Nest, the home automation and security business owned by Alphabet, Google’s parent, seems to be preparing a new security camera containing a sensor capable of recording at 4K resolution. However, Nest may not be using the device to record in 4K but instead to boost resolution: video feed from the device will be viewed at 1080p resolution, or Full HD.

The advantage of using a higher resolution camera sensor but recording at a lower resolution becomes obvious as soon as one zooms into the picture, and it’s a similar technology to live streaming using the Mevo camera.

Nest’s solution is especially neat; when the camera detects motion, the software will automatically zoom in on the activity. The software is said to include a down-scaled 1080p full frame view of all that the camera can see, giving customers the choice of either the zoomed-in 1080p view, or the full (but down-scaled) view. Nest is not expected to allow users to record or stream at 4K resolution, as this requires considerable bandwidth over a Wi-Fi network, which could reportedly cause performance issues.

Nest’s 4K camera is expected to look similar to the current Nest Outdoor camera but the technology will be for indoor use only. The device will be powered by a USB Type-C connector and there will be a LED ring around the lens showing that it is recording. It is expected to cost $300, so it will be considerably more expensive than other Nest cameras currently on sale, but the higher price may cover one or more features only available in Nest’s paid tier of service. Android Police states that the new 4K Nest camera may only include the human detection feature for free with the camera.

In 2017 there are many manufacturers offering Wi-Fi enabled security cameras, whereas when Nest first established the business these were much less commonplace. The upcoming 4K camera is reportedly designed to boost Nest’s product portfolio and is likely to encourage other manufacturers to launch their own similar solutions. The camera could also give the company room to grow by introducing a weatherproof version at some point in the future.

SOURCE [Android Police]