How Many Yi Cameras Can I Connect

They've only been effectually for eight years, only YI Engineering Inc. is no rookie when it comes to smart home security.

Since its founding in Shanghai, Red china, YI1 has gone on to produce a wide range of low-cost indoor and outdoor security cameras. In 2018, YI created the sub-make Kami, a line of smart home products characterized by clean, friendly design and with a heavy emphasis on usability. Now, Kami has taken center stage with a more robust suite, with YI still offered every bit a lower-cost, practical alternative.

We reviewed YI cameras hands-on recently, paying special attention to the YI Dwelling iii, YI's inexpensive, flexible indoor photographic camera. Today, we're taking a closer look into the brand as a whole, assessing equipment pricing, packages, and monitoring plans to help you lot narrow down your choice.

YI Indoor Camera

To go you lot started, hither are some key YI features to annotation:

Affordable Equipment
Easy Plug-In Installation
1080p Hard disk Video Resolution
A.I. Homo and Facial Detection
Straightforward App
Integrates with Alexa and Google Assistant
Micro SD Card Slot
2-Style Sound
Magnetic Base of operations for Metal Surfaces

A Expect at YI Pricing

Nowadays, YI Engineering continues to release new cameras under both the YI and Kami monikers, with prices ranging from $21 for a YI 1080p Abode Camera AI+ upwardly to $89.99 for a Kami Wire-Gratuitous Outdoor Photographic camera.

The brand too launched KamiBaby, a smart baby monitor jam-packed with features similar baby crying detection and temperature monitoring, for $199. And if you're interested in action cams,2 YI has those, also; you can option from a nightscape dash cam for $69.99 or a standard dash cam for $49.99.

But in terms of the make'south security cameras – some of which yous'll discover every bit components of the Cove security arrangement nosotros tested – YI and Kami cams are some of the least expensive cameras out there.

YI Dwelling house 3 Indoor Camera

YI Camera Packaging

YI's slim, snazzy Home 3 camera is gear up to utilise pretty much right out of the box. In that location's nothing bulky or cumbersome nearly YI equipment, and that runs through all of their other cameras, too. These devices are incomparably youthful, with the blazon of product design3 you'd look to observe if, say, Apple were to release their own security photographic camera.

Pattern-wise, YI Home 3 is somewhat unique – nosotros wouldn't call information technology a teardrop, per se, but to u.s., it does slightly resemble the stylish Google Nest cameras we reviewed in build and style. Only that happens to be the only similarity between the pricier Nest Cams and YI cameras; in terms of features and tech, the two couldn't be more different.

Honestly, we're partial to the sleek look and feel of this $21 YI camera, likewise as how easy it is to set up. We as well really like the magnetic mounting plate on the lesser of the camera's base for super-like shooting fish in a barrel wall mounting.

Just to be completely articulate: The camera is not rich in features. Y'all won't get summit-of-the-industry 4K video; you won't get pan and tilt or automatic tracking; and you won't be able to install this camera exterior. YI Abode 3 is a elementary, barebones photographic camera, and it does the chore information technology's meant to exercise – protecting you and your property from danger.iv

If you're looking for more than than bones functionality in an indoor camera, nosotros suggest giving Canary a look. In our Canary Flex review, we plant weatherproofing and a fashionable, versatile design; that one also has a thumbprint safety feature for added protection.

Kami Wire-Free Outdoor Camera

Kami outdoor camera with AI

Kami'due south newest outdoor camera goes truly wireless with included rechargeable batteries and requires no base station or hub. Like its YI Home 3 sibling, this one is like shooting fish in a barrel to install, and you tin can store your camera video history internally through a micro SD card.

Overall, Kami Outdoor performed quite well, especially since outdoor cameras typically cost $100 and up. This isn't too common in the industry these days; outdoor cameras from Arlo, for example, starts their cameras at $129 for the basic Essential model. There's much more on Arlo camera pricing here, if you're interested.

For $89, Kami Outdoor might not bowl you over with fancy features; none of YI's cameras volition, frankly. But for a functional wire-free photographic camera with tough polycarbonate housing that blends in well with your home's outside, this camera gets the task done.

YI Dome Camera 1080p

We rely on pan-and-tilt cameras in indoor spaces to provide a valuable security solution: a camera that can see all of the activity going on in a particular room, therefore reducing the number of cameras you'd demand for your entire house.

With pan-and-tilt functionality, YI's Dome Camera Ten gives u.s.a. another sensible option for indoor coverage. This 1 gave united states high-quality Hard disk drive video with a 360-caste field of view, and as a major bonus, it also automatically tracks motility by panning over whatever activity the camera captures, and sends u.s.a. an alert with insightful, up-to-the-minute details.

