Nest Cam IQ Outdoor Review
The Nest Cam IQ Outdoor is one of our home security experts' favorite outdoor cameras, but it comes at a higher price than average.
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Last Updated on Jan 24, 2023
What We Like
- Advanced artificial intelligence: By default, Nest Cam IQ Outdoor can differentiate people from moving objects. If you have a Nest Aware subscription, it can also recognize familiar faces.
- Superb video quality, zoomability, and night vision: The Nest Cam IQ Outdoor has a 1080p resolution with HDR, a 130-degree field-of-view, 12 times zoom, and a 50-foot night vision range.
- Google Assistant integrations: As a Google Nest product, the Nest Cam IQ Outdoor works well with Google Assistant and Google smart displays for voice-controlled live-streaming and playback.
What We Don't Like
- Discontinued: As good as the camera is, Nest no longer offers the Nest Cam IQ Outdoor. It was replaced by the battery-powered indoor/outdoor Nest Cam Battery.
- Expensive: If you do manage to find a Nest Cam IQ for sale, it will most likely cost you. When it was still available, it retailed for $349 per camera.
- Bulky and heavy: Although it’s fairly easy to install, you’re going to need to secure it to a wall by drilling screw holes into your home’s exterior.
Bottom Line
The Nest Cam IQ Outdoor used to be Nest’s top-dog outdoor camera. It had artificial intelligence, good construction, and solid software, but it was also expensive. Fortunately, Nest replaced it with Nest Cam Battery, which offers almost the same hardware specifications and features, but with a better price tag of $179.Outdoor cameras can be tricky. Not only is it harder to capture clear images outdoors due to varying light conditions, but outdoor cameras also need to be completely durable and able to withstand the elements. And of course, with everything going on outdoors, outdoor cameras need to be smart enough to differentiate real security threats and false alarms.
The Nest Cam IQ promises to provide all the features needed for an outdoor camera, and in this review, we’ll talk about everything you need to know about this smart outdoor camera. Before we start, though, you should know that the Nest Cam IQ is no longer in Nest’s rotation. If you think it’s still the right camera for you, you can buy it from third-party sellers or a local hardware store. Let’s see if it’s still a good buy this year.
First Thoughts On Nest Cam IQ Outdoor
If you’d rather buy cameras that haven’t been phased out by their manufacturers (and who wouldn’t?), we’ve tested a lot of alternatives that we recommend checking out. Lorex, Ring, and Arlo all offer formidable outdoor cameras with smart features, built-to-last hardware, and great image quality. See them here:
Promised Features
Nest Cam IQ Outdoor Features Breakdown
| Camera | Nest Cam IQ Outdoor |
|---|---|
| Price | $349 |
| Field of vision | 130° |
| Resolution | 1080p |
| Zoom | 12x |
| Two-way audio | Yes |
| 24/7 recording | Yes |
| Night vision | Yes |
| Cloud storage | Yes |
| Local storage | No |
| Battery or Wired | Wired |
| Learn More | View Camera on Amazon |
Not surprisingly, the Nest website makes the Nest Cam IQ Outdoor look absolutely fantastic. It promises a lot of great features, including:
- Weather-proof: With an impressive IP rating of 66, the Nest Cam IQ Outdoor works in temperatures from -40 to 113 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Supersight video: In a combination of 1080p HD video with 4K sensors, HDR, and intelligent imaging, the Nest Cam IQ Outdoor has what they call Supersight video.
- Excellent night vision: The Nest Cam IQ Outdoor can see up to 50 feet away in the darkest of nights, says Nest.
If all this is true, it might be the best outdoor camera I’ve ever reviewed. But let’s actually open the box before I get too excited.
First Impressions
Like all of the other Nest cameras, the Nest Cam IQ Outdoor is really sleek and minimalist. From the side, it looks more like a desk lamp shade than it does a camera. It has a circular, white plastic face with a shiny black camera. Like I said, this thing works in temperatures from -40 to 113 degrees Fahrenheit, which covers most places within the continental U.S. It also has an IP rating of 66, which means that it’s completely dust tight and can even withstand powerful water jets. As long as it’s not immersed in water, the Nest Cam IQ Outdoor will keep on keeping on.
You’ll need to hook up the Nest Cam IQ Outdoor to an indoor power outlet, which is why it comes with a 25-foot cable. I’ll talk more about installation in a bit, but you have a few different options, including plugging it to an outdoor outlet using a weatherproof power adapter, sold separately. The camera uses Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to connect to the Nest app, which is how you’ll control it remotely.
Okay, now it’s time for my favorite part. Drum roll, please!
Necessary Features
You guessed it— it’s our Necessary Features Test! This is where I make sure that cameras meet industry standards and my personal standards for video, night vision, audio, storage, smart platform integration, artificial intelligence, convenience, and overall value. Let’s take a closer look.
