EufyCam 2C Pro: A Deep Dive into Privacy and Performance
The proliferation of home security cameras has brought with it a host of concerns, primarily regarding privacy. The thought of neighborhood children being unknowingly recorded and having that footage potentially disseminated to unknown parties is unsettling. Similarly, the prospect of personal data being harvested and commodified by data-scraping companies is equally concerning. Enter the EufyCam 2C Pro, a security camera from Anker that promises a more privacy-centric approach by integrating seamlessly with Apple’s HomeKit Secure Video.
This review delves into the features, functionality, and overall performance of the EufyCam 2C Pro, evaluating its claims of enhanced privacy and its usability in a real-world setting.
The EufyCam 2C Pro is an updated version of Anker’s HomeKit Secure Video-compatible camera, boasting 2K video recording, an impressive six-month battery life, and on-device AI for person detection. It even claims to detect crying, although this feature proved difficult to test effectively. The review unit consisted of a two-pack, including the Home Base 2 bridge and two cameras, retailing for $320.
The Home Base 2 resembles a compact, tapered version of the Apple Airport Time Capsule. The cameras themselves are encased in glossy white plastic, making their presence quite obvious. They are definitively cameras, not designed for covert surveillance.
The included mounting system consists of a base that attaches to the wall, connecting to the ball-jointed, articulating arm via clips. While convenient, the design leaves the camera vulnerable to theft, a potential concern depending on the location and security needs.
Eufy prominently highlights privacy as a key selling point, a factor that piqued the reviewer’s interest. With reservations about Ring cameras and their perceived Orwellian surveillance practices, the reviewer sought a camera offering local storage, robust encryption, and assurances against unauthorized video access.
HomeKit Secure Video (HSV) compatibility was paramount in evaluating Anker’s privacy claims. HSV provides end-to-end encrypted cloud storage for 10 days, without requiring additional subscription fees beyond existing iCloud storage plans (200 GB or 2 TB). The ability to use the camera without even installing the manufacturer’s app was a further bonus.
The EufyCam 2C Pro earned a "B" grade in the overall assessment. Setup was straightforward, though accompanied by a surprisingly loud female voice prompt, potentially disruptive during quiet hours. While setup was achievable solely through the iOS Home app, initial recordings were limited to a frustrating five seconds or less, and motion detection proved unreliable, working only about 50% of the time.
A quick online search revealed this to be a common issue, often resolved by requesting a non-public firmware update from Eufy support. Eufy responded promptly, deploying the update overnight, which ultimately resolved the HomeKit Secure Video integration issues.
For those unfamiliar with HomeKit Secure Video, Apple’s support documentation lacks comprehensive detail. Key points to remember include: recordings are capped at 1080p, videos do not count against iCloud storage limits, and they are accessible within the Home app’s camera pane. Moreover, motion detection processing occurs locally on the designated Home Hub (in this case, a HomePod), and Apple asserts its inability to decrypt the videos, ensuring that only authorized users can view them.
Facial recognition, also processed locally, utilizes the user’s iCloud photo library as a reference point, with performance consistent with other similar systems. With a HomeKit Secure router, the camera’s connection can be restricted to the local network, a limitation that the Home Base 2 tolerates without complaint (except for the friendly blue status ring turning red), albeit at the cost of Eufy app functionality.
While HSV offers privacy benefits, reliance on iCloud introduces potential drawbacks, such as sluggish video loading times, regardless of internet speed. Batch downloading videos from iCloud is cumbersome, requiring individual selection and saving for each clip.
The Eufy Security app offers automatic local storage (up to 16 GB), but this significantly impacts battery life. Investigation revealed that the app was recording videos every 3-to-5 minutes, irrespective of Home app activity. When using HSV, Eufy defaults to recording all motions, effectively creating a near-constant livestream.
Consequently, after just four days of use with HomeKit, both cameras’ batteries depleted to below 50%. The batteries are not user-replaceable, raising concerns about long-term battery life. However, the reviewer notes that the batteries are similar to those used in e-cigarettes, which endure numerous charge cycles, suggesting that battery longevity may not be a significant issue. Charging is done via micro-USB.
Using the cameras without HSV presented a more positive experience. The Eufy app is user-friendly, and video viewing is fast, thanks to local storage on the Home Base 2. Even outside the home network, videos loaded quickly, surpassing iCloud’s performance.
The Eufy app offers various settings, including options for NAS storage (using the Real-Time Streaming Protocol), customizable recording lengths, video timestamping, disabling the camera’s status LED, and adjusting motion sensitivity. These settings are generally easy to navigate and understand.
The camera also includes a siren, which could be useful but is prone to accidental triggering, particularly if the camera is not configured with geofencing. The reviewer expressed reluctance to use the siren, anticipating frequent false alarms triggered by routine environmental factors.
The floodlight and two-way audio features were not tested initially, as they are only accessible through the Eufy app and not yet integrated into the Home app. Also, HomeKit Secure Video supports only 1080p, limiting access to the camera’s full 2K resolution when using HSV.
A comparison with the Netatmo Presence camera, which maxes out at 1080p, revealed that the EufyCam 2C Pro offered more realistic colors and better exposure control. However, despite its higher resolution (2304 × 1296), the EufyCam 2C Pro initially lacked the detail of the Netatmo, gradually resolving to a sharper image as the subject moved out of frame. This slower ramp-up to full resolution impacted the ability to read license plates, a crucial detail in some security scenarios.
Conversely, the eufyCam’s night vision significantly outperformed the Netatmo, offering greater range and detail.
The reviewer concludes that no smart home security camera is without its compromises, but the eufyCam 2C Pro offers a compelling package. Its easy setup, installation, and good-looking video (for a security camera), combined with consistent functionality, make it a solid product. Its privacy-conscious design is particularly appealing to users concerned about data security.
The primary caveat is that the 2K resolution does not offer a significantly noticeable improvement over standard HD, which may not justify the price premium. Homekit support is welcome and it works well…once you get a firmware update. 2K resolution is supported but only in the Eufy app.
Ultimately, the EufyCam 2C Pro offers a blend of privacy features and functionality, making it a worthwhile consideration for users seeking a more secure and user-friendly home security solution. The need to use both the Homekit and the Eufy app is annoying and battery draining.
