Kami Mini Indoor Security Camera Review
Kami Mini Indoor Security Camera is a small, powerful indoor camera that is versatile in how it be used — and very effective in terms of maintaining a home's security. The company sent us one to test, we put it to use — and here is what we found.
What is the Kami Mini Indoor Security Camera?
The Kami Mini Indoor Security Camera is the latest indoor security camera from Yi Technology. They also manufacturer the Kami Outdoor Security camera (which we tested late last year) along with other security cameras, as well as advanced video, imaging and computer vision technologies.
The Kami Mini comes with infrared night vision, two-way communications, sound detection and also works on a 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi connection. The HD video resolution is 1920 x 1080p with a 112 degree wide angle lens (FOV) and 4X zoom capability. It's also a very lightweight camera made of polycarbonate (PC) and can operate in temperatures from -10 degrees to 45 degrees Celsius.
What makes this little camera big though is its built-in AI with facial recognition and human detection technology. Kami Mini has an integrated Senslab chip inside, which the company says allows it to detect faces, and then create an instant summary of all of the faces it has read. You can go into the app and actually see the face of the person who has been detected next to the video recording.
Kami Human Detection is the company's answer to traditional passive infrared sensor or a PIR sensor. The company says this can help them reduce the number of false alerts you would get due to movement in a room. It knows, for example, if the dog came within view or if perhaps the blinds are moving due to the wind outside, and not send off an alert for those reasons.
Each of these features are controlled in Kami Home app which is available for iOS and Android devices, and you can also sign up for the Kami Cloud Service. The company gives you a 7-day free trial on select Cloud Service plans, and their service plans are based on the number of cameras you're using, as well as the number of days you want to store from 7 to up to 30 days rolling. The cost starts at $39.99 per year ($4.99 per month) for one camera with 7 days rolling average for 12 months. Kami Cloud Plan Plus is the most expensive at $149.99 per year and the only plan that provides 27/7 Emergency Service. You can pay either monthly or yearly. If you choose to pay yearly, you will get an extended 18-month hardware warranty for Free from Kami.
Setup for Kami Mini Security Camera
The setup process for Kami Mini is rather simple. First, download the Kami Home app from either the App Store (iOS) or Google Play (Android). Then open an account and select "+" to add a new device.
You will be asked which device you want to set up. Choose the Kami Mini and follow the prompts in the app. I advise when you setup your Kami Mini, be close to your home router. It will make pairing the camera to your home Wi-Fi network easier. Once the camera is paired, you are ready to install it in its final location.
The Home page of the Kami Home app will show you the last image for each camera as well as its status. This page is where you will be able to setup your alerts, notifications, signup for cloud service and access Kami customer support.
Smart Home Integrations
Kami Mini is compatible with both Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa platforms. You can easily connect the camera to a smart display from either of these two voice platforms and view live video or video recordings.
Performance
We put Kami Mini through a series of tests to see how it would work. We used it as baby monitor, as well as a security device. The quality of the video was good and the detection worked as planned. The sound was not as crisp as we have seen in other security devices. It didn't take long for Kami to capture facial recognition of the members in our household. Setup with Google Assistant smart display was easy. We just went to the Google Home app and added Kami Mini to our group of devices that work with Google Assistant.
In short, we found this security camera is easy to use, setup is simple and provides facial records for everyone that comes in view of the camera. This makes it easy for you to see who is in the frame without having to watch the video — and we think these are all nice features that are normally found in expensive Wi-Fi security cameras.
Night Vision
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Kami Mini Night vision in app
Daytime Vision
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Kami Mini Daytime vision in app
Price
The average price for a good indoor security camera with facial recognition, night vision, PIR detection, 1080p video resolution and integration with Google Assistant or the Amazon Alexa platform is around $100 to $150. Kami Mini costs only $29.99 and available on the company website.
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Summary
When considering a security camera for your home, there are a few things you need to check off before buying one. How is the video resolution? What is the field of view or FOV? Does it have two-way communication? Is there a motion sensor and can you adjust its sensitivity and area of detection? How good is the night vision? Finally, what is the cost of the camera and are there added costs to store videos? All of these questions will help you narrow down your search for a good quality smart security camera.
If looking for a security camera that has 1080p video resolution, night vision, a wide angle FOV (over 120 degrees) with two-way talk and one that also works on a Wi-Fi connection, Kami Mini is not for you. Yes, Kami has good video resolution and all the other features, but it's FOV is rather small compared to other Wi-Fi security cameras like Arlo Pro or Nest Cam IQ. But these other cameras come with a higher cost too. If you are willing to have a little less FOV (like 10 to 20 degrees), Kami Mini is an excellent choice.
Kami Mini is a small but powerful security camera. It reminded me of Wyze Cam because of its size, FOV, and other similar high quality features. Also, Kami Mini can be used multiple ways, as both an indoor security device, as well as a baby monitor. You can also put it to work as a pet monitor, and you can even speak to your dog or cat if needed. While the sound is not great, it does work. but it works
What did surprise us a little with Kami Mini was its cloud storage plans. The company offers a variety of plans which range from simple video storage on one camera to a plan for five cameras, 300 days of rolling video recordings and 24/7 emergency service. Many of the plans are competitively priced , while some are rather expensive. However, it's worth noting that the 24/7 emergency service feature was only on one plan – Kami Cloud – which cover five cameras for $149 per year. We think this is a feature that should be offered on all plans ideally.
Overall, the best part of Kami Mini is its price. Cameras with the same features as Kami Mini which include facial recognition and human detection cost well over $120. Kami Mini is priced at just $29.99. And if you want to add more cameras to your line of Kami Mini, the company does offer a good outdoor camera (which we reviewed and liked) as well as other types cameras (i.e., baby monitors) which can form a nice inexpensive DIY smart home security system for your home.
Pros
- Price
- Facial recognition and human detection
- Video resolution
Cons
- Sound is weak
- 24/7 Emergency Service option is expensive
- FOV is average
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