Aosu’s Solar Cameras: No Wires, No Fees Before Officeworks Launch
Aosu, a smart home security brand arriving in Australia, is pitching solar cameras that store footage at home instead of charging monthly fees. Early units were tested before the range reaches Officeworks shelves. Here are the five products and what each one does.
Aosu, a smart home security brand arriving in Australia, is selling a range of solar-powered cameras with no wires and no monthly fees, storing video at home rather than in a paid cloud service. Early units were tested before the range reaches Officeworks shelves.
The pitch targets what the reviewer calls "subscription fatigue". Many buyers of smart home gadgets later face a monthly charge just to watch their own footage. Australians feeling the pinch are increasingly dropping such services.
Aosu says its brand rests on three values: family well-being, innovative solutions and trusted security. It leans on artificial intelligence and real-time processing. It also keeps video data in the owner’s home and avoids what it describes as the hidden costs and vulnerabilities of forced cloud subscriptions.
The five products
The SolarCam D1 Classic 3K Kit (C9C) is the base bundle. It includes two 3K cameras and the aosuBase 2 local storage hub, which keeps footage inside the home and links the cameras together.
The SolarCam D1 Max 4K (C9S) is a standalone solar camera aimed at long driveways or entry gates. It shoots 4K UHD and has a built-in spotlight, infrared sensors and full-colour night vision. It also offers 360-degree pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) movement.
The SolarCam T2 Pro (C9P) combines two lenses. A 170-degree wide-angle lens gives a constant view of the yard, while a separate 360-degree PTZ lens tracks movement or zooms in. Aosu positions it for wide frontages and tricky corner blocks.
The SolarCam T2 Ultra (C9X) is a premium standalone 4K camera with TrueColour Night Vision. It is meant for dark spots down the side of a house or deep in a backyard.
The Video Doorbell R1 Ultra (V8S) brings high-resolution video to the front door and also uses local storage. Owners do not pay a subscription to see who left a parcel. The reviewer noted that its price is around the same as subscription doorbells, just without the ongoing cost.
The reviewer said hardware specifications look strong on paper but that daily usability is what makes or breaks a smart home product. The range is due at Officeworks.
