The Kami Doorbell Camera ($119.99) is a smart video doorbell that can be powered by a rechargeable battery, with a USB cable, or with your existing doorbell wire. It offers dual-band Wi-Fi connectivity and intelligent motion alerts, but you’ll have to subscribe to a cloud plan to access vehicle and animal detection and to view recorded video. It’s a versatile, solid option, but if you don’t mind going the wired route, the $99 Ezviz DB1C wirdoorbell offers a higher resolution, local and cloud video storage options, and plenty of support for third-party smart home devices.
Wired or Wireless Operation
Measuring 5.3 by 2.5 by 1.3 inches (HWD), the Kami doorbell isn’t quite as large as the Nooie Cam (6.6 by 2.3 by 1.5 inches), but is bulkier than the Vivint Doorbell Camera Pro (4.6 by 1.5 by 1.3 inches). The Kami’s glossy black and white polycarbonate enclosure has an IP65 weather-resistant rating and contains a camera assembly and a doorbell button on the front, and a speaker on both sides. Around back are two wiring terminals, a mini USB power jack, and a tamper key.
The doorbell can be powered using your existing doorbell wiring or via USB using the included USB cable. Alternately, you can avoid wiring altogether and power the doorbell using the included rechargeable battery pack, which is rated to last up to 90 days between charges. The doorbell offers dual-band Wi-Fi and will connect to your home network using either the 2.4GHz or 5GHz radio band.
The Kami uses a 1080p camera that captures video at 20fps. By way of comparison, the Ezviz DB1C and Arlo Essential Video Doorbell Wire-Free use Ultra HD (1,536 by 1,536) cameras with enhanced dynamic range technology. The Kami has a 160-degree viewing angle and uses six infrared LEDS for black-and-white night vision. It supports two-way audio and offers person detection and face recognition.
It will record video when motion is detected or when the doorbell button is pressed, but you’ll have to subscribe to a Kami Cloud plan to see it. For $3.33 per month or $40 per year, the Entry Plan gets you full-length video (the camera records throughout the duration of the event) and video storage for up to 7 days for a single camera. The Standard Plan costs $8.33 per month or $100 per year and gives you 15 days of full-length video history for up to five cameras, and the Plus Plan goes for $12.50 per month or $150 per year and gives you 30 days of video history for up to five cameras. Subscribing to a cloud plan also unlocks animal detection and vehicle detection features.
The doorbell is controlled using the Kami mobile app for Android and iOS devices. The app’s home screen displays panels for all installed Kami doorbells and cameras. Tap the doorbell camera panel to launch a live stream with a two-way talk button, a mute button, a Wi-Fi signal meter, and a battery meter. Tap the arrow buttons in the lower right corner of the video panel to view video in full-screen mode.
Below the video panel is a timeline bar that lets you search for video events, and below that is a list of events with video thumbnails and the reason for the event such as a doorbell ring or person or motion detection. If you have a cloud subscription, simply tap on any thumbnail to view the video clip.
At the very bottom of the screen are Activity, Settings, and Reply buttons. The Activity button takes you to the live video screen and the Settings button takes you to a screen where you can enable motion detection and adjust motion settings, enable face recognition and view your Face Library, change the frequency of alerts, enable night vision, and update firmware. The Reply button opens a screen where you can create your own custom greeting to be played when you answer a doorbell ring.
Installing and Using the Kami Doorbell Camera
Installing the Kami doorbell is quick and easy, but you have to charge the battery completely before you begin. I downloaded the mobile app, created an account, and tapped the plus button in the upper right corner to add a device. I selected the Kami doorbell camera from the list of devices, installed the charged battery, and the doorbell began flashing yellow and said waiting to connect. I selected my home Wi-Fi when prompted, entered my password, and used the doorbell camera to scan the QR code on my phone. The doorbell was immediately paired, so I gave it a name and attached it to the side of my front door using the included mounting screws. After a quick firmware update, the installation was complete.
The Kami doorbell’s performance during testing was mixed. Daytime video appeared sharp and colorful and black-and-white night video was adequately illuminated out to around 20 feet, but the camera’s motion sensor was overly sensitive. I received quite a few motion alerts where the video didn’t show any activity whatsoever but the alerts always stated that a person was detected. I tried narrowing the activity zones and the detection range but the problem persisted.
On the plus side, the face recognition feature worked well and I had no trouble viewing video on an Amazon Echo Show using Alexa voice commands. Two-way audio came through loud and clear and the custom greeting feature worked perfectly.
A Versatile, Relatively Affordable Video Doorbell
With the Kami Doorbell Camera, you can see who is at your door from anywhere and greet visitors with a custom voice recording. It uses your existing doorbell wires or you can run a USB power cable to the back of the doorbell, but the easiest way to install it is to use the rechargeable battery pack and go completely wireless. The Kami delivered sharp 1080p video in testing and face recognition worked well, but you have to pay to view recorded video. Moreover, I received a handful of false motion alerts during testing. If you want to avoid paying for recorded video and don’t mind using your existing wiring, the Ezviz DB1C is a stronger choice. It’s around $20 cheaper than the Kami doorbell, has a higher-resolution camera, works with numerous third-party smart devices, and lets you store video locally. If you want to stay wireless, the $99.99 Ring Video Doorbell requires a subscription to review recorded video, but works with more third-party devices.
