Trail cameras are an inevitable tool for many hunters over years. The benefit of the best wireless trail camera is that you do not need to be physically present or interact with the camera to get the information. We did hours of research and testing before coming up with the list. As per our research, the top one is Spartan HD Go Cam.
Our Top Choice
Product
Editor's Pick
Budget Pick
Name
Spartan HD Go Cam
Browning Defender 850P
Best For
4G Wireless Trail Camera
Budget-friendly Wireless Trail Camera For Security
Pros
Completely water resistant, Can take pictures and record videos, Batteries last for months, Heavy casing to make it durable
Both wi-fi and bluetooth connectivity, Affordable, Great for security
New Feature added to the AT&T GoCam - Video Transmition. Spartan Camera is leading the way with the introduction of the Spartan GoCam GC-A4Gb powered by AT&T.
Ready to Use Out of the Box: Simply activate the service from HCO, use the camera menus to set your desired picture parameters, and your camera is ready to use. No Contract, Pay As You Go: The Spartan GoCam uses an AT&T DataConnect Pass mobile broadband plan 1 . Activate, deactivate, or reactivate the plan at any time without getting a new SIM card.
Security: Pictures can be transmitted with or without AES 256 encryption. For added security, use encryption to transfer your images. GoWireless: The GoCam is compatible with HCO GoWireless web and mobile portal, an ultimate camera and photo management solution.
Spartan Go Cam is a 8 megapixel cellular trail camera that can send audio and video both on your phone. The Spartan GoCam design focuses on durability, usability, and outstanding performance. The best thing about is that it features an under one-second trigger speed. You can get pictures both during the day and at night. The day pictures and videos are clear. The night pictures and videos are decent enough to make out what was happening. The IR LEDs in it provide illumination to about 70 feet to give you clear images. For video recording, it uses the 720P and for clicking pictures it uses the 8MP camera. You can also set the camera to overwrite the oldest photo on the SD card if its full. This feature is handy when you are away from the camera and something amazing comes up.
What else you get, you have the choice to set one or two duty periods with each different trigger interval and time-lapse settings. This way you can set the camera as per your need like you can set a motion trigger period. The sensitivity can be set as per need. We would recommend you to set at 25 seconds per click to get the best shot. The device is ready to use, you just have to activate the service from the HCO and set the cemra menu for desired picture settings and you are good to go. It uses AT&T data to connect pass mobile broadband plan. So, be rest assured your picture would be safe and secure. You get the daily status to get those precious movements of animals.
What else we liked about this box is its excellent water resistance case for outdoor use. It has flush case in both front and rear case halves. The entire unit is designed to make it completely water-resistant. The camera works on 12 AA batteries. These batteries work for months although you need to buy them separately. Last but not the least, you can control the device via your phone with an app.
Things We Like
Completely water resistant
Can take pictures and record videos
Batteries last for months
Heavy casing to make it durable
Things We Don't Like
Night photos lacks sharpness
Bottom Line
A wonderful 4G wireless trail camera that can click pictures and take videos even in day and at night time.
2. Snyper 4GLTE Hunting Product – Best Cellular
No products found.
The Snyper Cellular trail camera is another amazing 4GLTE network hunting camera that can send pictures to any phone network via the free snyper app. The device comes with a sim card so you need not connect to any wi-fi network. You can activate the sim and start using the device immediately. The sim plans are affordable when compared to other competitor devices. The camera in it is yet another feature to look for. It has a 12MP camera and an additional 56 IR LED lights to take pictures at day and night both. The images are clear and the best part is there is no flash even at night. This is a great feature because with the flash at times the animals run away.
Moving on to its trigger speed, it is 0.4 second. We tested and found it can take up to 5 multi-shot images or HD videos. Be rest assured, even at this fast trigger speed none of the photos would be blurry. Additionally, you can also programme the time-lapse mode to capture great photos. Not only this, but the camera also has a wonderful alert system. Thanks to its new APP smart alert system that alerts you to animal pics only. The device also has an advanced GPS locater. At times, when you leave the camera there are slight chances for it to get misplaced due to animal movement near it or somebody might steal it. For such cases, you have to be rest assured that there is a GPS locator that lets you see the camera location on an interactive screen map. If you lost your camera, you can simply open the app and find out where it is.
