The new design has integrated the camera into the base, taking away some of its versatile appeal. The YI Home Camera 2 goes beyond simple motion detection and is programmed to recognize a human shape. If the camera detects a human, it will notify you with an alert on your smartphone. Does it work? Yes and no. After several days of testing, I realized that the camera wasn’t differentiating between human shapes and other movements. That’s not to say that it’s a bad camera; I just didn’t notice a difference between walking in front of the camera and throwing a couch pillow in front of it. Both motions were detected and triggered an alert to my phone. Holding your hand within two meters and making a fist toward the camera signals YI Home Camera 2 to record a 10-second video clip and send it to your smartphone. Does it work? The short answer: no. I stood in front of the camera and made enough fists to rival Bruce Lee, but I couldn’t get the camera to register the gesture and trigger a recording. This may be an easy software update fix, but right now it doesn’t work as intended. Normally, mobile-operated cameras are not ideal for baby monitors because you need an app open to hear or see what’s going on in your baby’s room. YI claims that the Home Camera 2 can recognize when your baby is crying and will send notifications to your smartphone so you can easily check on them. Does it work? I don’t have a baby, but I do have a three-year-old who was willing to pretend to cry in her room like a baby to test this feature. Unfortunately, unless the app was already open I didn’t receive alerts that she was crying. The idea is solid, but right now the functionality simply isn’t there. This could be another simple fix with future software updates, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed. When the camera senses movement it will automatically record a ten-second video and send a notification to your smartphone so you can check in on what’s happening. Does it work? The automatic recording feature works beautifully. Perhaps my favorite part is the ability to increase or decrease the frequency of notifications so I don’t get a ten-second clip every ten seconds for the same motion event. Many cameras that I’ve tested send far too many notifications, causing the user to have to filter through nonessential video clips. YI lets you adjust your settings and customize your recording notifications the way you like them. As I mentioned before, I couldn’t tell the difference between human motion or any other motion the camera captured. All motion was created equal in regards to receiving notifications. It’s worth noting that YI Home Camera 2’s motion detection feature is super sensitive, but can be adjusted within the app. This is nice if you’re like me and have a massive wheat field behind your house that blows in the breeze. The sensitivity can be turned down so I don’t receive an alert every time the wind blows. These are two completely different camera designs that should not be confused. Their similar names cause confusion but keep in mind the 720p camera is detachable from the mounting base, and offers more mounting versatility, while the 1080p camera is fixed into the mount itself and cannot be removed.