Video
The Nest Cam IQ Outdoor more than impresses when it comes to video. Like I said, it has HDR, which improves the quality of light in the video. Of course, it has the industry standard of 1080p HD, plus the ability to zoom in twelve times! This will be great for details, especially if you have an intrusion. Finally, the Nest Cam IQ Outdoor has a wide 130-degree field of view diagonally.
Night Vision
No security camera is complete without night vision. Now, I prefer infrared night vision over night vision from a bright white light, although the latter will be in color. Although I want everyone to know that I have outdoor security cameras in place, I don’t want it to be so obvious that I’m filming them at night. Some things are best kept private, am I right?
Fortunately, the Nest Cam IQ Outdoor has infrared night vision through 850 nm LEDs.
Audio Quality
Of course, I want to be able to talk to whoever I’m recording through the Nest app, so I’m happy that the Nest Cam IQ Outdoor comes with two-way audio.
Storage
| Nest Free | Nest Aware | Nest Aware Plus | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Event Video History | 3 Hours | 30 days | 60 days |
| 24/7 Video History | 0 | 0 | 10 days |
| Monthly Price | $0 | $6 | $12 |
| Yearly Price | $0 | $60 | $120 |
| Yearly Savings | N/A | $12 | $24 |
Now, storage is not Nest’s strong suit, so it’s no surprise to me that there’s no local storage and only three free hours of cloud storage. That’s pretty minimal, especially because I’ve seen cameras with both local and cloud storage, free for up to two weeks! But, every rose has its thorn, I suppose. To get more cloud storage, you’ll have to sign up for Nest Aware. Thankfully, Nest recently reduced its cloud storage prices significantly, as you can see in the chart above.
Now, Nest Aware isn’t all cloud storage, but I’ll go more into detail in a bit.
Smart Platform Integration
Google owns Nest, which is why it’s no surprise that the Nest Cam IQ Outdoor integrates with Google Assistant. That means you’ll be able to command it with your voice alone, which is pretty awesome. You can also livestream footage from your Google Home Hub or watch it on your Chromecast. And they said you’d never make it on television!
Are you already in the Amazon ecosystem? No problem! The Nest Cam IQ Outdoor also works with Amazon Alexa. If you want to create some home automations, hook it up with your Philips Hue light bulbs. I can see this really coming in handy outside, as you can have your floodlights turn on the minute the camera starts recording.
Artificial Intelligence
The Nest Cam IQ Outdoor comes with person detection, which means that the camera can differentiate between people, animals, and other moving objects. This will save you a lot of unnecessary notifications because your smart security camera shouldn’t be a nuisance! On top of that, Nest will automatically zoom in on the person, so your camera is showing you relevant footage. As soon as a person is detected, you’ll be notified via the Nest app.
If you want facial recognition in addition to person detection, you can get it through Nest Aware. That means that you’ll be notified with more specific information, not just that the camera detected a person but that your sister is home. Or, the reverse: you can be notified if an unfamiliar face just walked onto your doorstep. Nest Aware will also give you dog barking alerts and person speaking alerts— but more on this later.
Convenience
The first thing you should know? The Nest Cam IQ Outdoor is a pretty heavy camera, but that’s probably a good thing if you’re going to be placing it outdoors. Now, with any outdoor camera, the installation process is going to be a little bit more involved than if you were placing it indoors, and it’s going to vary widely based on where and how you’re installing it. As far as the digital side goes of pairing the camera with the Nest app and Wi-Fi, that only took about five minutes.
Value
At $349, the Nest Cam IQ Outdoor is one of the more expensive cameras I’ve reviewed, but it certainly does rise to the occasion in terms of video, audio, night vision, smart platform integrations, and artificial intelligence. I think it’s a great choice particularly if you’re part of the Nest ecosystem, and keep in mind that the Nest Cam IQ Outdoor doesn’t require a hub, unlike some of its competitors.
Video Review
Nest Aware
Now let’s talk Nest Aware. With Nest Aware, you can add on five, 10, or 30 days of cloud storage. You’ll also get facial recognition, which includes dog barking, a person speaking, and familiar face alerts. Finally, you’ll be able to create activity zones, areas that your Nest Cam IQ Outdoor should pay special attention to. This could be particularly useful for the outdoors, as you probably don’t need notifications from the street, only when someone is on your lawn. Although Nest Aware is pricey, it does add on some awesome artificial intelligence features which will create highly specific notifications. Of course, it’s on the expensive side, as is the case with all Nest products in general.
The Nest App
The Nest app is where you’ll control your Nest Cam IQ Outdoor remotely. You’ll be able to view cloud storage, receive notifications, livestream footage, and speak to people through two-way audio. It’s also where you’ll set activity zones if you decide to buy Nest Aware. While the app has a decent rating on the Google Play store of 2.7, unfortunately, it only has a 2.2 on the Apple store. Apple doesn’t show many of its customer reviews, so it was hard to see what the main complaints were, but the Nest Cam IQ Outdoor may not be the best choice for iPhone users.
