Tracks people and pets - Xiaomi Smart Camera C701 review
Rotatable night vision in 4K.
With the Smart Camera C701, Xiaomi offers a 360-degree indoor surveillance camera featuring 4K resolution and a night-vision function. The C701 can track people and pets, and it can store video in the cloud or on an SD card. We tested the smart-home camera.Benedikt Winkel, ✓ (translated by DeepL / Ninh Duy) Published 🇩🇪 🇫🇷 ...
Verdict - Xiaomi Smart Camera C701 with many functions
With the Smart Camera C701, Xiaomi delivers a feature-rich smart surveillance camera at a low price. Image quality, object tracking, and software functions were impressive in testing. However, a subscription fee is required after three months to access the more advanced AI features.
The app still needs some fine-tuning, especially in its translations. Sound recognition is also not completely reliable yet. On the other hand, the C701 is easy to set up and integrates well with smart-home systems such as Google Home.
Pros
Cons
Price and availability
The RRP of the Xiaomi Smart Camera C701 is €60 (approx. $69.45). The manufacturer sells the camera in its own online store, and other retailers such as Amazon (Germany) also offer it.
With the Smart Camera C701, Xiaomi offers a smart indoor surveillance camera. The device supports Wi-Fi, provides 4K resolution, includes a dedicated night mode, and uses AI for object tracking. It is also compatible with smart-home systems from Google and Amazon.
The C701 does not have an integrated battery and requires an external power source. However, thanks to its USB-C port, it can also be powered by a power bank; the input power is 10 W. The RRP is €60.
Specifications
| Camera | 8 MPix, f/1.6 |
| Horizontal viewing angle | 360° |
| Vertical viewing angle | 109° |
| Resolution | 3840 x 2160 |
| Video codec | H.265 |
| Memory | microSD card up to 256 GB (not included) |
| Operating temperature | -10 - 40° Celsius |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax 2.4GHz/5GHz |
| Bluetooth standard | 5.4 |
| Other | Infrared night light 940 nm |
Scope of delivery and setup
The scope of delivery for the Smart Camera C701 is straightforward. In addition to the camera itself, the box includes a USB cable and a power adapter. The manufacturer also provides a template for wall or ceiling mounting.
The C701 can be installed upright or suspended. The base is slightly rubberized on the underside to ensure a secure stand. In our test, we used the camera upright on a desk. Sensitive areas can be masked through the software.
The Mi Home app is required for setup. When searching for a new device, the camera appeared immediately in our test and could be paired without any issues. To complete the process, the QR code on the underside of the camera must be scanned.
The camera’s settings can be adjusted through the app. The C701 can be configured to operate only within a specific time window, and when it’s not in use, the lens retracts and becomes fully covered.
In testing, the camera reliably detected people and followed their movements, both during the day and at night. If desired, the Mi Home app can send push notifications when new movement is detected. Night vision works reliably, but contrary to the manufacturer’s claims, we were unable to see any color in low-light conditions.
The camera is designed to automatically distinguish between people and pets. The software is also intended to detect baby cries and unusual noises. In our test, children playing triggered alerts for both baby crying and unusual noise. In addition, parts of the software have not yet been fully translated.
A subscription to Xiaomi Home Secure is required for AI features such as object detection and tracking. Three months of free access are included with the purchase. After that, the Plus plan, which provides 30 days of cloud storage, costs €3.50 per month or €33 per year. Local storage on internal memory or a microSD card is free, with older footage overwritten automatically.
Pairing with Google Home worked without issues in our test, allowing the camera feed to be viewed on a smart display. The Smart Camera C701 can also function as an intercom through the Mi Home app. However, the app must be open to use this feature, and calls cannot be initiated directly from the camera.
Conclusion
The Xiaomi Smart Camera C701 is a versatile surveillance camera. Its range of features and image quality are just as impressive as its simple setup and smooth smart-home integration. However, the more advanced AI functions require a subscription.
Transparency
The selection of devices to be reviewed is made by our editorial team. The test sample was given to the author by the manufacturer free of charge for the purposes of review. There was no third-party influence on this review, nor did the manufacturer receive a copy of this review before publication. There was no obligation to publish this review. As an independent media company, Notebookcheck is not subjected to the authority of manufacturers, retailers or publishers.
