Nest Cam IQ: Price, specs and features compared

Nest's smartest security camera packs a 4K sensor, 12x digital zoom, HDR and more.

What is Nest Cam IQ?

Nest Cam IQ is the most advanced of Nest's Wi-Fi-enabled smart security cameras. Like its siblings Nest Cam Indoor and Nest Cam Outdoor, Nest Cam IQ does more than just passively watch and record: it can detect changes in its environment and alert you the moment it notices something out of place. And by connecting it to your home network, you can log in and see everything it sees from anywhere in the world, 24/7.

What features does Nest Cam IQ have?

As Nest's premium security camera, Nest Cam IQ represents a significant hardware upgrade from the company's other offerings. It packs an 8-megapixel, 4K camera sensor with HDR support – in other words, it can pick out finer details at a greater distance and in lower light than other Nest Cams. Unfortunately, that additional clarity does not extend to its video capture: it still streams and records in 1080p at 30fps, the same as Nest Cam Indoor and Nest Cam Outdoor.

Also in keeping with its fellow security cameras, Nest Cam IQ plugs directly into power so you won't have to worry about dead batteries leaving your house unmonitored. If it observes any suspicious movement or unusual sounds, it'll send you an alert immediately either via email or through the Nest app. Should you miss the alert, though, don't fret: the Nest app stores the last three hours of alerts along with photos taken during each event.

Where Nest Cam IQ distinguishes itself from other Nest Cams is in its superior built-in smarts. Not only can it tell the difference between a person and an inanimate object, its heightened visual acuity allows it to zoom in on someone passing through its line of sight and track their every move.

Nest Cam IQ also sports the most-powerful speaker of Nest's camera line, useful for spooking anyone poking around your house while you're away. Its extra-sensitive three-microphone array delivers clearer audio detection, too, with noise and echo suppression letting you hear more of what's going on at home.

What is Nest Aware and what does it get me?

As smart as Nest Cam IQ is, it gets even smarter if you subscribe to Nest Aware, Nest's premium security service. With a Nest Aware subscription, Nest Cam IQ can take advantage of cloud-computing algorithms to recognise familiar faces, notifying you when a friend or family member drops by while you're away – or when someone it's never seen before trespasses on your property.

Nest Aware also gives Nest Cam IQ the ability to record everything it sees in the cloud, with up to 30 days worth of storage space available. Using the Nest app, you can scan through the footage at any time, whether it's to find out which pet scratched up your new rug or to determine what happened to the package left at your front door.

If you need Nest Cam IQ to keep a keen eye on one particular area within its vision – a door or a window, for example – a Nest Aware subscription will let you designate those areas as activity zones and receive special alerts when anything happens in them.

What other devices does Nest Cam IQ work with?

Nest Cam IQ is built to work hand-in-hand with a number of other smart devices, both those from Nest and from third-party manufacturers. For instance, with an August Smart Lock, Nest Cam IQ can be set up to show you video whenever someone enters or exits your home. Or with a Scout Security alarm system, Nest Cam IQ can enable or disable its streaming capabilities when you turn your alarm on or off.

When will Nest Cam IQ be available in Australia?

Nest Cam IQ is available right now through iSelect and from JB Hi-Fi, Officeworks and Harvey Norman.

How much does Nest Cam IQ cost?

The Nest Cam IQ retails for $479.

Nest Cam IQ specs