Comparisons
Now, I want to compare the Nest Cam IQ Outdoor to two other indoor/ outdoor cameras, its predecessor the Nest Cam Outdoor, and the Arlo Ultra. Let’s see how the Nest Cam IQ Outdoor stacks up.
Nest Cam IQ Outdoor vs. Nest Cam Outdoor
It’s no big surprise that the Nest Cam IQ Outdoor and the Nest Cam Outdoor have a lot in common. Both have 1080p HD vision and 130-degree fields of view, although the Nest Outdoor lacks the 4K sensors, HDR, and intelligent imaging of the IQ. Plus, while the IQ can zoom in 12 times, the Nest Cam Outdoor only zooms in eight, which is still impressive. Their features are exactly the same in terms of night vision, two-way audio, storage, smart platform integrations, and artificial intelligence. However, the Nest Cam IQ Outdoor is slightly more durable than the Nest Cam Outdoor and has a larger temperature range.
But the area where the Nest Cam Outdoor really outdoes its descendant is in its price. While the Nest Cam IQ Outdoor costs a whopping $349, the Nest Cam Outdoor is only $199. I would go with the Nest Cam Outdoor if you’re looking to save money, but stick with the IQ Outdoor if you want superior durability and video quality.
To learn more, read our full review of the Nest Cam Outdoor.
Nest Cam IQ Outdoor vs. Arlo Ultra 4K
At $399, the Arlo Ultra is one of few cameras more expensive than the Nest Cam IQ Outdoor, and I have to say that it disappointed in a lot of ways. While Arlo claims the camera shoots in 4K like the Nest Cam IQ Outdoor, we found that it actually only worked in 1080p HD. However, its field of view was wider than the Nest Cam IQ Outdoor’s at 180 degrees. Both cameras have infrared night vision, two-way audio, person detection, and integrations with Alexa and Google Assistant, although the Ultra also throws in color night vision.
But keep in mind that you’ll need to use the Arlo hub to access local storage, while the Nest Cam IQ Outdoor doesn’t offer local storage. In terms of cloud storage, the Ultra wins, giving you a week of free cloud storage compared to a mere three hours with the Nest Cam IQ Outdoor. Although the Arlo app has better ratings than the Nest app, I had some serious battery and connectivity issues with the Arlo Ultra, so overall, I think the Nest Cam IQ Outdoor is a much better option.
To learn more, read our full review of the Arlo Ultra 4K camera.
Recap
In sum, I think the Nest Cam IQ Outdoor is a great choice.
I’d buy the Nest Cam IQ Outdoor if you’re already in the Nest ecosystem, if you want excellent video, audio, night vision, smart platform integrations, and person detection, plus a weatherproof camera.
It’s not for you if you wanted something more affordable, wanted a camera that fit in with your Apple or Microsoft smart home ecosystem, or wanted local storage.
Nest Cam IQ Outdoor FAQs
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Is the Nest Cam IQ Outdoor worth it?
I think the Nest Cam IQ Outdoor is a great choice and worth its expensive price tag. I’d buy the Nest Cam IQ Outdoor if you’re already in the Nest ecosystem, if you want excellent video, audio, night vision, smart platform integrations, and person detection, plus a weatherproof camera.
However, it’s not for you if you wanted something more affordable, wanted a camera that fit in with your Apple or Microsoft smart home ecosystem, or wanted local storage.
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What is the difference between the Nest Cam Outdoor and the Nest Cam IQ Outdoor?
It’s no big surprise that the Nest Cam IQ Outdoor and the Nest Cam Outdoor have a lot in common. Both have 1080p HD vision and 130 degree fields of view, although the Nest Outdoor lacks the 4K sensors, HDR and intelligent imaging of the IQ. Plus, while the IQ can zoom in 12 times, the Nest Cam Outdoor only zooms in eight, which is still impressive. Their features are exactly the same in terms of night vision, two-way audio, storage, smart platform integrations, and artificial intelligence. However, the Nest Cam IQ Outdoor is slightly more durable than the Nest Cam Outdoor and has a larger temperature range.
But the area where the Nest Cam Outdoor really outdoes its descendant is in its price. While the Nest Cam IQ Outdoor costs a whopping $349, the Nest Cam Outdoor is only $199. I would go with the Nest Cam Outdoor if you’re looking to save money, but stick with the IQ Outdoor if you want superior durability and video quality.
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Is there a monthly fee for Nest Cam?
There’s no required fee for Nest Cams. However, there are paid options available for additional cloud storage, artificial intelligence features, and more through Nest Aware.