wansview4G LTE Cellular Security Camera Outdoor - 360° PTZ No WiFi Security Camera, 2K Color Night Vision, 2-Way Audio, 24/7 SD Card Storage(SIM Card Included), Works with Alexa & Google Home, W7-4G

I would rate Wansview W7 camera AND their customer support 6 stars if it were available. Before I justify my evaluation, let me point out that my primary need for an outdoor camera is for surveillance purposes only. I do not need two-way talk, nor recording, nor photos, and not even pan and tilt. So for the first three features are not part of my 5-star rating. Having said that, I’ll comment first on the virtues of the W7 then on the customer support.The Wansview W7 provides 2K (2x better than 1080P) resolution and the color is accurate. For those two features alone is it a steal at less than $30. I realized that the virtual pan and tilt feature serves two very useful purposes: first, it permits simple adjustments to keep direct sunlight from entering into the camera due to seasonal changes and second, it allows fine adjustments when there’s a need to see something just outside the current view.What separates the W7 from name brand cameras is the field of view. The W7 camera views the street in front of my house and the street is straight line. Name brand cameras attempts to widen its field of view to maximize coverage but would make the street curved on the left and right side of the view. A little disorienting for me.Even a great camera at any price isn’t good unless you can fully operate and maintain it. Wansview customer support is outstanding! I emailed Wansview about camera setup and operational questions and received a response in less than 24 hours. Not only are they courteous, patient, and respectful but I always got the same person each time, not just “whomever is available”. So it is easy to build a one-to-one relationship with one customer support technician. Realize, the customer, me, may not accurately describe the problem precisely so it may take several emails isolate the real issue. But the customer support technician stuck with me until the issue was satisfactorily resolved. I commend Wansview for their policy to serve the customer ahead of simply making a profit.Since every customer’s need for the W7 is different, allow me to list a few tips that I used to make your installation a simple as could be. I’ll admit, the written instructions need improvement.1) be sure there is a power outlet within 9’ of where you plan to mount the camera; allow for the thickness of walls if the outlet is indoors2) check that your planned camera mounting position has a strong wifi signal; I had to use a wifi extender in the garage for the camera I installed outside and above the garage door3) after detaching the usb power adaptor from the W7 power cable, tape it to the end of an 12-18” dowel to help guide it through the hole in the wall if your nearest outlet is indoors4 the camera comes with a full size self sticking template to show exactly where to drill the three mounting holes; be sure the two holes are at the top5) the camera has a detachable camera mounting plate that needs to be removed before it can be mounted to a wall; see the photo below; it may require some thumb pressure (press and push) to release the “tongue” of the mounting plate from the camera’s base; the camera is very well constructed so you’ll have to take a real close look where the pieces separate6) when using the Wansview Air app to connect the camera to the home wifi, there will be a step where a QR code will appear on your iPad or iPhone, whichever you’re using; the app directs you to face that QR code to the camera; you may have to move the iPhone/iPad toward or away from the camera in order for the camera to "see the whole QR code"7) when proceeding through each setup step on your iPhone/iPad, be sure to scroll up on each screen because sometimes a fixed banner at the bottom hides a command/direction behind itI hope this evaluation helps you decide that you may not need the name brand cameras to meet your needs. For me, Wansview is an excellent choice. Think: quality, performance, and customer support are Wansview’s high marks.

Pros:1. Low price. That counts for one star.2. Easy installation. Just follow the instructions provided; even a layman can do it in less than 10 minutes. Mounting the camera should be easy if your hand is strong enough (no tool is needed) to pull the base off the unit.3. High resolution. The 2K is better than 1080P. The difference becomes obvious when you zoom in to see the details.4. From Motion Detection setting, you can select the area you want to monitor and exclude the area you don’t want to.5. In terms of PTR, it’s one of the best in the market. It’s very easy to control it with Console.6. Once favorite positions are set with Console, go to Position to select for quick moves.7. The Intelligent Light setting will turn on LED white light at night for color pictures when it detects movement. Otherwise, it stays in Auto Infrared Mode.8. Intelligent alert allows you to select Person, Vehicle and Pet. I only enabled Person and it worked very well, that is, when it detected me, I received a “Possible Person …” notification and a related alert video clip. No notification was sent related to the other clips that didn’t have my face showing there.9. Two-Way Audio works very well. It’s clear and no background noise.10. You can share the camera with up to 3 family members or friends. I haven’t tried it yet.11. It’s an outdoor camera. If it’s mounted outside and gets sabotaged or damaged, even without cloud service, you still have the alert video clips pushed to you on your device, such as phone and tablet. It’ll be useful for insurance claims and police reports if needed.Cons:1. Doesn’t have local backup during Wi-Fi and power outage.2. It only works with 2.4 GHz. It’s good for better range. However, if higher performance or speed is preferred, 5 GHz is better.3. Each alert video clip is only about 10 seconds. I kept moving in front of the camera with counting numbers loud from 1 to 60. Two alert video clips and corresponding notifications were sent to my phone. One covers about 1 to 10 and the other 51 to 60; thus 11 to 50 got lost. You have to subscribe cloud service to see complete alert videos. Otherwise, you shouldn’t expect much from the alert video feature. The main concern with this problem is that if the event you consider critical occurs during 11 and 50 as described above, the camera is simply useless for that event. I think that is one of the main reasons some people gave one star to this camera, because they didn’t get alert videos and notifications as they expected. However, once you get the notification, you can always manually record whatever you want to without skipping things and/or take photos along the way.4. To see manually recorded videos and photos, go to Me->Local Video or Local Photo. However, each selection leads to Videos. If you want to see photos, you have to click on Images to see them. This annoying minor thing should be easily corrected by manufacturer.5. To see downloaded alert videos, go to Me->Local Video->Videos instead of Me->Local Video->Download. I don’t know what the Download option is used for.Clarifications:1. It needs to be powered by connecting to an AC power outlet with a build-in USB cable and a provided charger. Any charger with 5V and >=1.0A DC output can be used. I even used an USB port on my laptop to power it and it worked well. “Wireless” means it communicates through Wi-Fi, not cable.2. IP65 waterproof rating means “water projected by a nozzle (6.3 mm) against enclosure from any direction shall have no harmful effects”. For daily usage, ALA it’s not immersed in water, it should be okay with being exposed to rain. Where I mount it doesn’t have water issue, so I can’t comment on this feature.There are too many features to be mentioned in this short review. According to my about one week experience, if the cons are not important to you, I strongly recommend this product. Otherwise, avoid it. I will report any quality problems here whenever they occur as some people experienced.