Eufy 4G LTE Starlight in the test: LTE surveillance camera with battery and solar module The 4G LTE Starlight with 2K HD resolution offers a GPS receiver, colored night vision and, thanks to the solar panel and battery, works almost completely self-sufficient in terms of energy. 4:00 p.m. tech stage

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Brian Adam
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eufy 4g lte starlight in the test lte surveillance camera.jpeg
eufy 4g lte starlight in the test lte surveillance camera.jpeg

Eufy launches its first LTE surveillance camera, the 4G LTE Starlight. It offers a resolution of 2560 × 1440 pixels, a GPS receiver, colored night vision and, thanks to the solar panel and battery, works almost completely self-sufficient in terms of energy.

The market of LTE surveillance cameras (best list) is limited to solutions from just a few well-known providers such as Arlo, Hikvision and Reolink. Recently, 7Links (Pearl) and Annke have also launched LTE variants. With the recently introduced 4G Starlight, the Anker subsidiary Eufy is now also involved. It has a rechargeable battery that can be powered by an optionally available solar module . This means that the 4G LTE Starlight works almost completely self-sufficient in terms of energy under favorable conditions with only a few hours of sunshine per day . And a free Nano SIM cardwith 100 MB data volume, which expires after seven days, is also included. It also offers colored night vision thanks to the integrated LED spotlight . The feature is now de rigueur in the industry. There are more and more surveillance cameras with integrated lighting (guide) . They range from spotlight cams like the Eufy Solocam S40 (test report) to LED outdoor lights with a camera like the Ezviz LC3 (test report) to so-called floodlight cams . The latter have a strong luminosity of up to 3000 lumens. What they all have in common is that they use the lighting to create a provide colored night vision . The image is also clearer, making it easier to identify uninvited guests. They therefore offer a higher level of safety than models without lamps .

The camera saves videos with 128-bit encryption on the 7.3 GB memory integrated in the device . When storage space is full, the oldest videos are deleted first to make room for new ones. A NAS and the cloud storage offered by Eufy are not available as storage options for videos. Unlike the Video Doorbell Dual (test report) and Eufycam 2 (test report) , the 4G LTE Starlight is currently not compatible with a Eufy base station, so it cannot use the storage space built into it.

The 4G LTE Starlight (T8151) weighs 467 grams and measures 11.5 × 7 × 6.6 cm, is weatherproof according to IP67 and, according to the manufacturer, can be used in temperatures between -20 and 50 degrees Celsius.

The scope of delivery includes a bracket including screws for attachment. The brief instructions, which are also available in German, contain the most important information on commissioning and assembly.

As with other Eufy surveillance cameras, the commissioning of the 4G LTE Starlight is basically simple , but requires a user account . To do this, you need to provide an email address and set up a password. The email that follows contains a confirmation link that completes the registration. If you haven’t received the email, it’s worth checking the spam folder. That’s where she ended up with us.

To install the surveillance camera after registering and logging in to the Eufy app, users tap the plus sign on the start page as the device 4G Starlight Camera and select the environment (Home) under which the camera should be sorted. An installation wizard accompanies the individual steps. Now you have to insert an activated nano-SIM card without a PIN into the corresponding slot, which is located behind a rubber cover on the back of the camera. Now you scan the QR code on the bottom of the camera and then press the sync button, which is located on the top in the rear area of ​​the camera. After a short beep, tap Next. Now the connection is established and then the camera is ready for use. In the test with a Nano-SIM from Drillisch, it worked perfectly.

Commissioning is also successful with the supplied nano-SIM from Eiotclub . If you want to continue using the card after you have used up the data volume, which is not exactly generous at 100 MB, you have to top it up beforehand at https://sim.eiotclub.com/1 . You can choose between data plans for 30 days and 2 GB volume for 10 dollars, 12 GB for 180 days for 60 dollars and 24 GB for one year for 1000 dollars. But there are also cheaper tariffs, such as those you can find in our Tariff theme world . For example, the Drillisch brand handyvertrag.de currently offers 4 GB with a maximum of 50 MBit/s for a monthly fee of 5 euros .

