Once you install your trail camera, you can’t help returning and checking it frequently. After several first days, there is not much to be excited. In your next coming back, you even take along your bulky laptop and manage to take the micro SD card out, yet you still have little luck. Such a waste of time! Here I present another comfortable way – purchasing trail cameras that send pictures to your phone.
But how?
Normal game cameras do not support this wonderful feature. Instead, you must invest in a cellular or wifi camera.
Do Not Mistake Cellular Trail Cameras for Wifi Ones!
If you have never used these two trail camera types before, you might think they are the same as people call them the wireless trail camera. The similarity is that both cellular and wireless wifi cameras can work without hooking up a wire. The difference is how they send photos or videos to your phone.
Cellular Trail Cameras
From its name, you can guess that cellular cameras connect and transmit data to your phone using a cellular system, as known as the wireless telecommunication network.
These cameras often have sensitive sensors to detect and capture any significant motions. On being shot, the photo and video will be sent immediately to your text messages or emails.
Pros:
👍 A distance-free connection: In case you register for a large cellular network, you can have your trail camera sent photos to phone internationally. I have installed one cellular trail camera at a forest in Tanzania for one month. Can you believe it? I now receive photos from my home in New York.
👍 Set it and Forget it: No need to spend time and time returning the hunting spots and unmounting the camera to check the results. Sometimes, you might even scare deers away. Cellular trail cameras tell a different story. You will receive photos and videos from home and in your pajamas. Only come back to install, change the battery/SD card or uninstall the camera if necessary.
👍 Flexible storage: With a cellular trail camera linked to your phone, you can receive the result via text message, email or cloud-based site. That way, you can download, save and manage photos/videos sent as wished.
Cons:
❌Cost is the biggest disadvantage: A cellular camera is expensive itself. You must also pay an extra monthly fee for the cellular service. Hence, before purchasing trail cameras that send pictures to your phone, think twice whether you use that camera frequently. Also, weigh between what you expect to get and how much you have to spend.
❌Complex installation: From my experience, most trail cameras take minutes to install. Speaking of cellular trail cameras, you must spend more time and effort.
❌High battery consumption: Think this type of camera as your cell phone. It eats up your battery quickly to storing and sending photos and videos to your phone.
Wireless Wifi Trail Cameras
Instead of registering a costly cellular plan, you can choose wifi trail cameras that send photos to your phone (more specifically to some applications) via wifi network or radio frequency.
Pros:
👍 Free from extra cost: Compared with the cellular cameras, the wifi ones are often cheaper in price. Let alone, wifi is very common today, if you put the camera near your house or some residences, you can get connected almost all the time.
👍 Connect multiple cameras to each other wirelessly: While cellular cameras require separate cell plans, different wireless wifi trail cameras can use the same wifi network. It means you can send photos and videos from one to another and back to your device.
Cons:
❌Unstable connection: Wifi hardly transmits far. Hence, if you mounted your camera in the deep forest, you might receive nothing. Moreover, the tough weather and difficult landscapes affect connectivity significantly.
❌Eat up battery quickly: Both cellular and wifi trail cameras drain the battery quickly, but the wifi cameras make it even more quickly.
I recommend the wifi trail camera for short-range situations, for example, home security. You can connect the camera with your wifi all the way and keep a tight eye on your back door.
3 Best Wireless Trail Cameras Linked To Phone
Actually, I reviewed on best wireless trail cameras turn to 2019, there are both old and new candidates to share about.
Spartan HD GoCam
Cellular trail cameras can take high-resolution pictures and videos as normal cameras, both days and nights – good news. However, most of them can only send photos to your phones, rather than videos. This Spartan HD GoCam is outstanding because it can transmit both to your email or smart devices.
The feature list:
- Support AT&T sim card
- 2” external viewing screen
- 8 MP photos and 720P HD videos
- Red glow infrared LED flash to capture up to 70’ range
HCO SG580M IR Wireless Camera
Despite being introduced several years ago, this trail camera still a good choice in a budget to link and send photos to your phone. The picture quality is acceptable at 5 megapixels even at night thanks to its no-glow flash. What I like the most is its ultra-good battery, especially under standby mode. Not to mention, the external battery can connect to 6 volts sources. Features are not so fantastic but enough:
- Resolution: 5MP image and 640×480 of video resolution
- Triggered speed: 1.5s
- Multi-zone of PIR lens to increase sensitivity
- Send photos or files via the cellular network
- Built-in color display to support colored and precise photos
- Low standby power consumption
4G Cellular Trail Camera Snyper
The last in the list of trail cameras that send pictures to your phone I recommend today is provided by Snyper. This camera has a high resolution so that you can ensure the quality of captured photos and videos. It is sensitive enough to detect and shoot medium sized animals. Since this camera supports 4G LTE data speed, photos are sent to your phone quickly. The battery has a high capacity of 12 lithium AA batteries, along with an external 12-volt jack.
A snapshot of highlight features:
- Photo resolution: 12MP and no flash
- Triggered speed: 0.4s
- 4GLTE network to send any photo through Free Snyper APP
- Advanced security: APP GSP
Last Verdict
Cellular vs. Wifi – which is the better wireless trail cameras that send pictures to your phone?
It depends on your purposes of using the trail cameras: hunting, home security, castle observing, or wildlife discovery. You might also consider which way you prefer to receive photos and videos.
Whether it is a cellular or wireless wifi trail camera, you should never jump into purchasing without considering my recommendations as above.
