Nest Cam Works Around the Clock

In a recent teardown report, ABI Research, a leader in technology market research, unveils a major finding in determining that the popular Nest Cam security camera fails to properly power down.

Read ABI Research’s Teardown Phone/Device: Nest Cam Works Around the Clock.

“When a device goes to power down mode, you expect the current drain to drop quite a bit,” says Jim Mielke, Vice President of Teardowns at ABI Research. “In this case, the current drain only changed slightly when given the turn off command, reducing from 370mA to 340mA. Typically a shutdown or standby mode would reduce current by as much as 10 to 100 times. This means that even when a consumer thinks that he or she is successfully turning off this camera, the device is still running, which could potentially unleash a tidal wave of privacy concerns.”

In a set of conducted tests, ABI Research’s teardown team was able to determine that the camera’s LED power did turn off when users enact the power down command, which accounts for the slight current drain reduction. However, the device itself is still on and running.

“It appears Nest Cam is working around the clock,” concludes Mielke.

Source: ABI Research

These findings are part of ABI Research’s Teardown Service, which includes research reports, market data, insights and competitive assessments.

About ABI Research

For more than 25 years, ABI Research has stood at the forefront of technology market intelligence, partnering with innovative business leaders to implement informed, transformative technology decisions. The company employs a global team of senior analysts to provide comprehensive research and consulting services through deep quantitative forecasts, qualitative analyses and teardown services. An industry pioneer, ABI Research is proactive in its approach, frequently uncovering ground-breaking business cycles ahead of the curve and publishing research 18 to 36 months in advance of other organizations. In all, the company covers more than 60 services, spanning 11 technology sectors. For more information, visit www.abiresearch.com.