When comparing Simplicam vs Withings Home, the Slant community recommends Withings Home for most people. In the question“What are the best home-security cameras?” Withings Home is ranked 4th while Simplicam is ranked 6th. The most important reason people chose Withings Home is:
This security camera has built in features that make monitoring a baby easier. It can provide a nightlight, and also has a lullaby setting where it will play soothing music to help the baby fall asleep.
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Pros
Pro Very configurable
If you are getting false alarms often, you can configure the sensitivity and even choose which parts of the frame to watch and which to ignore (the app can divide the picture into 25 different zones, and you can select zone by zone which to watch and which to ignore).
Pro Facial recognition support
When you get notified of movement, the Simplicam will be able to tell you who it is so you know if you can ignore the notification or not without needing to open the app.
This feature requires the subscription.
Pro Android and iOS support + web app
Some cameras only support Android or iOS, but that is very inconvenient for families that have members using both major mobile operating systems (you're still out of luck with Windows Phone unless you use its browser). Lucky, this camera has support for both Android and iOS. There is also a web app that can be accessed through any computer with internet access.
Pro Night vision
There are built-in infra-red LEDs that let you see through the camera even when its pitch black. They illuminate the center of the picture well, but the edges of the frame remain very dark, effectively reducing the field of view further at night.
Pro Scheduling available
You can configure your camera to turn on and off depending on a schedule you create. If the house is typically empty from 9am-3pm, you can set it to turn on then and when you go to bed. This cuts down on notifications, because if its on all the time it will constantly be sending you notifications and could feel like its invading your privacy if its always recording you when you're at home.
Subscription required for this feature
Pro 2 way audio
This camera has both a speaker and microphone, which allows you to have conversations with whoever is in/around your house at the time.
Pro Convenient installation
This camera comes with a wall/ceiling mount, and the stem is flexible allowing you to change the direction the camera is pointing even after installation.
Pro Works over Wi-Fi
Pro Can also work as a baby monitor
This security camera has built in features that make monitoring a baby easier. It can provide a nightlight, and also has a lullaby setting where it will play soothing music to help the baby fall asleep.
Pro Includes environmental sensors
These sensors include: ambient light, sound, temperature, and humidity. Average temperature and humidity can help you realize how to reduce your heating bills.
There's also a VoC (volatile organic compounds) sensor which reads the amount of particles in the air - a measure of air quality. If this reading is high, and you have an air filter, it's probably time to change or clean the filter.
Pro IFTTT compatible
IFTTT (IF This Then That) is an app that allows for custom automation. It combines triggers and actions to create recipes that are easy enough for just about anybody to create. IFTTT allows you to automate things like when you receive a specific text message from a specified number to start/stop recording, or start/stop speak & listen mode.
Pro Have a conversation through the Withings Home
With both microphones and a speaker, you can have a conversation with somebody through the Withings Home even while you're out and about. Your voice will be carried from the iPhone and played through the Withings Home speaker, and their voice will similarly make its way to your iPhone's speaker.
Pro The magnetic base makes it more stable
You can adjust the angle of the camera without needing a mount, thanks to its magnetic base. The base is curved, and you can off-set the curved camera's bottom to a preferred angle and it will stay there.
Cons
Con Low resolution video capture
At 720p, the video is usable, however it isn't crisp and depending on the distance of the movement you may not be able to make out exactly what is happening.
Con Relatively small field of vision
While the 107 degree field of vision should provide enough sight for most installations, other cameras offer up to 180 degrees of vision which covers a lot more ground. With this camera, there may be blind spots depending on where you install it and which way its facing.
Con Face detection could use some work
Face detection is technically a beta product, and doesn't work very well yet. It can confuse people for each other sometimes, and can have a hard time distinguishing between known faces and unknown people. This feature is getting worked on, and is promised to get better with time. At this point though, it's correct most of the time - but you won't want to leave your home security to be mostly secure.
Con Subscription required to access all features
$5/month ($50/yr) keeps videos for a single day, and allows you to save 1 hour of video.
$14/month ($140/yr) keeps recordings for 11 days, and you can save 3 hours of video.
$23/month ($230/yr) is the highest plan, and will keep videos for 21 days and allows for 5 hours of saved clips.
Con No local storage
Everything is uploaded directly to the cloud, and there is no local storage on the Simplicam.
Con Homekit support is not yet available
We've reached out to Withings, and they have said that HomeKit support will be coming with iOS 10, expected around September 2016. You can find more information here.
Con Low quality picture
While rated for full HD (1080p) video recording, this camera looks noticeably grainier than most 1080p cameras. It still provides sufficient resolution to see what's happening, although the clarity is a bit disappointing.
Con iOS only
There is no web page, and no Android support either. You can only control it from your iPhone, iPad, or iPod.
Con Can't download video
There is no option to download recorded videos, and videos will only be held online for 2 days with the free subscription.
Con Extremely sensitive motion sensor
The motion sensor is too sensitive, picking up many false alarms. While other security cameras allow you to adjust the sensitivity of the motion sensor, there are no such option available here.