You do not have to worry about the operation time. It has a solar panel option and 2 internal lithium batteries. The added solar panels keep the camera running you years over years. You can leave it for a month or two near your hunting location and it would be giving you satisfying pictures of the area. Moving on to its body, it has a solid casing from outside. The body is completely waterproof and tamperproof, even the strongest wind or animal push would keep the device intact.
Things We Like
GPS locator
Solar panels for extra long life
Clear picture quality at day and night both
Great 4G signals
Things We Don't Like
You need snyper booster to enhance the signal quality
Bottom Line:
Another yet amazing cellular trail camera with GPS location, night vision, free sim card, and solar panels for long operation time.
3. CREATIVE XP 3G Trail Camera – Best For Hunting
No products found.
If you are looking for the best wireless trail camera for hunting, this can be a good bet. It features a full-HD camera for ultra-clear day and night vision. We tested and found the picture quality is crisp and the video recordings are without any blind spots or haziness. The night HD camera can beyond 65 feet of illumination which is great when compared to other competitive products. You immediately get the pictures on your US mobile phone or email address once clicked. We checked the performance of its motion PIR sensor and found it does not give false alerts. The PIR motion is sensitive to human and animal movement only, it does not capture object movement like moving trees, flying leaves, etc. This way you are always free from false alerts and you end saving a lot of time by not frequently deleting the object pictures.
The Creative XP LTE has the cheapest data plans and comes with a sim card. The device comes ready, you have activated the sim and connect it to your US phone or email and you are good to go. We like the fact that it comes with free 500 photos plan and if you want more photos you need to purchase their data plan which is again affordable. However, the price of this device is higher than other products but it is absolutely worth it for the performance it gives. Other features include a 0.4 second trigger speed which allows you to take 1 to 5 photos per trigger.
For its operation, you need batteries or solar panel. It works on 6AA batteries, the batteries last for one or two months. But if you use a solar panel, you need not worry it will be operating for months over months without any disturbance. Although, you need to buy both the things separately which is an add-on expense. Last but not least, the camera comes with a lifetime warranty. So, in case of any issue, you can contact their team. Nevertheless, till now none of the users have faced a quality issue with this device as it is waterproof, weatherproof, and has a wonderful technology.
Things We Like
Ultra-crisp camera quality
Affordable sim card plans
Works with both batteries and solar panel
Durable
Things We Don't Like
Price is slightly high
Bottom Line:
A high-end wireless trail camera for hunting. It is recommended for its ultra clear picture and video recording quality.
4. Browning Defender 850P – Budget-friendly Camera For Security
Wi-Fi/Bluetooth Compatible via BROWNING TRAIL CAMERAS app
Compact case size: 4.5” x 3.2” x 2.2”
The Browning Defender is one of the best wireless trail camera for security. It has everything to keep your house/office safe from intruders. This can be your best surveillance bet. We found it amazing for the price it comes in, none of the brands have given so many features for this price. Browning Defender 850 is a non-cellular wireless camera. You can connect it to any device running on the Borwining app using bluetooth. The bluetooth connection is possible only to about 30 feet and the wi-fi connection is possible only to up to 60 feet. As this is not a cellular wireless camera device, you do not have to pair the camera with your phone always. Just connect it to any Wi-Fi or Bluetooth device in the recommended range and you are good to go.
The device has 20MP camera and thus can take 1080P HD videos/photos. The device get s triggered to click pictures in two ways. First is the motion sensor, as soon as detects a motion in its area it is triggered to take a picture. Second is via temperature, as soon as the camera detects variance in temperature it clicks pictures. So, it has an upper hand when it comes two trigger ways. As it does not need any mobile network connection so you can fix it outside your house and keep an eye on your house remotely.
The camera works on 4 AA batteries. You need to open the casing and pull out the tray for inserting or removing the batteries. The batteries are known to work for good one or two months. Last but not the least, as this camera is designed for outdoor use so it is completely water-resistant and weather-resistant.
Things We Like
Both wi-fi and bluetooth connectivity
Affordable
Great for security
Things We Don't Like
Not meant for hunting
Bottom Line:
Another budget-friendly best wireless train camera for your home/office securtiy and remote surveillance.
DEPENDABLE PERFORMANCE: In a compact, user-friendly package, the Covert WC Series LTE Cellular (AT&T) Trail Camera boasts a blazing-fast .4-second trigger speed and a whopping 100' flash and detection range, ensuring you never miss a shot.
PREMIUM RESOLUTION: 1-10 turbo shot burst mode captures the action and 44 No Glow LED bulbs offer an impressive, invisible infrared flash for crisp, HD 32MP images and 1080p videos—day or night—without spooking wildlife.
