By
Lewis Painter | 25 mins ago
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£149
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Following an explosion of smart home technology a couple of years ago, there are now a myriad of smart home security cameras that offer everything from 24/7 recording to a built-in siren to deter intruders, and everything in between. The unique design and claims of 360-degree coverage set the Smanos UFO apart from its counterparts when it was announced at the end of 2016, so how does it perform? Here’s our Smanos UFO smart security camera review. Read next: Best smart security cameras for use in the home
So, how much is the Smanos UFO in the UK, and where can you get your hands on it? First off, the Smanos UFO will set consumers back £149 in the UK, a rather standard price for a 1080p night vision-enabled smart home security camera without all the bells and whistles of high-end alternatives (built-in siren, etc). It’s similar in price to the likes of the Logi Circle , Netgear Arlo Q and the Canary smart camera.
In terms of availability, despite being announced back in October 2016 and having an official UK price tag, the Smanos UFO is yet to reach stores in the UK. We’ll update this section once the Smanos UFO becomes available to buy in the UK.
So, what makes the Smanos UFO stand out in terms of its design and build? Just by looking at the camera, you can easily tell that it offers something unique compared to other smart security cameras on the market. While most smart security cameras boast a similar design, the Smanos UFO, as the name suggests, looks somewhat like a stereotypical UFO you see conspiracy theorists shouting about (but don’t worry, it won’t abduct your livestock).
The Smanos UFO is circular and relatively flat as it was designed not to sit on a shelf or table, but to be attached directly to walls and ceilings whilst providing a low profile. The last thing you need is a bulky camera hanging from your living room ceiling, right? It’s small and inconspicuous measuring in at 106 x 106 x 36mm, meaning you can install it and forget that it’s there until it’s needed.
The benefit of attaching the UFO to the ceiling is that it can provide a 360-degree view of the room below, although this isn’t 360-degree viewing in the sense that it’ll record both the front- and rear of the camera. It’s something we’ll go into a little more detail below. However, the ceiling mount also makes the UFO less likely to be spotted by intruders, as it’s not at eye-level like many others are.
One noticeable feature is the inclusion of LEDs around the outer rim of the UFO. Why? The main purpose of the LEDs is to provide status updates to the user as the camera has no display. It features varying patterns, letting you know when the camera loses connection to Wi-Fi, whenever somebody is watching the live stream, etc. But if that sounds too annoying for you, don’t worry, as there’s an option to disable the use of LEDs from within the Smanos Home app for iOS and Android.