aosu's solar security cameras launch in Australia at Officeworks from $167
New security brand aosu has launched wire-free solar cameras and a video doorbell at Officeworks, with launch prices from $167 and no subscription.
By Laurence Deer
Image: aosu.
Home security brand aosu (you say it “ow-sue”) has launched in Australia today, 12 November. Its range of solar-powered, wire-free cameras and a video doorbell is sold only at Officeworks, in stores and online. To mark the launch, most of the cameras are on Black Friday prices.
The range and prices
aosu’s Black Friday prices, with its RRPs:
- SolarCam D1 Classic 3K Kit, two cameras and aosuBase 2 hub: $347 (RRP $499)
- SolarCam D1 Classic 3K Kit, four cameras and hub: $627 (RRP $899)
- SolarCam D1 Max 4K, single camera: $167 (RRP $249)
- SolarCam T2 Pro, single dual-lens camera: $347 (RRP $499)
- SolarCam T2 Ultra, single camera: $327 (RRP $479)
- Video Doorbell R1 Ultra: $269, not discounted
- Indoor 4MP Camera: $129
aosu says the outdoor cameras pan, tilt and follow people around the yard, and that the kit’s hub stitches clips from several cameras into one timeline. Footage is stored locally: 32GB in the hub, expandable to 1TB, with no monthly fee. Every camera works with Alexa and Google Home, aosu says.
Our take
No subscription is the main reason to look. Plenty of rivals keep smart alerts or long video history behind a monthly plan. aosu’s AU site says the hub keeps recordings for up to two months for free. Over a few years, that’s worth more than the launch discount.
The two-camera kit is good value on paper, but not the cheapest way in. $347 gets you two solar cameras that move to follow people, plus the hub. The Connect SmartHome 2K solar twin pack, our budget pick in the outdoor security camera guide, was $199.95 at Amazon on 12 November. Its cameras are fixed and record to a microSD card you buy separately. The EZVIZ HB90f we covered last month has three lenses on one camera and costs $669.95 at Harvey Norman. aosu sits in between.
The D1 Max 4K at $167 is the price that stands out. A 4K solar camera that pans to follow movement, with a 400-lumen spotlight and a siren, for less than many fixed battery cameras. The Reolink Argus 3 Pro, for comparison, was $169.99 at Amazon on 12 November. The release doesn’t say where a standalone D1 Max stores footage without the hub, so check the box or ask Officeworks before you buy.
The doorbell isn’t discounted, and it has to compete. At $269, the R1 Ultra costs more than the TP-Link Tapo 2K doorbell with hub ($229 at JB Hi-Fi on 8 November), one of the picks in our doorbell camera guide.
This is a new brand here, so weigh the unknowns. There are no Australian owner reviews yet, and aosu’s AU site lists a 365-day warranty. Many rivals offer the same, but it’s shorter than you’d want on a camera that lives outside all year. Claims like “no blind spots” and fewer false alerts from the radar are aosu’s. We haven’t used any of these cameras.
Why it matters right now
Summer is when a solar camera works best, and it’s when many of us leave the house empty for a week or two. A camera that charges itself means one less thing to do before you go. Two caveats: solar only helps where a camera gets decent sun, and every camera here needs a steady Wi-Fi signal where you mount it. aosu says the hub boosts range up to 300m in ideal conditions.
Black Friday is on 27 November, and security cameras from the big brands usually get discounted then too. Our deals page tracks the cameras we cover.
Who should buy and who should wait
- Buy the D1 Max 4K if you want one tracking camera over a driveway and $167 is your budget. Confirm how it records first.
- Look at the two-camera kit if you want several cameras on one timeline with no fees.
- Wait if you’d rather see owner reviews build up, or want to compare with eufy, Arlo and Ring on Black Friday.
- Renters should get the landlord’s OK before drilling. aosu suggests this too.