CONVENIENT FEATURES: Includes a user-friendly, 1.5" color viewer. Still images display a time stamp with useful information including date, time, temperature, and moon phase. Pipe-through security keeps your camera safe and secure from would-be thieves.
Another great camera by Covert manufacturers. This Covert Camera is durable and take pretty good pictures. The camera has 1080P HD camera to take photos and record videos. Although, while testing it we found it fails to take transition pics. Because of this at times you get dark pic when there is a sudden movement. Otherwise, you get quality pictures and videos only. The camera has 0.4 second trigger speed. This means within a fraction of seconds after the movement the camera clicks a picture ensuring you never miss a shot.
The camera can be a great hunting companion as it has 1-10 turbo shot burst mode that is made to capture the action. Moreover, it has 44 No go LEDs to click pictures at night. What else we liked is the fact that infrared has completely no flash which comes handy during night time hunting photography. The device is a wireless device so it instantly sends the photos to the Covert wireless app using the cellular network. So, it definitely needs a mobile network for transmission. With the app, you can view images, manage setting change, and grant guest access remotely. Alternatively, it also stores the clicked video/photos in its 32GB SD card memory.
The device works on 12AA batteries that you need to buy separately. The battery life is for months.Company boasts that the battery would last for 2 years but customers say it needs replacement after around 15 months. One more thing that we liked is its massive memory. It can store up to 40,000 images effortlessly.
Things We Like
Good camera
Massive in built memory
Great for hunting
Things We Don't Like
Body i=casing is not very great
Bottom Line:
The best wireless trail camera for money as it has standard camera quality and a good trigger speed to ensure that you click every movement.
Buying Guide – What Considerations To Look For When Buying ?
A wireless trail camera is an expensive affair and it can change your hunting game or security levels to many folds. All of the game cameras have some or the other sort of wireless connectivity be in the Bluetooth format or in the form of cellular networks. You should know which form you want. To click pictures or take videos they have a Passive Infrared motion detection sensor to automatically take pictures of the moving objects. Apart from this, there are few other things that you should look for when buying one like durability, sturdiness, weatherproof, etc. If you do not know how to check all this we have a buying guide for you. You can read out to sort down your needs clearly.
1. Camera Quality
Megapixels are a measure of resolution. It clearly means the number of pixels that will fit in one image. When we talk about normal cameras the more the pixels the better it is because higher pixels give higher clarity. But when we talk about trail cameras we have to focus on the picture size also it has to be transmitted to the mobile phone. If you go for very high pixels the image size would also be more and it might cause hindrance during transmission. So, we need to look for a camera that has a decent picture quality and the one that takes less space on the SD card and consumes lower data during transmission.
Moreover, the camera would be installed on the outskirts of the city or maybe inside a forest so there are chances of low signal strength. So, this is another disadvantage of taking a device like this with high pixels. Finally, the large pixel size does not necessarily mean you will clearly identify the forest species. Even the camera with medium megapixels work equally well in the forest due to natural light. So, as per our expert suggestions, the best wireless trail camera should have a size of 720 – 1080P. In this range, you would surely get a decent clarity.
2. PIR Sensor Range
The trail cameras come with PIR sensors to detect a human/animal movement nearby. After sensing the movement, they automatically click a picture. The cameras tend to be a little different during the day and night. What you need to look at is the PIR range at night. The cameras should be capable to sense motion and click pictures even at night. If it does not have a good PIR sensor range, it would definitely fail to click when the animals are nearby especially at night.
In most of the good quality cameras, the infrared LEDs are capable to illuminate at least 65 feet from the camera. A very few top-notch ones can go beyond that. So, what you need to make sure is that the LEDs in these cameras should be brighter and more detailed to get a good night view picture. You cannot go and select it without testing. For this category the best cameras are No products found. and Spartan HD Go Cam.
3. Connectivity
The trail game cameras can be Bluetooth, cellular, and wi-fi. The first category is the short-range trail cameras Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. The second category is cellular cameras. Now, this choice is completely yours. You need to figure out which one you want. If you are someone who will leave the camera in the forest and comes days later to get the most astonishing shots of the animals then the cellular network is preferable. But if you are someone who will stay overnight in the jungle near to the camera installation site wirless/Bluetooth short-range camera would work for you.
