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Aqara G2h Pro Review Score
generalize
The Aqara G2h Pro is almost the same as the Aqara G2h, and I think it’s excellent. So the same applies here. Not worth the upgrade, but based on the price, it’s worth buying instead of the Aqara G2h
advantage
- It’s the excellent Aqara G2h, but a little better
shortcoming
- Not much has changed since the Aqara G2h Pro
I’ve seen a few before Aqara Zigbee Hub, include Aqara G2h. Aqara currently lists six different hubs on its product page, which will make 7th. This seems like overkill, but I guess it gives buyers as many options as possible to fit their budget and needs.
So my review of the new Aqara G2h Pro isn’t too different from all other hubs, so I’ll focus on the new features.
what is new?
- The same design, but with a new LED to let you know the different system functions
- HomeKit wider third-party compatibility.It supports HomeKit Secure Video and now HomeKit Security
- Fully compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, including streaming to Alexa and Google Smart Displays
- Privacy Mask: Configurable on the Aqara Home app, a new feature allows users to prevent certain parts of captured images from being recorded or sent to Aqara servers and other third-party servers (e.g. Amazon, Google);
- Field of view increased from 140º to 146º
- MicroSD card compatibility increased to 512GB
- NAS storage via Samba
- Support WPA3
- Custom Ringtones and Time Lapse
- Power adapter is no longer available
set up
The settings are the same as for G2h. The Pro model was not listed in the Aqara app, so I had to choose the older G2h.
You need to select the 2.4Ghz network and scan the QR code. That’s it. Then I was told there was new firmware available for the hub.
Samba NAS video recording
Unfortunately, at the time of writing, recording to the NAS using the SAMBA share is not possible. This is one of the features I want, saving me from buying a microSD card and effectively giving me unlimited storage.
Homekit / Home Assistant
I use Home Assistant via Docker. The camera can quickly set up and register three entities, one for the camera, another binary sensor for motion detection, and then the alarm control panel.
On Home Assistant’s home page, you can choose to arm/disarm and view its current status. You will receive a flashing notification when the alarm is triggered.
Alexa streaming
I use Alexa at home. You’ll need to enable the Alexa skill, which is notably poorly rated, but so are most skills.
Enabling this and having Alexa show me the feed from the camera works great. As with Alexa, there’s a delay of a few seconds, so if you’re going to check out a key event, it might have passed by the time the feed loads.
Privacy restricted area
Under camera settings, then video settings, you can set the privacy mask area. This gives you a grid of squares that you can then exclude from the image.
Price and Availability
The Aqara G2h Pro was only released in December and doesn’t seem to be available anywhere, not even through the grey import site.
The existing Aqara G2h is £65 on Amazon. Since these products are very similar, I hope the Pro model won’t cost too much.
comprehensive
The Aqara G2h Pro is almost the same as the Aqara G2h, and I think it’s excellent. So the same applies here.
Other than that, it’s hard to get overly excited about it, as it doesn’t introduce any amazing new features. It feels like most of these improvements can be made to existing cameras via firmware upgrades. Maybe the new camera needs more processing power, but HomeKit security, Alexa/Google streaming, privacy shielding, NAS storage, increased microSD size support, WPA3, and ringtones all seem to be basic software upgrades.
There are currently no UK prices or availability. If there is no or very little price difference, the Aqara G2h Pro is a logical choice for someone already considering a G2h, but there’s certainly no reason to upgrade existing hardware.