FYI: You lot'll get a much richer experience with a pan-and-tilt camera that includes automatic tracking than, say, a photographic camera with remote pan-and-tilt, similar the D-Link camera we tested for a hands-on review recently. While the $99 D-Link indoor camera worked just fine, that one involved a little more tinkering than we were hoping for. Just something to consider.

Snapshot of YI Camera Pricing

YI Photographic camera	Features	Toll
YI Domicile Photographic camera 3	Wi-Fi, Plug-in, 1080p, Human Detection, 2-Fashion Talk	$25.99
YI 1080p Dwelling Camera AI+	Plug-in, 1080p, Motion Detection, Ii-Way Talk	$22.49
YI Dome Camera 1080p	Plug-in, 1080p, 360° Move Tracking	$39.99
YI Outdoor Security Photographic camera	Plug-in, 1080p, Motion Detection	$39.99
YI Dome Camera 10	Plug-in, 1080p, move tracking	$34.99
Kami Doorbell Camera	Smart facial recognition, A.I. person detection, weatherproof	$99
Kami Indoor Camera	1080p Hd resolution, 340-degree rotation, 95-degree tilt	$49.99
Kami Outdoor Photographic camera	1080p HD resolution, Starlight night vision	$59.99
Kami Wire-Free Outdoor Camera	Rechargeable battery, 1080p HD resolution, PIR motion sensor	$89.99

YI Video Storage Options

Video storage is always an important pricing consideration when choosing security cameras. Afterward all, once you lot install security cameras in your home, y'all're going to desire to store the video you lot're getting, aren't you?

Near brands these days take their own cloud storage service with a list of monthly (or yearly) plans to choose from, which is an easy and convenient option. But it'due south not the simply pick; proceed in listen that YI and Kami cameras include a micro SD card slot for local storage, besides. This will assist yous salve money over fourth dimension.

Kami Camera Lineup

Kami Photographic camera Lineup

But if neither of those options is ideal for you, we have good news: There'south a free option, where the camera can store 6-second clips of motility and immediately transport the clip in an alert to your smartphone.

This sort of flexibility is condign a mainstay in habitation security cameras, and to take the free option in improver to the local or cloud storage is a great deal in our optics. There is i catch, though: The costless option does mean you'll get ads popping up in your YI app. Not a huge deal, but … don't we interact with enough ads in our daily life?

Choosing cloud storage with YI does have its advantages. Namely, nosotros learned you tin can monitor up to three cameras at once for just $2.49 per month. For context, that'south a dollar less per month than the toll of a standard cloud storage plan from Reolink; while you do get more infinite with most Reolink plans, YI all the same presents a viable option for a decent amount of monthly storage without a huge financial commitment.

Snapshot of YI Cloud Storage Plans

	Free	Basic	Premium	Pro
Video History	i 24-hour interval	7 days	14 days	xxx days
Number of Cameras	Up to iii	Upward to 3	Up to 5	Up to 10
Monthly Price	Free	$2.49	$iv.99	$ix.99
Yearly Cost	Gratis	$24.99	$49.99	$99.99

A Wait at YI Features and Tech

YI Camera - Mounted to the Fridge

YI Photographic camera – Mounted to the Fridge

Across the upfront and monthly costs of buying camera equipment, we also looked at how YI cameras perform day to day, how long the equipment lasts, and what kind of technology they use.

The YI three camera, for example, is flexible when it comes to placement, but it'due south pretty static every bit far as maneuverability. In other words, it doesn't take a ball socket attaching the camera to its mounting hardware like you'd typically come across in a Lorex camera, so you can't swivel the lens around to observe dissimilar angles. Yous tin only motility the camera vertically, which will probably limit where y'all tin place it.

Pro Tip: Desire to acquire more about Lorex's latest equipment and prices? Visit our full Lorex pricing guide to get the total rundown.

Just in other cases, y'all might end up loving your YI Home 3 simply because there's and then little work to exercise to become it upwards and running, and forget all nigh the static lens. We are talking about personal preference here, after all.

Customized Mobile Alerts	Beingness able to customize your alerts is one of the cornerstones of whatever good security camera. With YI, you lot tin can set several different customizations through the YI Dwelling mobile app. You can adjust motion sensitivity to avoid 'nuisance alerts', schedule alerts to merely be delivered at sure times of the day, and add or remove audio alerts.
1080p Video Resolution	All YI cameras deliver upwardly to 1080p HD video resolution, the undisputed industry standard for high definition. In our tests, we enjoyed sharp, clear-as-day images and video in 1080p with our YI camera, twenty-four hours and night. We did feel a few seconds of slightly grainy SD (standard definition) recording when our Wi-Fi slowed down, which is normal and to be expected.
Wireless DIY Equipment	YI cameras are wireless, which means they don't require hardwiring. But the cameras – with the exception of the Kami Outdoor Wire-Complimentary – still need to be plugged into a nearby power outlet to work. That'south something to keep in heed as you set upwards your cameras: Don't stray too far from a power outlet.
Low-Cost Storage	You tin can shop your video history in three different ways with YI: through the camera'south micro SD card port; through a monthly YI Cloud Service; or equally 6-second clips through the complimentary (bones) monitoring plan. In all cases, using YI cameras every day isn't going to cost you a lot.
Smart Motility Detection	YI has a bit more than work to do in the smart move detection area, but under ideal conditions, the cameras should exist able to distinguish humans from other motion using an A.I. algorithm. While this didn't work 100% for the states, nosotros all the same received timely notifications when move was captured.
Night Vision	YI Home 3 does not have infrared night vision, so we had some trouble making out objects and activeness at night. That said, we prefer nighttime vision cameras with some type of backlighting or spotlight, and Kami's wire-free outdoor camera combines those two features brilliantly. So if you lot need strong night vision, there are definitely options for you hither with YI and Kami cams.

