Eufy 4G LTE Cam S330 review

Eufy’s 4G LTE Cam S330 provides freedom of streaming choice with the ability to use Wi-Fi or any of the three major US 4G networks, making it just as good on the grid as off. It stores its clips locally on an included 32GB micro-SD card and can deliver 4K video to a phone or tablet, but lacks the ability to use the faster 5G network.

With the ability to connect any which way it can — via Wi-Fi or any of the major U.S. mobile data networks — the Eufy LTE 4G Cam S330 security camera can record surveillance video anyplace, anytime. This pan-and-tilt 4K video camera comes with all the mounting hardware you’ll need, a 32GB micro-SD card, as well as a solar panel, so you’ll rarely, if ever, have to recharge its battery yourself.

However, the S330 lacks an optical zoom lens and doesn’t work with the extra bandwidth and security that 5G communications adds. So is this the best home security camera for installing in that remote workshed, or in the corner of your property where Wi-Fi doesn’t quite reach? Read the rest of our Eufy 4G LTE Cam S330 to find out.

Eufy 4G LTE Cam S330 review: Price and availability

The Eufy 4G LTE Cam S330 with its solar panel and mounting hardware sell for $250 at Amazon. If you get it on Eufy’s commerce site, the camera is often discounted by $50. For those with lots of territory to watch over, the company sells three kits for $590, a $160 savings. Figure on adding between $10 and $30 to add an LTE line to your current mobile phone account. For this review, I used T-Mobile’s service.

Eufy 4G LTE Cam S330 review: Compatibility, installation and design

Able to operate just as well connected via Wi-Fi or any of the three national LTE mobile data networks, Eufy’s 4G LTE Cam S330 is a connect-anywhere camera that can keep an eye on a remote location or capture shots of local wildlife. It comes with mounting hardware, solar panel and 32GB microSD card to store video locally. You can also save video to the cloud, but you’ll need to sign up for a Eufy subscription, which starts at $3 per month for 30-days of storage for one camera.

After unpacking the box, I rolled the camera ball back to insert the included micro-SD card. Then, I grabbed a ladder and mounted the camera on a birch tree on the edge of my home’s Wi-Fi coverage. I didn’t want to screw the bracket into the tree and the included pole strap wasn’t long enough, so I ended up using an old tie down strap that fit into the bracket’s slots.

Next, I attached the solar panel (it delivers up to 0.9 amps at 5-volts to charge the camera’s 9,400 mili-amp hour battery), inserted the SIM card into the camera, and connected everything using the Eufy app. To get the most out of the battery, I set it to send me notifications with a thumbnail of the video and limit clips to 10 seconds.

In total, the set up time was 20 minutes, though it may take you longer depending on where you want to mount the camera.

Eufy 4G LTE Cam S330 review: Video performance

The camera’s 138-degree field of view is supplemented with panning and tilting using the app’s responsive four-way control. The camera’s range of motion at 340 degrees fell short of a full circle, but it can tilt up to 70 degrees. In other words, it can pinpoint exactly where you want to look.

It worked well during the day, with sharp video in vivid color and no barrel distortion that makes straight lines look rounded. In bright sunlight, however, its images tended to get a little washed out. With a 100-lumen spotlight, the camera can light up the night, but its field of illuminated view is limited to a 40-foot semicircle in full color.

There’s an infrared setting for monochrome nighttime images. The 4G LTE Cam S330’s microphone is surprisingly sensitive with the ability to pick up all kinds of sounds, from bird song to passing trucks.

With seven levels of sensitivity, the motion detection settings are smart enough to tell the difference between a person and a car. The app can use AI to track a moving subject that worked well to follow gardeners as they mowed the lawn in its field of view.

Unfortunately, the S330 lacks a zoom lens, so it isn’t a full PTZ camera. Its digital zoom allows for close-ups, but the images pixelate quickly.

Under the surface, I optimized the streaming video quality in automatic mode and set the resolution to 4K.

Meanwhile, the Power Manager shows how long the device has been running, how much battery life is left. It also displays how many events have been recorded.

Eufy 4G LTE Cam S330 review: Smart home compatibility

The Eufy Security app (available for Android and iOS) controls the S330, displays its video and responds to voice commands from Alexa and Google Assistant (It lacks compatibility with Apple’s Home Kit). Happily, Eufy Security can work with several devices, including my recently added garage cam.

Within the app, you can adjust settings such as camera resolution (4K or HD), changing notification rules, whether you want to use 4G or Wi-Fi, and more.

Eufy 4G LTE Cam S330 review: Battery life

Over the early weeks of summer at my central Connecticut location, the solar panel kept the battery’s charge level between 95 and 100 percent for over two months. Over the winter, when the battery efficiency and available daylight drops, the camera will likely need to be periodically charged. The app’s Solar Dashboard is under development and shows the battery’s current charge level over a week or month and how much power it has contributed to the battery.

Eufy 4G LTE Cam S330 review: Verdict

Perfect for an out of the way location that you need to keep a digital eye on, the battery and solar-powered Eufy 4G LTE Cam S330 grabs video, day or night. It’s able to connect over Wi-Fi or AT&T, T-Mobile or Verizon’s data network. In other words, the S330 can always be online, sending UHD video to Eufy’s phone app. The pan and tilt capabilities are a big help but the camera lacks an optical zoom for full PTZ action.

It might be a step behind the times by not using 5G connections, but the Eufy 4G LTE Cam S330 provides something that few of the best outdoor security cameras can: the ability to stream video during a blackout or Wi-Fi failure. This alone makes it worth its $250 price tag.