According to Eufy, the data volume with 10 live streams and 25 motion recordings per day, each lasting 10 seconds per month, is around 500 MB. However, if you watch the live stream more often, you will quickly get several gigabytes of data volume.

Eufy 4G LTE Starlight: For GDPR-compliant operation, the Eufy Starlight 4G LTE offers privacy zones that allow users to black out parts of the field of view. 

Eufy also offers a solar module for just under 50 euros , which can charge the 13,000 mAh battery of the 4G LTE Starlight with up to 2.5 watts of power when the sun is shining . Without a solar module, the battery should guarantee operation of the camera for up to three months. Of course, the running time depends on various variables such as temperature, number of videos recorded and duration of the live stream. In any case, a few hours of sunshine a day are enough to keep the battery capacity constant. In the test, as with other Eufy surveillance cameras such as the Solocam S40 (test report)works fine. Since Eufy has so far only offered one solar module that has a micro-USB connector, the 4G LTE Starlight comes with a corresponding adapter so that the solar panel can be connected to the USB-C input of the camera. An additional rubber adapter protects against the ingress of moisture when it rains.

The camera settings can be reached in the standard view via the three-point menu and the gear symbol. The camera name including cell phone and battery status are displayed on the start page of the configuration settings . If the optionally available solar module is connected to the camera, this is marked with a corresponding symbol next to the battery and cell phone status. Below that are tiles for configuring night vision , motion detection, theft detection, and power manager. Under Location is the location of the camera, which has an integrated GPS module is detected. The location determination takes a little time, but can be switched to real-time together with theft detection. However, this increases the data volume and puts a greater strain on the battery.

The camera can be deactivated with the switch next to the camera name. Video, audio, notifications, general, device sharing and feedback follow as further menu entries . Below are buttons to restart or remove the camera.

Eufy 4G LTE Starlight: color night vision.  

Under Starlight night vision , users configure how the camera should behave when recording at night. By default, B&W night vision is preset. The color night vision option ensures that the camera automatically switches on the LED headlight. Its lighting ensures that the cameras record videos in color even in the dark. If you generally do not want night vision, you can also completely deactivate the function.

In the Motion Detection section , users can turn this feature on and off and set the camera ‘s activity area. Video recording only starts when the camera registers movement within this area. In addition, under Sensitivity you can set in seven levels how sensitively the pyroelectric sensors (PIR) of the camera should react. The motion test mode option allows users to test the specified settings in practice. The camera flashes red and beeps when motion is detected.

Compared to the Eufy Cam 2 Pro, the 4G LTE Starlight is slightly larger. 

To avoid false alarms , users should limit the detection type to humans. In the test, the 4G LTE Starlight managed this perfectly and alarmed people, but not pets (cats), for example. However, that did not surprise us. After all, other Eufy cameras also offer this feature and have worked accordingly well in our tests.

In the video settings , users can turn on/off the watermark , set streaming quality (Auto, High, Medium, Low) and recording quality . For the latter, the options are 2K HD (2560 × 1440 pixels) and Full HD (1920 × 1080 pixels)to choose from, the first being done with HEVC alias H2.65, while the latter are recorded with the not so data-efficient codec H.264. However, if you record videos manually in the live stream, you will get the full resolution with HEVC codec with the High streaming setting, Medium records videos with Full HD and H.264, while the Low setting produces recordings with 1280 × 720 and HEVC. The frame rate is 15 fps regardless of the selected resolution.

As with the Eufy Cam 2 Pro (review) , there is also a Privacy Zone option under Video Settings . This allows users to specify areas that will be blacked out during recording. Data protection-compliant operation of the camera is therefore ensured.

