If there is one constant in the world of smart home security, it’s the friction between wanting top-tier features and dreading the monthly subscription fees that usually accompany them. Xthings, the company behind brands like ULTRALOQ and Anviz, is looking to ease that tension with its latest announcement. The company has officially unveiled the Ulticam IQ V2, a 4K UHD Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) camera that leans heavily on Google’s Gemini AI and the newly minted Matter 1.5 standard to future-proof your front porch.
The Brains: Gemini Meets Edge AI
The headline feature here is the integration of intelligence—both locally on the device and in the cloud. The Ulticam IQ V2 utilizes Edge AI for immediate, on-device detection. This allows the camera to distinguish between persons, vehicles, pets (specifically cats and dogs), and packages without needing to ping a server first. It can even detect the sound of crying or alert users to fire and smoke alarms.
However, Xthings is pairing that local processing with Google Gemini on Google Cloud for what they call “advanced scene understanding”. Instead of scrolling through a timeline of thumbnail images trying to guess what happened, users can utilize natural-language history search. You can theoretically ask the system, “Show me when the delivery driver came yesterday” or “Find clips of a red car at the driveway,” and the AI retrieves the relevant footage. It also promises “incident-playback,” which stitches related clips into a single narrative sequence rather than leaving you with disjointed video fragments.
Matter 1.5 and Connectivity
For the smart home enthusiasts who cringe at the phrase “ecosystem lock-in,” the Ulticam IQ V2 offers some relief. Raj Sundar, Sr. Director of Product Management at Xthings, notes that with the release of Matter 1.5, “cameras can now speak the universal smart home language”.
The camera supports ONVIF Profile T and is designed to work across nearly all smart-home ecosystems. Connectivity is flexible; it is billed as the first PoE camera to combine wired and wireless options with this level of AI. It supports RJ45 PoE, Wi-Fi (2.4GHz), and BLE 5.0, with an optional LTE fallback for those moments when your ISP decides to take a nap.
Hardware and Optics
On the hardware side, the device is built to handle the elements. It features weather resistance ranging from -4°F to 122°F (-20°C to +50°C), making it suitable for both indoor and outdoor installation. It captures video in 4K UHD (3840×2160) with HDR and enhanced low-light capabilities.
The camera covers a wide area with a 160-degree diagonal field of view and includes infrared night vision effective up to 10 meters. For those who prefer a proactive approach to security—or just enjoy startling the neighbor’s cat—it includes two-way audio, an integrated siren, and a spotlight for deterrence.
Storage Without the Subscription Fatigue
Perhaps the most consumer-friendly aspect of the Ulticam IQ V2 is its approach to storage. Xthings is offering lifetime free rolling 7-day cloud storage. In an era where most companies hold your footage ransom for a monthly fee, this is a welcome inclusion.
For those who prefer to keep their data physically close, the camera supports local SD card backup up to 512 GB. However, potential buyers should note a hardware change from previous generations: the IQ V2 models no longer include built-in eMMC storage, so you will need to supply your own SD card for local redundancy.
Pricing and Availability
The Ulticam IQ V2 is scheduled to hit the market at the end of December 2025. It will be available for purchase on the official Ulticam website and Amazon, with prices starting at $199.
