I've been waiting for a Matter camera that actually makes sense in a multi-platform smart home. After testing the Aqara Camera Hub G350 for the past month, I think this is the one. It's not just the first Matter v1.5 camera on the market—it's also the kind of thoughtful design that reminds me why I love Aqara products.
Get it on Amazon for around $140.
What Makes It Matter
The headline is clear: this is the world's first Matter v1.5 certified camera. That means if you've got HomeKit, Alexa, or Google Home, the G350 works with all of them using a single Matter connection. In practice, though, there's a caveat. Right now, full Matter 1.5 functionality only works completely with SmartThings. Other platforms rely on direct integration while Matter support matures. Still, that's way better than dealing with separate apps for every platform.
Beyond Matter, the G350 pulls triple duty as a Zigbee hub and Matter Controller, plus it functions as a Thread border router. If you're mixing different smart home protocols (and most of us are), having all three in one device is genuinely useful. I set mine up on a bookshelf in my living room, and it immediately strengthened my Zigbee mesh.
The Camera Hardware
Aqara went with a dual-lens setup here. The main sensor is 4K wide-angle, while the second lens delivers 2.5K with a telephoto view. You get nine times hybrid zoom, which means you can actually read details on packages left at your front door without needing separate cameras everywhere. The pan-tilt base covers a full 360 degrees, so you've got serious coverage.
The hardware feels solid. The aluminum construction doesn't feel cheap, and the camera rotates smoothly. One detail I appreciate: there's a physical lens shield that slides over both cameras. It's an actual privacy shutter, not just a software toggle. That matters to me—no cloud service, no "oops, we got hacked," just a physical barrier when I want one.
AI Tracking That Actually Works
The person and pet tracking is impressive. I tested it with my dog moving around the backyard, and the G350 followed smoothly without the jitter you sometimes get with budget tracking cameras. The AI runs locally, so there's no reliance on cloud processing for basic detection. Smart, given Aqara's focus on privacy.
You can set up detection zones, which is crucial if your backyard backs onto a busy street. The last thing you need is constant alerts because a neighbor's cat keeps triggering notifications. The zone configuration is straightforward in the app—just draw rectangles on the camera feed where you actually care about motion.
HomeKit Limitations to Know About
Here's the thing: if HomeKit Secure Video is your goal, you're capped at 1080p recording. That's the HomeKit limitation, not the camera's fault, but it's worth knowing. The full 4K dual-lens capability shines when you're using the camera with SmartThings or accessing it directly through the Aqara app. For HomeKit-only users, the specs get cut back.
That said, 1080p is still plenty for facial recognition and identifying whether a package is sitting on your porch. If you want the 4K experience, you'll want to pair it with a platform that takes advantage of both lenses.
Thread and Matter Integration
Thread support is solid. I connected it to my Nanoleaf Essentials thread network, and it became a border router immediately. That expanded my Thread coverage significantly. It's the kind of practical benefit that doesn't make headlines but makes your whole smart home more responsive.
The Matter Controller functionality is useful too. It means the G350 can manage other Matter devices without needing a separate hub running constantly. If you're building a Matter network from scratch, this cuts down on hardware.
Real-World Performance
I pointed it at my front entry, and the motion alerts come through reliably. The dual lenses mean I can keep the wide-angle watching the whole porch while the telephoto captures detail on faces and packages. Night vision activates automatically and produces clean footage—better than some cameras three times the price.
Battery drain on the hub function is minimal since it's plugged in. If you opt for one of the wireless variants (Aqara makes a few different mounting options), power management becomes more relevant, but the standard version I tested stays power-efficient.
The G400 Doorbell Companion
If you're thinking about a full entry system, Aqara's G400 wired doorbell is a natural pair at around $100. It's also Matter-compatible and records in 2K. Together, they create a comprehensive front-door setup that communicates with each other. I tested the pair, and the integration is seamless—you can use the doorbell's presence to trigger the main camera's zoom, for example.
Worth Buying?
The G350 is priced right. At $140, you're getting Matter v1.5 certification, dual lenses, a serious zoom range, and solid AI tracking. The privacy shutter and local AI processing matter if you care about those things, which I do. The hub functions are gravy.
If you're committed to HomeKit only, you'll get good performance but won't fully exploit the dual-lens setup. If you're building a more open smart home platform or running SmartThings, this is genuinely one of the best options out there right now. The Matter support future-proofs it more than most cameras on the market today.
Pick one up on Amazon and you've got yourself a capable, multi-platform camera that handles security, hub duties, and Thread routing. That's a lot of value in a single camera.
