Eufy SoloCam E40 Wireless Security Camera Review: No Wires, No Limits

Who is the Eufy SoloCam E40 wireless security camera for?

• The Eufy SoloCam E40 Wireless Security Camera is an easy way to add extra security measures to any location
• The SoloCam E40 takes seconds to install and comes with additional hardware to mount the camera on a wall or ceiling
• Eufy’s app makes recording on the SoloCam E40 a seamless experience

Eufy Security is a household name in the security industry and has been manufacturing a number of models of security cameras for years. Their latest, the SoloCam E40 Wireless Security Camera, makes it easy to set up a security camera, and the fact that it’s completely wireless means this security camera can go just about anywhere.

Transparent configuration

The commissioning of the Eufy SoloCam E40 took only a few seconds and there were no retarders or hiccups along the way. Just turn on the camera, download the free Eufy Security app and follow the steps to add a new SoloCam camera. There was a weird step where the camera had to scan a QR code on my phone so I had to point the camera at my phone screen and hope it was aligned, but it was quickly ended.

The SoloCam E40 includes additional hardware to help mount the camera on a wall or ceiling. The camera is designed to be water resistant, so it can be placed outdoors if desired.

The only aspect of the setup that wasn’t exactly transparent is loading the SoloCam E40. It’s not that the camera didn’t charge or that I had trouble getting the cable through, but the E40 takes a very, very long time to reach a 100% full battery. We’re talking for up to eight hours for a full charge. The good news here is that Eufy says the E40’s battery can run for up to 120 days without needing to be recharged. This will vary depending on the location of the camera and the settings used, but it should mean that the camera only needs four or five charges per year to stay active.

Of course, if disassembling the E40 to recharge it is inconvenient, Eufy has a solution. There is a solar panel charger that the Eufy camera range can be plugged into. This directly supplies the camera with energy collected by the solar panel, allowing it to operate without problems.

Camera performance

The Eufy SoloCam E40 really hits a home run in terms of performance. The camera delivers crisp, clear video feed in 2K resolution with approximately one second delay when streaming to a paired mobile device. The E40 can be set to automatically switch to night mode when needed, and the night vision from the camera is quite spectacular. The images still have a high level of detail despite the lack of color.

The only downside of the SoloCam E40 is that the camera cannot be moved remotely. Once placed, it stays there. This means that users cannot move or modify the area in the frame without physically moving the location of the camera. Just be sure to check and verify if the E40 is in the desired position before proceeding with any installation.

There is a microphone built into the SoloCam E40 along with the camera. This microphone picks up audio and pairs it with video when using the live stream feature of the Eufy app. This allows camera owners to not only see what’s going on around the camera, but also hear it.

The SoloCam E40 also has a built-in speaker, which is used in two ways. The first is for a generic alarm sound. This alarm can be set to go off manually when watching the live camera feed, and is really, really annoying.

In addition, the loudspeaker can be used for communication. There is a button you can press to turn the SoloCam E40 into a walkie talkie while using live view on the Eufy app. This allows those who use the app to broadcast their lyrics to the E40’s speakers. The audio quality here is a bit rough, but it’s still loud and clear enough to understand what is being said without a problem. Combined with the microphone of the E40, it is possible to have a quick conversation entirely through the camera. This is great for talking with delivery people or other people who show up when they are not at home.

Storage solutions

Unfortunately, the storage on the Eufy SoloCam E40 is a bit of a drawback when it comes to security cameras. Unlike a number of other options, the E40 can only record video and audio to its internal hard drive. Although this hard drive is secured with military-grade encryption and is 8 GB, it cannot be increased at all.

Images also cannot be uploaded to cloud storage. While this helps keep video footage more secure, and it means there is no subscription fee for data storage, it is a bit limiting.

The 8 GB of storage would be large enough to hold two months of footage. The camera doesn’t record everything, but will make short clips if something noticeable happens, such as if the camera detects a person or other activity. The camera can also manually record videos when using the live stream setting on the app. That said, it’s easy to download videos from the SoloCam to another device like a cell phone to help free up space on the E40’s hard drive.

Application experience

The Eufy Security app has a number of features, and they are all quite easy to understand and use. The most important in the app is the live view. This sends a video stream from a SoloCam E40 to a paired application. Users have access to a number of other features while using the live stream, such as the speaker and alarm features mentioned earlier.

The app is also responsible for controlling the parameters of the SoloCam E40. These include the ability to lower video quality to resolve storage space and bandwidth issues, the ability to increase or decrease motion detection sensitivity, audio options, and more. One cool feature is the ability to share a device, which allows two or more users to have access to the same camera.

Of the countless add-on apps that I used when reviewing the products, the Eufy Security app is one of the best. It doesn’t get bogged down with an overwhelming number of unnecessary settings or features, and it’s easy to navigate. It also doesn’t appear to be a resource for mobile devices, which is always a plus.

Final thoughts

The Eufy SoloCam E40 wireless security camera is all about simplicity. The camera is easy to install and pair with the Eufy Security companion app. The lack of external storage options is a bummer, but the biggest downside is the incredibly slow charge times. Fortunately, the battery can last for months without needing to be recharged, but inevitably the camera will have to be disassembled to recharge its charge. This is the price to pay for having a purely wireless security camera.

The image quality of the E40 shines through when you watch live view or recordings made using the camera. It’s easy to see what’s going on in direct sunlight, total darkness, and everything in between.

All of this is available for a relatively low price of $ 130. Those who act quickly can get a SoloCam E40 on Amazon right now for a slightly lower price of around $ 110.