect ratio, and a 6x digital zoom. In comparison, the original Outdoor Cam captured 1080p video with a 130-degree field of view and an 8x digital zoom. It packs dual-band Wi-Fi for connecting to your home network and a Bluetooth radio for pairing with your phone.
(Credit: John R. Delaney)Subscription Pricing: Google's Tiered Plans Explained
When it detects motion, the camera records video and stores it in the cloud. However, you can only view 10-second previews unless you subscribe to a Google Home Premium plan. The Standard plan, which costs $10 per month or $100 per year, provides 30 days of event-based video history, intelligent alerts (including familiar faces, garage door detection, package detection, and smoke & CO alarm sounds), access to Gemini for Home AI, and alerts with zoomed-in previews.
The $20 per month or $200 per year Advanced plan gives you everything from the Standard plan, plus 60 days of video history, 10 days of 24/7 video history, and Gemini AI-powered features, including descriptive event notifications, video search, event descriptions, and daily summaries of recorded events. Descriptive event notifications are short explanations about what caused the event, and video search lets you use Google’s Ask Home feature to pull up specific events. Event descriptions are detailed overviews of what is happening in a specific video. For example, instead of “person detected,” it may identify the person by name or describe their actions in the video.
App and Capabilities: Smart, But Locked Into Google’s World
The second-gen Nest Cam Outdoor uses the Google Home app (available for both Android and iOS) and supports Google and Alexa voice commands; however, it does not work with Apple HomeKit or IFTTT applets. For comparison, the Aqara Camera Hub G5 Pro works with all major smart home voice assistants and automation platforms.
(Credit: Nest/PCMag)Within the camera section of the Google Home app, the Nest Cam Outdoor has its own panel displaying the last image it captured. Tap the panel to open a live video stream that can be viewed in full-screen mode by turning your phone sideways. At the bottom of the screen are buttons for initiating two-way talk, turning the camera on and off, configuring the familiar faces feature, and accessing the event history record.
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At the top of the screen are buttons with two arrows and three dots. Tap the arrows to generate a list of events with thumbnails that appear below the video panel. Each thumbnail displays a brief action clip of the event, and you can tap it to view the entire clip. Tap the i button in the lower-left corner to see a detailed description of what happened in the video.
Tap the three dots to access the settings screen. Here, you can enable or disable notifications, configure smart alerts (people, animals, vehicles, garage open/closed), turn on face detection, create activity zones, and choose which events you want to appear in your history list. Other settings allow you to optimize bandwidth usage, enable night vision, adjust status LED brightness, rotate the image 180 degrees, and configure audio settings.
(Credit: John R. Delaney)Installation and Performance: Easy Setup, Sharp Video, and Impressive AI Insights
Installing the Nest Cam Outdoor is easy, but you’ll need access to a nearby GFCI outlet for power. I started by opening the Google Home app, tapping the plus icon in the upper-right corner, and then selecting Device. I scanned the QR code attached to the camera, tapped Next when the camera was identified, and then plugged it in. After about 30 seconds, I was prompted to connect to my Wi-Fi SSID. Once the camera was connected to my Wi-Fi, I assigned it a location, waited a few seconds for a firmware update to complete, and verified that the camera was working correctly.
I skipped the installation video and took the camera outside to mount it on my backyard deck using the included hardware, then plugged it into a GFCI outlet. I enabled Video History, which saves motion recordings from the past three hours, and turned on the microphone and audio recording. Finally, I enabled Familiar Face detection to complete the installation.
The second-gen Nest Cam Outdoor delivered sharp, colorful 2K video during the day, but low-light colors weren't quite as vibrant. You’ll get better low-light colors with the Ring Outdoor Cam Pro. Black-and-white night video was well-lit and delivered sharp image detail with strong contrast.
(Credit: Nest/PCMag)Gemini AI features worked well. One of my home briefs informed me that a raccoon was seen walking around the patio and on the pool cover, and a black cat was spotted at various times during the day. I used the video search to request clips that contained cats, and it responded quickly with the correct thumbnails.
I had no trouble viewing video on a Google Nest Hub display, and my Google Home automation to have a U-tec Smart Dimmer Switch turn on when the camera detected motion worked every time. Two-way talk was adequately loud and distortion-free.