Users can configure the volume of the siren or loudspeaker in the audio settings . There you can also set whether audio is also recorded during video recording or whether you want to use the microphone or not.

And as usual with Eufy, users can share control of the camera with other people. To do this, they must install the Eufy app and register.

Like other Eufy cameras, the 4G LTE Starlight also convinces with good video quality . The images offer a balanced color display and are rich in detail. With the lighting switched on , it also records videos in color at night, with the 120° field of view being evenly illuminated. Compared to other Eufy cameras, which offer a 2K resolution of 2304 × 1296 pixels, Eufy has increased the resolution of the Starlight 4G LTE to 2560 × 1440 pixels. The integrated digital zoom still delivers good results up to 4-5x magnification (see also picture gallery).

The siren is very loud at up to 100 dB and the integrated intercom function works perfectly. As usual with Eufy cameras, users only receive notifications via a push function, which immediately signals motion alarms. However, it does not send warning messages via e-mail.

The mobile connection was stable at all times . As usual with Eufy cameras, the live stream of the 4G LTE Starlight appears on the display with almost no delay.

Thanks to an intuitive user interface , most users should quickly find their way around the Eufy app, enabling them to control the 4G LTE Starlight efficiently. The daily safety report is very practical and clearly lists the most important data on all Eufy cameras used or on individual models. Unlike the Eufy Floodlight Cam (test report) , the 4G LTE Starlight does not support geofencing.

The Eufy 4G LTE Starlight is compatible with the voice assistants Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. In combination with a smart display (adviser) , you can view the camera live stream on a compatible device such as Nest Hub or Echo Show. Unlike the app, however, it takes a few seconds in the test for the live stream from the Eufy camera to appear on the Echo Show 8 . Even with Google Nest Hub you have to wait a few seconds until the camera image appears on the smart display. We already know this behavior from other Eufy cameras.

Unfortunately, Eufy cameras do not offer integration options for other smart home systems such as Aqara (guide) , Bosch (test report) , Elesion (guide) , Homekit (guide) , Homey Pro (test) , Tuya (guide) or Smartthings (test report) . After all, it is compatible with Homey Pro (test report) thanks to a community app . The camera also does not support the Open Network Video Interface (ONVIF) standard.

It takes a few seconds for the live stream to appear on the Echo Show 8. 

The 4G LTE Starlight is similar to the Eufycam 2 (test report) , but is slightly larger. Like other Eufy cameras, it leaves an excellent impression both visually and haptically. It normally costs just under 250 euros and in a bundle with the solar panel Eufy charges 310 euros. It is cheaper from some dealers who offer the 4G LTE Starlight from 236 euros.

If you are looking for an LTE camera, the Eufy 4G LTE Starlight is an all-round successful product. Push messages about detected movements reach the addressee immediately . The loud siren should reliably deter many uninvited guests. The stable mobile phone connection and the quick activation of the live stream are further plus points. The video quality is also convincing with a resolution of up to 2560 × 1440 pixels. Only models from Reolink (test report) and Annke can keep up.

We didn’t like the integration options into common smart home systems. A circumstance that unfortunately applies to many surveillance cameras. Although the Eufy 4G LTE Starlight supports the digital voice assistants from Google and Amazon, the camera cannot be combined with other smart home solutions apart from Homey Pro (test report) .

If you are looking for a model with a pan and tilt lens instead of an LTE surveillance camera with a fixed lens, you should take a look at the Reolink Go PT Plus (test report) . TechStage readers can find more information on the subject in the Security Cameras section . General information on selecting a surveillance camera is provided in the article WLAN, cloud, solar: surveillance cameras for indoors and outdoors from 30 euros . In it we explain the most important purchase criteria and present the best surveillance cameras in the various categories with prices between 30 and 500 euros. And in our guide LTE surveillance cameras with microSD & solar panel: Self-sufficient security without electricity & DSLthere is additional information on LTE variants.