Aqara dropped two new products on March 17th that deserve more attention than they’ve been getting. The Camera Hub G350 and the Doorbell Camera G400 aren’t incremental updates, they’re the company’s clearest move yet into the Matter era, and for HomeKit users specifically, they solve a category problem that’s been annoying to navigate for years.
Background for context: Aqara has been making HomeKit-compatible hardware longer than almost any other brand at their price point. Their sensors, hubs, and locks have built a solid reputation in the community: reliable, locally-processed where possible, and not subscription-dependent. The new camera and doorbell extend that reputation into a space where the options for HomeKit Secure Video have historically been limited: indoor cameras and wired doorbells.
Let’s break down what these actually are.
The Camera Hub G350: Aqara’s First Matter-Certified Camera
Aqara Camera Hub G350
The G350 is a 4K indoor camera with a dual-lens setup: a 4K wide-angle and a 2.5K telephoto that gives you up to 9x hybrid zoom. Pan-and-tilt is motorized with 360° rotation, and the AI tracking actually follows people and pets rather than swinging toward motion and freezing. These specs would have cost twice as much two years ago.
The thing that separates this from most competitors is the Matter 1.5 certification. This is Aqara’s first Matter-certified camera. Not bridged through their hub, not a workaround. Native Matter. That matters (sorry) because it means the device communicates directly over your local IP network without routing through Aqara’s cloud. Matter cameras support low-latency live streaming to any compatible app. You get unified control across HomeKit, Alexa, Google Home, and SmartThings through a single device.
HomeKit Secure Video is supported. That means end-to-end encrypted video storage in iCloud, facial recognition through Apple’s on-device processing, and activity notifications that your Apple devices handle locally. Apple cannot see your video. Aqara cannot see your video. In a world where every other camera company has had a data breach, a privacy policy change, or both, that’s worth something.
Local storage goes up to 512GB via microSD card, with NAS backup support. If you don’t want iCloud, you don’t have to use it. The camera itself functions as a Zigbee hub, which is useful if you’re building out Aqara sensors alongside it, motion sensors, door sensors, the FP2S presence detector, they all connect directly without needing a separate hub.
Price: $140
Works with: Apple HomeKit (HKSV), Alexa, Google Home, SmartThings (Matter 1.5)
Storage: microSD up to 512GB, NAS, iCloud (HKSV)
Best for: HomeKit users who want a capable indoor camera with genuine local control options
The Doorbell Camera G400: Wired, Clean, and Actually Competitive
Aqara Doorbell Camera G400
The doorbell category for HomeKit users has been a frustrating space. Ring works with HomeKit via the Apple Home app, but Ring is Amazon, and Amazon’s data practices are their own chapter. Google Nest Hello works too, but it’s Google, and 2026 has not been a kind year for Google Home credibility. The Arlo Video Doorbell works but has subscription pressure. The Eufy options are good on paper but Eufy had their own cloud storage scandal that made privacy-first buyers nervous.
The G400 comes in as a clean alternative. It’s a wired doorbell (existing doorbell wiring or Power over Ethernet) with 2K resolution and a 165-degree ultra-wide field of view in a 3:4 vertical aspect ratio that captures visitors from head to toe and packages on the porch at the same time. That vertical orientation matters more than people realize. Use a wide-aspect doorbell and you’ll cut off the package thief’s feet in the frame.
Wi-Fi 6 support (both 2.4 and 5GHz bands) means it connects over the faster band if your router supports it. PoE is available if you want a wired network connection rather than Wi-Fi, useful if your front door is on the edge of your router’s range or if you just want the stability of a cable. HomeKit Secure Video support brings the same encrypted iCloud storage and Apple-side processing as the G350 camera.
Local detection runs on-device. The 24/7 recording option means the G400 can write continuously to local storage without requiring a subscription or cloud account of any kind. That’s the core of what makes this interesting, you can run a complete front-door setup with motion alerts, package detection, two-way audio, and permanent recording without paying anyone a monthly fee and without your footage sitting on someone else’s server.
Price: $100
Works with: Apple HomeKit (HKSV), Alexa, Google Home, SmartThings
Power: Existing doorbell wiring or PoE
Recording: Local 24/7 with no subscription required
Best for: HomeKit users replacing or first-installing a wired doorbell who want privacy and zero monthly fees
Why This Combination Works Well Together
The G350 and G400 together at $240 cover your indoor monitoring and front door in a single ecosystem, with a single app as backup (Aqara’s), native HomeKit Secure Video support on both, and no subscription requirement for either. If you’re already running Aqara sensors elsewhere in your house, the G350 doubling as a Zigbee hub removes a device from your shelf.
For users who have been running HomeKit with a Eufy camera inside and a Ring doorbell at the front door, and dealing with two apps, two ecosystems, and two sets of privacy policies, consolidating to the Aqara pair is worth considering. The $240 is real money, but it’s also a one-time cost with no ongoing fees.
A Note on Matter Cameras in General
The G350 being Matter 1.5 certified is a bigger deal than the product launch coverage suggests. Camera support in Matter has been a slow-moving piece of the standard, the CSA approved Matter’s camera specification, and the G350 is among the first consumer products to implement it properly. In practice: future smart home controllers and apps that support Matter cameras will work with the G350 automatically, without waiting for Aqara to write an integration. The device is forward-compatible in a way that most cameras in 2026 simply aren’t.
This is the kind of thing that sounds like marketing until you’ve owned a smart home device for three years and watched the manufacturer stop supporting it. A Matter device’s fundamental functionality survives company decisions. That matters.
Who Should Buy These
The G350 and G400 are clearly built for HomeKit users who care about privacy, want local storage options, and don’t want to pay monthly. If you’re running Google Home or Alexa as your primary ecosystem, there are comparable options that might integrate more smoothly.
But if your home runs on Apple, iPhone, HomePod mini or Apple TV as a hub, Home app for automations, the Aqara G350 and G400 are the most complete, most privacy-forward, and most future-proofed camera options at their price points right now. The $140 and $100 price tags are accessible. The zero-subscription model is rare. And the Matter certification means the value doesn’t depreciate the first time Aqara runs a business strategy meeting.
