Hands-On Review: Dual-Lens 4G PTZ Security Camera from AliExpress – Inqmega

After spending two weeks testing this 4G cellular PTZ security camera from AliExpress, I’m ready to share my complete hands-on experience. If you’re considering getting one of these cameras, here’s everything you need to know.

Why 4G Security Cameras?

The biggest advantage of 4G security cameras is their flexibility in installation. You can set them up literally anywhere with cellular coverage – whether it’s a remote cabin, construction site, or even your boat. Since they run on battery power and cellular data, you don’t need to mess around with WiFi connections or power cables, making installation super straightforward.

Battery Life and Power

The camera packs some serious power with six 3350mAh batteries, giving you a total capacity of 20,000mAh. It also comes with a solar panel to keep those batteries charged up. Here’s a pro tip from my testing: try to place the camera in an area with minimal movement. The more often it detects motion and records, the faster it’ll burn through both power and data.

Connectivity

While the camera ships with a Europe-only SIM card, you can use any SIM card with a data plan. Most mobile carriers offer special data plans for security cameras and IoT devices, so it’s worth checking with your local providers.

Dual-Lens System

What makes this camera interesting is its dual-lens setup. You get a wide-angle lens that stays in a fixed position, plus a PTZ lens capable of 20x zoom. Both feeds are combined into a single file, with the PTZ view on top and the wide-angle view below. This gives you the best of both worlds – broad coverage and the ability to zoom in on specific areas.

Image Quality and Performance

Let’s be honest – the image quality isn’t mind-blowing, but it’s what you might expect from a battery-powered security camera. In my testing, I found you can reliably identify someone up to about 5 meters away with the fixed lens, while the zoom lens extends that range to roughly 30 meters.

For night vision, you’ve got two options: infrared mode or spotlight mode for full-color night vision. The night image quality is pretty basic, but it gets the job done.

The auto-tracking feature needs some work. During testing, it only tracked subjects for 3-4 seconds before stopping. This might be related to the cloud duration settings in the app, but given the image quality, I didn’t dive too deep into troubleshooting this feature. On the bright side, the preset points feature works great, letting you quickly move the camera to predetermined positions.

Technical Specs and Price

Currently selling for $197 on AliExpress, the camera comes with some decent specs. Each lens uses a 3MP sensor, capturing footage at 2304 x 2592 resolution at 15fps. The PTZ capabilities are solid, with a 355-degree pan range and 90-degree tilt range. Storage-wise, it’ll support up to a 128GB micro SD card.

App and Setup

The camera uses the UBOX app, which is pretty straightforward to use. Setting up is simple: download the app, pop in your SIM card and micro SD card, remove the battery isolation layers, power it up, and scan the QR code. Once you’re connected, you’ll get instant push notifications for motion detection, and you can view recordings either from the SD card or cloud storage.

The interface shows both camera feeds side by side, with easy access to image quality settings, spotlight controls, and PTZ functions. You also get two-way audio communication and a built-in alarm siren with lights to scare off any unwanted visitors.

Bottom Line

For around $200, this camera offers a decent solution for remote monitoring without requiring WiFi. While the image quality won’t blow you away, the flexibility of cellular connectivity and solar-powered operation makes it a practical choice for remote locations or temporary installations.

Buy on Aliexpress!