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  • Review body

  • About the Eufy SoloCam S40

  • What we like about the Eufy SoloCam S40

  • Related content

  • What we don’t like about the Eufy SoloCam S40

  • Should you buy it?

  • Review body
  • About the Eufy SoloCam S40
  • What we like about the Eufy SoloCam S40
  • Related content
  • What we don’t like about the Eufy SoloCam S40
  • Should you buy it?

Pros

  • Great solar battery

  • Tons of features

  • Solid performance

Cons

  • No support for Apple HomeKit

Review body

Eufy’s solar-powered camera is a game changer for wireless, eco-friendly home security.

About the Eufy SoloCam S40

The Eufy SoloCam S40 outdoors
Credit: Reviewed / Nick Woodard

Be sure to place the Eufy SoloCam S40 in an outdoor spot that gets full sunlight.

Color: White Connectivity: 802.11 b/g/n @2.4GHz Power source: Solar Power/Built-in Battery Resolution: 2K, HD Field of view: 130 degrees Audio: Two-way talk Lighting brightness: 600 Lumens Smart assistant support: Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant Operational temperatures: -4 to 120 degrees Fahrenheit Weight: 1.1 pounds

Setting up the Eufy SoloCam S40 requires a drill to mount the camera into place, but everything else you need comes in the box. The process is fairly simple and can be done in about 15 minutes or less. Make sure to find a sunny spot so that the built-in solar panel gets as much sunlight as possible to help achieve optimal performance and battery life. The camera also needs a full charge (up to eight hours) using the included charging cable before placing it outdoors.

What we like about the Eufy SoloCam S40

The Eufy SoloCam S40 has an outstanding, solar-powered battery

Close up of a Eufy security camera with a solar battery.
Credit: Reviewed / Nick Woodard

The Eufy SoloCam S40 offers bountiful battery life.

For me, solar technology can be hit or miss. I had my doubts about a legitimate outdoor security camera being able to run solely off solar, but was pleasantly surprised by the sheer power and performance after nearly a month of use.

I didn’t have to manually recharge the Eufy SoloCam S40’s battery a single time during that period, and the camera rarely dropped below a full charge when using the “Optimal Battery Life” mode. This mode conserves the camera’s battery life by limiting video recordings to 20 seconds each. Other battery settings can record clips for longer, and shouldn’t be too much of a drain on the camera's battery life, assuming you’ve got a sunny spot picked out for continuous recording. If you live in a shady spot, your mileage will likely vary.

The camera offers solid, dependable performance

I gave the Eufy Floodlight Cam 2 Pro high marks largely in part because of its exceptional lineup of features, and the SoloCam S40 follows suit. With full color night vision, 8 GB of built-in storage (no subscription needed), an IP67 weather resistance rating, and AI person detection, the SoloCam S40 is a remarkably well-equipped camera with dependable performance.

I used the SoloCam S40 to keep eyes on my 6-year-old African Sulcata tortoise, Darwin. The nearly 50-pound dinosaur spends most of his days slowly meandering around the yard, grazing on grass and sunbathing, and the solar-powered camera proved to be an essential tool for keeping an eye on the little guy.

The SoloCam S40’s camera’s 2K resolution produced a clear, detailed image that let us pinpoint Darwin’s location even when he was clear across the yard. The camera’s built-in, 600-lumen spotlight, which shines bright up to about 26 feet, was especially handy at dusk, helping us locate the scaly dude when he had burrowed himself into a dark corner of the space. While he doesn’t exactly know his name, we made good use of the camera’s decent two-way audio.

On multiple occasions, when I came home at lunch to let Darwin out of his enclosure, my partner received a motion detection notification and proceeded to drop in on the camera’s microphone for a quick chat. You could say the Eufy SoloCam S40 is human-tested and tortoise-approved.

The easy-to-use-app is offers customizable home security features

Three images of the Eufy security camera interface.
Credit: Reviewed/ Nick Woodard

The Eufy Security App is easy to use when it comes to managing the Eufy SoloCam S40.

The Eufy Security App adds to this experience, allowing you to completely customize the camera to your liking. In the “Motion Detection” tab, you can choose your level of detection sensitivity, determine whether you want the camera to detect only humans or all motion, and set up specific activity zones for the camera to hone in on.

The “Spotlight Settings” tab is where you can adjust brightness and choose your preferred white color temperature for the camera’s spotlight. You can also tap into more advanced video and audio settings, as well as determine the style of notifications that you receive from the security cameras. The app is also where you can monitor the camera’s battery life and available storage. The former is showcased in a “Dashboard” tab that displays weekly and monthly battery percentage trends and solar charging efficiency statistics.

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What we don’t like about the Eufy SoloCam S40

There’s no support for Apple HomeKit

Apple HomePod Mini
Credit: Reviewed / Rachel Murphy

The Eufy SoloCam S40 does not work with Apple HomeKit or Siri.

Without resorting to nitpicking (the SoloCam S40 is a relatively large piece of technology, as far as outdoor security cameras go), the biggest blemish on the SoloCam S40 is its lack of integration with Apple HomeKit. There are a few supported Eufy products, like the Indoor Cam Pan & Tilt 2K, Indoor Cam 2K, eufyCam 2/2 Pro and eufyCam 2C/2C Pro. It hasn’t yet reached the SoloCam S40, though, so HomeKit users will need to look elsewhere.

However, the SoloCam S40 does work with the Amazon Echo and Google Home ecosystems. This means you can use a compatible smart display, like the Echo Show 8 or Nest Hub Max, to view a live stream of the camera’s video.

Privacy

Eufy experienced a privacy breach in June 2021, causing 712 random customers to have their video feeds exposed. According to Eufy, the incident stemmed from a software update on its server and was corrected with an emergency update that rolled out within the hour. In response to that incident, Eufy says it has upgraded its network architecture to bolster the security of its devices.

To keep your smart home safe and secure, Eufy’s app includes optional two-factor authentication that will immediately alert you if an unknown user tries to access your account. You can also turn the camera, audio recordings and microphone off through the app.

Should you buy it?

Yes, if you want a solar-powered security camera

Close up of a Eufy security camera.
Credit: Reviewed / Nick Woodard

Keep a watchful eye on your property with the Eufy SoloCam S40.

The Eufy SoloCam S40 is a bright and dependable solar-powered home security camera. The built-in panel saves space and the wire-free design allows you to place it anywhere you’ve got unobstructed sunlight all day long.

Truthfully, there aren’t many name-brand solar security options on the market today. The $200 Arlo Pro 4 can be solar, as long as you spend an extra $60 to add in a solar panel. Ring does make the $140 Stick Up Cam Solar, but it requires a subscription for recording and isn't exactly a sight for sore eyes. The solar security crown is ripe for the taking, and the Eufy is ready to take over the throne. The SoloCam S40’s subscription-free, wireless solution with bountiful battery life, tons of features, and performance that doesn’t disappoint when it comes to solar-powered security.

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Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.

Meet the tester

Nick Woodard

Nick Woodard

Contributor

@nwoodard25

Nick Woodard is a tech journalist specializing in all things related to home theater and A/V. His background includes a solid foundation as a sports writer for multiple daily newspapers, and he enjoys hiking and mountain biking in his spare time.

See all of Nick Woodard's reviews

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