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With a line of home-centric devices like the iconic Echo speaker and Fire TV, it was only a matter of time until tech giant Amazon dipped a toe into home security. Turns out that Seattle’s tech giant has bypassed the toe dip and dove right in with the release of the Amazon Cloud Cam, an indoor security camera available Wednesday. We had a chance to test out an early review unit to see if its night vision, two-way audio, and smart motion detection can stack up to more expensive cams.

At $119, the Cloud Cam directly competes with the likes of the $199 Nest Indoor Cam in the increasingly crowded smart security camera market. It can stand alone as a camera, or you can spend an extra $20 on a version that works with Amazon’s new Amazon Key service, through which Amazon delivery drivers can deliver packages inside your house. Amazon hasn’t opened the Key system for testing just yet (truth be told, some of us are a bit afraid to), nor can you buy one just yet,  but you can purchase a Cloud Cam now, then integrate it with Amazon’s Key service later if you purchase this replacement power cable, which Amazon says is the only difference between the $120 stand-alone Cloud Cam, and the Cloud Cam that comes as part of the Key bundle.

OUT OF THE BOX

As with all Amazon gadgets, the Cloud Cam arrives in efficient, hassle-free packaging. In the box you’ll find the Cloud Cam itself, a USB wall adapter, nine-foot USB power cable, a mounting plate, and wall-mount hardware.

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Everything in the box feels especially well made, right down to the USB power cord, which is stout and outfitted with a 90-degree micro-USB connector to ease any strain on the Cloud Cam’s power port. The Cloud Cam itself is lightweight, but feels solidly constructed, thanks in part to a strong and nimble ball joint which affords flexible camera placement and a generous amount of pivot and tilt for the perfect aimAmazon’s Cloud Cam captures a wide 120-degree view with a sensor that records 1080p resolution at 30 frames per second. For the overwhelming majority of our testing, the Cloud Cam delivered pristine video – but it depends on conditions. In our testing studio with ample daylight and office lights blazing, the video quality was excellent. But do how often do burglars barge into fully fluorescent-lit rooms? At dusk with only a few lamps on, the Cloud Cam’s frame rate and resolution dropped, resulting in somewhat blurry images when people moved quickly across the room. In total darkness, night vision delivered surprisingly crisp results, with faces and patterns on clothing clearly distinguishable. We wish this mode kicked in at slightly less dim levels.

Audio

The Amazon Cloud Cam offers two-way audio, meaning it not only records, it lets you speak to people on-camera from afar using the app. We spooked one of our kids as we caught him in the act of trying to sneak too much Halloween candy — you can only imagine how surprised he was to hear a voice of warning. Of course, Amazon probably has more conventional scenarios in mind, like talking to an Amazon delivery driver as they enter the home to drop a package (“Please don’t let the cat out!”).

The Cloud Cam’s microphone is surprisingly sensitive, and picked up raised voices from across our small home while delivering crystal clear audio for even low-level in-room conversations. Its speaker isn’t nearly as advanced, but it’s fun to use.

PAY TO PLAY

Out of the box, the Cloud Cam stores up to 24 hours of footage, but you’ll need to subscribe to a premium tier to unlock more storage and a number of vital functions. Basic, Extended and Pro plans boost your storage to 7, 14, and 30 days, for $7, $10 and $20 a month, respectively. They also unlock some important features, like person detection to cut down on unwanted alerts from pets, zones for blocking out motion triggers like a car driving by an open window, and perhaps most importantly, the ability to download videos.

ALEXA VOICE CONTROL

As an Amazon device, the Cloud Cam can be controlled by Alexa. In this case, that means the video feed captured by the Cloud Cam can be fed to a TV via an Amazon Fire TV, or directly to a Fire Tablet, Echo Show, or Echo Spot. Simply say, “Alexa, show me Living Room (or Bedroom, or Kids room)” and the live feed from a given Cloud Cam will appear almost instantly. You can do this using the remote for a Fire TV, or any number of Echo devices, so long as there’s a Fire TV connected to a television in your home.

OVERALL PERFORMANCE

While we wish downloadable video clips were available for non-subscribing Cloud Cam owners, that is our singular complaint. The Cloud Cam performed almost flawlessly during our evaluation, providing crisp video, two-way audio communication, highly customizable settings, and a fun user experience. Though video quality faltered in that awkward region between low-light and darkness, this is par for the course with security cameras, and doesn’t affect our opinion of the device, or our score.

WARRANTY INFORMATION

A one-year limited warranty and service are included. Optional one-year, two-year, and three-year extended warranties are sold separately (only to U.S. customers) for $12, $15, and $18, respectively.