The Reolink Altas PT Ultra makes smart home security cameras smarter — and more secure

"We think smart security is for everybody," Fabrice Klohoun, Marketing Communication Director at Reolink, tells Laptop Mag .

I spoke with Klohoun just before Reolink's keynote presentation at IFA Berlin on September 6, when it launched its latest, and most powerful, smart home security camera, the Altas PT Ultra.

The sleek white camera was front-and-center at the Reolink booth with multiple trophies displayed alongside it, including a Laptop Laurels award for best smart home debut at IFA Berlin 2024 .

The Altas PT Ultra has the basic features you'd expect from a smart home security camera, but it takes things a step further in a few critical ways that make it stand out from the crowd. Those features include Reolink's ColorX night vision, a robust mobile app, continuous recording, and completely private local storage for the Altas's 4K video footage.

This powerful set of features, along with Reolink's unique approach to video storage and security, has earned the Altas PT Ultra Laptop Mag 's best smart home debut award at IFA Berlin 2024.

How Reolink is making smart home security cameras smarter — and more secure

Local storage, rather than cloud storage, was one of the first features of the Altas PT Ultra that caught my attention. Unlike most other smart home security cameras, Reolink doesn't require any monthly subscription for cloud storage.

All of the Altas PT Ultra's footage is stored locally on an SD card within the camera. Users have complete control over their camera and its footage, which is completely inaccessible to Reolink.

So, if you've heard the unnerving stories about smart home cameras getting hacked and you're concerned about your security camera footage remaining private, Reolink's data strategy could be the perfect solution. You can even password-protect the SD card you install within your camera.

Plus, you won't have to worry about renewing a pricey monthly subscription fee to maintain access to your stored footage. For Reolink, the decision to opt for local over cloud storage was about user convenience.

Klohoun explained, "We've always listened to our users and we know a lot of people are interested in having flexibility, in storing their footage locally instead of having it in the cloud because it's easier for them to access it whenever they want it and view that footage, stream it even."

Reolink's software plays a major role here. The company's app allows you to view a live feed from the Altas PT Ultra, control the camera, adjust video settings, and even talk through the camera. The app will also give you notifications whenever movement is detected. The Altas PT Ultra can track people, pets, and objects and you can set it up to alert you only for certain types of movement.

If the camera is recording at night or in a dark room, Reolink's ColorX night vision allows you to view it as if the space is in normal daylight. That's right — no black-and-white or dim green-tinted night footage. The Altas PT Ultra's night vision is in full color. That could be a lifesaver if you get a security notification at night or just want to keep an eye on your dog when you let it outside after dark.

You can install the Altas PT Ultra wherever you want since it's battery-powered. A single charge can provide 12 hours of continuous recording per day for up to 8 days, but you can also connect the camera to one of Reolink's solar panels to recharge the batteries autonomously.

The Reolink Altas PT Ultra puts users first with private local storage, next-gen night vision, a robust app, and communication features that make this smart home security camera about more than just security. Whether you want to keep an eye on your kids or elderly relatives, want an extra set of eyes on the backyard, or want to keep your home safe indoors and out, the Altas PT Ultra is up to the task.

Laptop Mag 's IFA Berlin 2024 Issue celebrates one of the world's longest-running consumer tech expos, Germany's own Internationale FunkAusstellung Berlin.

Our on-the-ground team will bring you all the news emerging from the showroom floor of Messe Berlin and highlight the best in consumer tech as we announce our inaugural Laptop Laurel winners for best-in-show products.

Head over to Laptop Mag 's IFA Berlin 2024 Issue for more coverage.