Xiaomi’s New $24 Security Camera Puts Expensive 1080p Rivals to Shame
Xiaomi has launched the Smart Camera 3 3K, offering 5MP resolution and on-device AI tracking for just $24. We analyze how this impacts the budget security market.
The era of paying premium prices for grainy 1080p security footage is ending. Xiaomi has aggressively reset the baseline for indoor surveillance with the launch of the Smart Camera 3 3K, a device that pairs a 5-megapixel sensor with a launch price of just 169 yuan (approximately $24 USD). While Western competitors like Ring and Google Nest continue to market 1080p sensors at price points exceeding $100, Xiaomi is demonstrating that high-resolution imaging sensors are now commoditized enough to be sold at impulse-buy prices.
Context: Resolution Inflation
The primary differentiator for this model is the shift from standard HD to "3K" resolution (2960 x 1666). This creates a pixel density nearly three times higher than the 1080p standard still found in most budget Wyze or Blink cameras. For security applications, this resolution bump is functional rather than cosmetic; it allows users to zoom into footage during playback and actually resolve facial features or text on a package, rather than staring at a pixelated blur.
Optics and Night Vision
Under the hood, the 5MP sensor is backed by Xiaomi’s ultra-low-light full-color technology. This image signal processing (ISP) pipeline allows the camera to maintain color fidelity in dim ambient light long after competitors would have switched to monochrome night vision. When total darkness sets in, the unit activates eight infrared fill lights. Crucially, these are engineered to provide clear black-and-white imaging without the visible red glow that often gives away the camera's position or disturbs sleepers.
Mechanicals and Processing
The chassis houses a dual-motor gimbal system, enabling 360-degree horizontal and 109-degree vertical rotation. This mechanical flexibility is paired with local, on-device AI. Unlike older models that relied on server-side processing, the Smart Camera 3 3K performs human detection locally. This reduces latency and bandwidth strain, as the camera only tracks and records when a human shape is identified. Advanced face recognition—distinguishing between "Family Member" and "Stranger"—is available but locked behind a cloud subscription wall.
Security and Connectivity
Addressing the perennial concern regarding Chinese IoT devices, Xiaomi has integrated a dedicated Mijia security chip into the motherboard. This hardware module assigns a unique private key and digital certificate to the device, ensuring that video transmission and cloud storage are protected by AES-128 encryption. Connectivity is handled by a dual-band Wi-Fi radio (2.4GHz and 5GHz), which is a significant upgrade over the 2.4GHz-only radios typical in this price bracket. The video stream utilizes H.265 encoding, which compresses file sizes by 50 percent compared to legacy H.264, saving space on both the microSD card (supports up to 256GB) and NAS backups.
Audio and Smart Home Integration
The unit features a two-way audio system powered by a large-diameter speaker and a microphone array with an eight-meter pickup range. This allows for clear voice communication across a medium-sized room, rather than the muffled "walkie-talkie" quality often found in budget cams. As expected, it integrates fully with the Mi Home ecosystem, allowing live feeds to be cast to Xiaomi smart displays or TVs, though cross-platform compatibility with Amazon Alexa or Google Home remains region-dependent.
Pricing and Market Reality
The official MSRP is set at 199 yuan ($28), with a launch promotion bringing it down to 169 yuan ($24). For US buyers, gray-market imports via AliExpress or specialized retailers will likely push the final landed cost to around $40–$45. Even at that markup, it remains half the price of domestic alternatives with inferior resolution.
The Daily Tech Lens Verdict
The Xiaomi Smart Camera 3 3K is a hardware triumph that highlights the stagnation in the US smart home market. Hardware-wise, it offers specs that simply do not exist in the sub-$50 category in North America. However, prospective buyers should weigh the value of a 5MP sensor against the friction of using a China-region server connection and the potential privacy implications of imported IoT gear. If you are comfortable configuring a VLAN for your IoT devices, this is the best $25 you can spend on security today.