Deals and Discounts on YI Cameras

YI has deals, and they're particularly noteworthy around Black Friday and the holidays, every bit well equally Amazon Prime number Mean solar day.

You'll find like savings on Kami products every bit well, starting with a sweet 17 percent off the cost of a Kami Wire-Free Outdoor Camera (originally $89.99, marked downward to $74.99).

Kami Outdoor Camera

And, whether you're on the hunt for seasonal deals or year-round means to save, YI has united states covered when it comes to equipment bundles. As this is a common way to salvage money on ownership multiple cameras at once, nosotros always take a wait at how price-constructive bundling would exist for individual brands.

By bundling, you can really tailor your security experience and only buy what you need. For instance, nosotros've seen a 3-pack packet with a six-month YI Cloud subscription for about $70, which is a seriously low price point for a multi-camera parcel. For reference, a 3-pack of Swann Wi-Fi cameras will run you lot almost $400, and that, too, doesn't include a hub. (Get a deeper expect at Swann camera costs hither.)

Terminal Words on YI Cameras

YI Camera

YI Photographic camera

Y'all'll get a swell petty set of features in a YI photographic camera, and y'all might even go some compliments from houseguests on your design gustatory modality. YI and Kami cameras are made to look good anywhere you put them, and our experiences with the cameras conduct this out.

But where y'all'll exist pleased with the wait and style of a YI camera, you might notice its technology isn't quite on par with other security cameras in this market – even its depression-priced peers. An example is Zmodo's indoor camera, which happens to deport an uncanny resemblance to YI'south Dwelling house 3. At near exactly the aforementioned cost equally YI, Zmodo performs many of the same functions and also includes that neat magnetic base that snaps to metal surfaces, which we observe kind of entertaining.

Magnetic Base on the YI Camera

Simply the biggest difference? YI-branded cameras don't work with whatever smart home ecosystems, and then you won't be able to connect your photographic camera to an Alexa or Google Assistant device. YI's sister brand, Kami, has an upgraded app that lets their cameras run with Alexa, Google Assistant, and IFTTT smart dwelling house ecosystems, so if you lot want smart home integration like the majority of security cameras out in that location, it might be best to upgrade to a Kami cam.

Pro Tip: YI and Kami's pan-and-tilt cameras offer not bad options. Just nosotros also encourage y'all to check out our toll breakdown of Amcrest, a robust line of cameras that includes several inexpensive pan-and-tilt models.

For now, here are the facts: YI and Kami present some actually solid options for adding more cameras to your home, particularly for folks who are looking to practice so cheaply. For more than toll-cutting ideas, have a look at cheapest security cameras in the business.

Frequently Asked Questions

Practice YI cameras accept person detection?

Yes. YI's applied science is meant to differentiate between humans and other objects in a camera's view. This feature gave us some trouble in our initial tests, merely most of the time we were notified when a person was in our vicinity.

Can YI Home 3 camera exist used outdoors?

Under certain weather conditions, YI Home indoor cameras tin can be used outdoors, but it's risky; these cameras are non IP-rated for weatherproofing like their outdoor counterparts. YI Home 3 might work keen nether temperate climates with no precipitation, but you'll exist opening these cameras upwardly to damage if yous get out them out in the rain.

How is YI client service?

Experiences can vary amongst users, but some have reported having trouble getting through to YI'southward phone support from time to time. This makes sense considering, equally the brand explains on their Back up Page, YI Engineering suspended telephone back up during the Covid-19 pandemic. Whether they'll reinstate their call center at some point remains to be seen. For now, email is the best way to go.

Can YI cameras be purchased every bit a organization?

Yes. Y'all can purchase multiple cameras and a corresponding cloud storage plan as a parcel and save some money. Bundling isn't offered in every camera make, simply we're glad to see it with YI, as information technology helps upkeep-conscious buyers save on upfront costs.

Are YI cameras easy to use?

From installation to everyday use, YI cameras are designed to be convenient. We see this in the intuitive (but pretty barebones) YI app also every bit the equipment itself.