Aqara Security Camera G100 Review

Aqara are slightly odd compared to other smart home brands because they have very few cameras available.

I have previously reviewed the Aqara G2h Pro, Camera Hub G2H, Camera E1 PT and the superb Camera Hub G5 Pro PoE. Three of those are Zigbee hubs as well as cameras.

I have then reviewed the Aqara Doorbell Camera Hub G410 and Smart Video Doorbell G4, which, as you can guess, are doorbell cameras, with the G410 also being a hub.

Until now, they have only had one outdoor camera, and that is the premium-priced Camera Hub G5 Pro.

The new Aqara Security Camera G100 is an affordable indoor camera that keeps costs down by eliminating the need for a hub.

While it is a good camera, it is largely unremarkable in the world of home surveillance. The main appeal is that this is IP65 rated, making it suitable for outdoor use, which is considerably more expensive Camera Hub G5 Pro.

And, unlike many budget surveillance cameras, this also supports third-party ecosystems and can be integrated with Apple HomeKit and RTSP support, which allows you to record directly to a NAS/NVR or things like Home Assistant.

Preview	Product	Rating	Price
	Aqara G100, 2K Indoor/Outdoor Security Camera, HomeKit...	No ratings yet	£41.99	Buy on Amazon

Buy from AqaraBuy from Amazon

Related Reviews

• Aqara Doorbell Camera Hub G410 Review
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• Aqara Camera Hub G5 Pro PoE Review
• Aqara Motion and Light Sensor P2 Review

Specification

Features

2K Clarity Day and Night

The G100 Wi-Fi Camera records at 2304×1296 pixels (roughly 3MP) with a 140° field of view and a wide-angle f/1.8 lens. In practice, this means the image is sharper than standard 1080p models, though it is still behind true 4K cameras. It offers two night vision modes: a spotlight-assisted colour mode for seeing subjects more clearly in the dark, and an infrared (IR) mode for low-light scenes where discretion is more important. The built-in 940 nm infrared lighting avoids the distracting red glow you’d see with cheaper cameras, so it is less likely to alert anyone being monitored.

Indoor/Outdoor Ready with IP65 Protection

The enclosure is IP65-rated, meaning it resists dust ingress and heavy rain. It should be fine for outdoor mounting in the UK, including during cold and wet winters, though the plastic housing may not feel as rugged as some higher-end professional models. Unlike some cheaper indoor-only devices, this flexibility means you could start with it indoors and later move it outside without needing a separate camera.

Local and Cloud AI Detection

On-device processing allows the G100 to detect motion and recognise people without relying on cloud services. If you subscribe to Aqara’s HomeGuardian plan, it expands into cloud-based AI recognition for pets, vehicles, parcels, and faces, which can automatically tag events. Usefully, it also includes obstruction detection (useful if someone tries to tamper with the camera), two-way audio for conversations via the app, and the option to upload custom sound files. However, advanced features such as full cloud detection and broader smart home automation are locked behind a recurring subscription.

HomeKit Support and Broad Compatibility

The G100 integrates with Apple’s HomeKit Secure Video, although Apple’s system caps the resolution at 1080p. If you connect the camera to both the Aqara and Apple Home apps simultaneously, it is limited to 1080p in both, only returning to 1296p if HomeKit is disabled. This limitation is worth keeping in mind if your priority is streaming quality. Beyond Apple, it also works with Google and Alexa-compatible displays, and for enthusiasts, it supports RTSP streaming into systems like Home Assistant. Compared to many budget competitors, having this level of ecosystem flexibility is a strong point.

Flexible Storage Options

Recordings can be stored locally on microSD cards up to 512 GB (card not included) or on a connected NAS. The continuous 24/7 recording option is only available when using an SD card, as cloud recordings remain event-based. A time-lapse mode is included, compressing 24 hours of video into a short clip, though this requires both wired power and microSD storage. For those who prefer cloud storage, Aqara’s HomeGuardian subscription stores encrypted event clips, which does at least add an additional layer of protection if the camera is stolen.

