XiaoFang IP Camera VS Samsung IP Camera

Okay, I just got this a few days ago. I bought it because of the low price. I already using a Samsung IP Cam for about 1.5 years now and very happy with it. In case you want to know the model number, it is Samsung SNH-P6410BN. It cost around RMB 600.  

This Xiaofang 1080p IP Cam cost me less than RMB 100 but still, I will have to compare it to my Samsung. Like the Samsung, it can record video in several ways. Continuous recording or record only when it detects motion. Samsung one can also be triggered by sound. Xiaofang can also be triggered by Smoke and CO2 alarm sound - whatever this means. No, I don’t think it can detect smoke or CO2, it just detects the alarm sound. The weird thing is inside the app under Settings, it has two switch - one for CO2 alarm and one for Smoke - got any difference between CO2 and Smoke Alarm? Maybe it must be a Xiaomi Smoke and CO2 alarm and has a difference

Both are 1080p and IR for night vision. Both have intercom capability

Pros -

1. Low cost - Rm100 to 120 Rm50-80

2. Tiny

3. Can run off of a power bank

4. It comes with a tiny USB power adaptor but the prongs are Type A

5. Comes with a long USB cable. If you need a new cable, make sure the micro USB head is small enough to be plugged in. Most won't fit XiaoFang's tiny hole opening

Cons -

1. Motion detect video is not stored on the microSD card but in the Cloud. Samsung motion detected videos are stored in the card. In order to view each recording, it takes a minute or two to "download" and let you view it. On the Samsung, it takes maybe a second or two. Waiting for the Xiaofang to download takes too long. This also means if you do not have an Internet connection, you won't get any motion detect video, unlike the Samsung which can continue to record into the microSD card.

> downloading Motion Alarm videos seems faster now if there are no connection problems

2. And if you want a copy of it, you need to "share" it by emailing yourself the video. With Samsung, you just need to copy the videos from the card. Albeit you need to remove the card from the cam first and most of the time, the cam is installed high above the ceiling or something. So there are pros and cons here. Xiaofang - you need to download one by one. Samsung you can copy all at once but you need to access the card

3. Viewing Live Videos also takes longer on the Xiaofang. It takes a couple of minutes before it can show you a live stream. Samsung one is very fast. A live stream is extremely laggy.

4.Notifications - Once it detects motion, it is supposed to push a notification to your smartphone. On the Xiaofang, sometimes its fast and sometimes it is too slow. And it doesn’t keep on sending you notifications if there is still motion. On my Samsung, it will send a notification once it detects motion (so far the response time has been good but on a few occasions also slow) and it will keep sending notifications if it still detects motion. This is important to me as I do not bother to check each notification that comes in but if it is persistent, I will want to know why there are people loitering around.

5.It has a magnetic base so you can stick this fella anywhere iron but the magnet is rather weak. The Xiaomi Sticker makes it versatile for installation.

6. You can only flip the image upside down but not 4 ways like the Samsung.

7. Crashed my Wifi network several times

8. My ID seems to have changed to something else on its own - no idea why or how