Wi-Fi 6 and WPA3 Security

The G100 supports Wi-Fi 6, which should provide smoother live viewing compared to older Wi-Fi 5 cameras, especially if you already have several devices competing for bandwidth. WPA3 support is included for a more secure connection. It is limited to 2.4 GHz networks, so you do not get the faster throughput of 5 GHz, but the extended range at 2.4 GHz is arguably more useful for outdoor setups. A limitation worth noting is that the power brick (5V/1A DC) is not included in the box, which means some buyers will need to spend extra if they do not have a suitable spare adapter lying around.

Design

The G100’s compact body is easy to mount almost anywhere. Its plastic finish is arguably utilitarian rather than stylish, but that helps it blend in discreetly, indoors or out. You get an integrated cable grommet for water resistance, and installation is a doddle: a single screw and wall plug are included, enough for most brick, plaster, or wood surfaces.

The ball-and-socket mount allows for decent articulation; you can point the camera in almost any direction, though a wall mount gives a slightly firmer hold than a ceiling one. I’ve got it perched outside my shed on a table as a temporary installation, but it has held up well the past 2 weeks. Admittedly, we have had good weather recently, it will be interesting to see how well it does with the northern UK weather during winter.

One odd design choice is the power cable. It is a USB-C cable, the camera itself has a short cable with a female end, then there is an extension lead which plugs into it, and this is then weather-protected by a rubber cover. It just feels a bit like a cheap solution, but it has worked perfectly well since installation.

Set Up

Setting up the Aqara G100 is about as painless as it gets. Out of the box, plug in the USB-C cable (I sourced my own USB power brick, as mentioned), and you’re ready to pair. Via the Aqara app, pairing uses a QR code—scan it on the base, follow a few prompts, select your Wi-Fi, and you’re done in a couple of minutes.

Aqara App and Settings

The Aqara app interface is serviceable, if hardly beautiful. You get access to live view, two-way audio, snapshots, setting up zones, and more. Some features, such as obstruction detection and timeline review, are only really useful if you have a microSD card installed.

Customisation options are decent. You can name the camera, assign it to rooms, partition detection zones (vital for busy driveways or front porches), and tweak notification settings. I appreciated the anti-theft lock—if someone nicks the camera, it won’t be re-pairable to another Aqara account, making it mostly useless for resale.

You can set up on-device AI detection, and if you pony up for the HomeGuardian subscription, unlock more granular cloud-based detection for faces, pets, and vehicles. In my experience, local person/motion alerts were reliable and triggered rarely on false alarms, which is far better than flood-detection-only bargain models. You can also crank up the sensitivity if you live in an area where foxes and cats trigger frequent movement.

It isn’t all rosy: the time-lapse setting, while neat, eats up storage rapidly, and managing clips can be fiddly. The app’s timeline scrubbing isn’t as refined as those from market leaders such as Arlo or Google Nest, so it sometimes takes a few tries to export the exact moment you want.

Integration with Home Assistant

For those of us running more complex smart home setups, the G100’s RTSP support was a relief. Adding the camera into Home Assistant went smoothly. Once the RTSP stream was pasted into the software, I was able to automate actions such as light triggers on motion and receive smart notifications grouped with my other non-Aqara kit.

Latency over RTSP was low, as you’d expect. 1080P is snappier, but at full resolution, there is only minimal delay. I have not reviewed a cheap surveillance camera like this in a while, so I don’t have much to compare it against.

A small frustration: firmware updates are only delivered via the Aqara app, not OTA from platforms like Home Assistant, so you’ll need to dip back into the app for maintenance.

Performance

AI Motion Detection

On paper, the G100’s AI detection outclasses many budget options. In use, I found person and motion alerts to be quick, and false positives were thankfully rare.

There were no cars visible in my back garden, but we do have a washing line which constantly triggers alerts on my Eufy Floodlight. While this still happened with the Aqara, it seemed much less frequent.

Those who want to use pet or vehicle detection will need the paid cloud plan, but for most, the on-device AI will suffice for porch and room monitoring.

You can dial in sensitivity and define activity zones, so if you have a busy road or conservatory, you can limit notifications to the front path or the area right in front of a door.

Video Quality During the Day

Daylight video is the G100’s strong suit: colours are relatively accurate, and distortion from the 140° lens is present but not excessive. Facial recognition within 10 feet is reliable; beyond that, clarity starts to drop off, as expected with any sub-4K unit. Compared to the slightly costlier E1 PT, it is a touch less sharp at the edges, but central detail remains solid. Rolling shutter and motion blur are minimal unless subjects move quickly across the frame.

Video Quality at Night

Night vision presents two modes: infrared (black-and-white, discreet) and colour (with spotlight enabled). With the spotlight off, faces and outlines remain visible out to about 7–8 metres. With the spotlight on, colours are clear, though shadow detail is lacking.

Audio pickup is passable. There is some hiss and compression artefact, but you can make out voices at 3 to 8 feet—fine for doorstep monitoring.

Price and Alternative Options

Preview	Product	Rating	Price
	Aqara G100, 2K Indoor/Outdoor Security Camera, HomeKit...	No ratings yet	£41.99	Buy on Amazon

Buy from AqaraBuy from Amazon

The Aqara G100 is available on Amazon UK now for £41.16.

Aqara has very few cameras. The other options include the E1, which is a 2K camera with pan-tilt for £47.

They then have several options, which are both a camera and a hub, including:

• Aqara Camera Hub G2H Pro priced at £49
• Aqara Camera Hub G3 priced at £84
• Aqara Camera Hub G5 Pro, priced at £170 – This is a significantly more advanced model than the others, suitable for outdoor use, featuring true colour night vision, and supporting Matter and Thread.

For competing options, you have the Tapo C210, which is cheaper at £24 and is pan-tilt, but it lacks facial detection, and isn’t as easy to integrate with third party ecosystems.

Reolink has the E1 Pro, which is probably the best alternative as it is only around £37, it is a 5MP camera and has pan-tilt. Plus it supports Reolink NVRs and FTP/NAS. The downside is that it lacks HomeKit, doesn’t have facial recognition and can’t integrate with the range of products that Aqara has available.

Overall

While it is hard to get overly excited about this camera, its main appeal lies in its affordability, IP65 rating for outdoor use, and the ability to integrate with a wider smart home system, whether that’s within the Aqara app or third-party systems like HomeKit and Home Assistant.

Video quality is adequate for a camera at this price point, and the AI detection is good.

Overall, this is a decent, affordable camera that complements the range of Aqara products well, especially as they have a limited selection of surveillance cameras.

James Smythe( Editor-in-chief )

I am James, a UK-based tech enthusiast and the Editor and Owner of Mighty Gadget, which I’ve proudly run since 2007. Passionate about all things technology, my expertise spans from computers and networking to mobile, wearables, and smart home devices.

As a fitness fanatic who loves running and cycling, I also have a keen interest in fitness-related technology, and I take every opportunity to cover this niche on my blog. My diverse interests allow me to bring a unique perspective to tech blogging, merging lifestyle, fitness, and the latest tech trends.

In my academic pursuits, I earned a BSc in Information Systems Design from UCLAN, before advancing my learning with a Master’s Degree in Computing. This advanced study also included Cisco CCNA accreditation, further demonstrating my commitment to understanding and staying ahead of the technology curve.

I’m proud to share that Vuelio has consistently ranked Mighty Gadget as one of the top technology blogs in the UK. With my dedication to technology and drive to share my insights, I aim to continue providing my readers with engaging and informative content.

Last update on 2025-08-26 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API