Alternatively, the same rule applies to the cameras meant for residential property security. Many people buy houses near the countryside for them to keep a watch of trespassers/animals they need the wireless trail cameras. So the same rule applies here, if you would be present near your property you can go for the short-range Bluetooth cameras but if you won’t be available and you won’t keep an eye then go for the cellular trail cameras.
The cellular trail cameras need a phone network to function. This way they can send photos to you no matter where you are in the world. They are a good choice for areas that have network connectivity. The only thing is that you need to pay for their security data plans. As they would be working on cellular networks like your mobile phones so you need to buy the monthly data plans which would definitely be an additional operational cost.
The Wi-Fi and bluetooth connectivity trail cameras are short range cameras. You have to directly connect to your smartphone. For this, your phone need to be close by to the hunting spot/house only then you can download the images/videos. This definitely makes them not a very good choice for hunting games because most of the hunting areas are miles away or in the inside of the forest. The benefit is that they do not have any additional operational costs. You do not need to spend on the data plans or spend on a monthly subscription plan. They work amazingly when connected to a Bluetooth device without any lags or delays.
As per our expert team, the choice mainly depends on your hunting areas. In some of the areas, you get good signals for the cameras to use the cellular network and send you the photographs. And in some areas, the signal quality is very weak so even you plant the most expensive wireless trail camera it won’t send you the pictures. Therefore, if you are planning to spend your hunting nights in the forest itself go for bluetooth cameras and vice versa.
4. 3G Or 4G Network
A few cellular game cameras depend on 3G networks while others depend on 4G LTE. 4G LTE network is the recent generation. Its speed is much faster than the 3G networks. Moreover, its range is also longer which corresponds to a faster transmission rate. During our testing, we also found that the 4G network penetrates into the wild jungles also. So, even if you go deep inside the jungle there are chances for you to get the 4G network. Contrary to it, the 3G network is not very great. It does not work inside the jungle. Even the transmission speed and network connectivity are extremely low. So, we would suggest you to only for 4G networks.
5. Connection Methods
All the cellular cameras have to use the signals to send a photo on your phone or to email you the photo. Both ways are decent enough to get an instant alert. With the advancement in technology, these devices have come up with more ways to connect it to the mobile phone and send you the photos/videos.
The additional cellular connection methods include an app for iOS, Android or both of them. A few of them evn work on web portals or on a designated website. This way you can access the photos/videos anywhere on your laptop/phone/tablet/dekstop.
6. GPS Connectivity
This is another kind of amazing features in the trail cameras. GPS cameras comes very handy especially during the hunting games. It is because the jungle areas almost look similar, many a times hunters forgot the place where they install the camera. Not only this, at times the cameras are misplaced due to strong winds or due to animal push or movement. In such conditions GPS enabled cameras come out very handy. You just need open the GPS map on your phone and within minutes you can find your camera.
The only thing is you need to enable the GPS location after installation. This way no matter whatever happens you would immediately get to know where your camera is.
How To Set Up ?
Setting up a cellular game camera is not at all a huge task. You just need to read the instruction given on the manual and follow the steps. Most of them, come assembled you just have to insert the sim card. The basic steps to connect them are as follows:
Insert the sim card
Activate the camera’ data plan or the monthly subscription plan whichever is available
Configure the camera
Connect it to your phone or email or download the required app on your smart device to receive the photos captured
Install the camera in the right location
Moreover, you need to choose the data plans as per your need. Most of the sim cards come with a minimal amount of data plan, in such cases you just have to add the data to the existing plan. Next comes the configuration, it changes from model to model and brand to brand. Once you connect the camera at your home before taking it to the field for a safe bet. You also need to strap the camera in a tree on any other source. Prefer choosing a good camera angle to get a clear picture of the surrounding. This way you would rest assured that you have chosen the right thing.
How To Set Up A Bluetooth/Non-cellular Wireless Game Camera?
Wireless or trail cameras with Wi-Fi or Bluetooth are much easier to configure than the cellular ones. They do not need any kind of activation or data plan set up. In this you need to follow these steps:
Install the app on your phone
Configure it with the camera
Install the camera to the required place
The best part is you do not need to purchase any additional plan. It is like one time pay and you are sorted for the entire life.
What Is A Wireless Trail Camera?
A wireless trail camera is a simple game camera that is made to send pictures to your phone in either of the two ways. The first way is by using Wi-Fi which is the same technology that lets you surf the inter without putting up the ethernet cable. The other way by using the same cellular network that helps the mobile phone function. They are the best thing to monitor who is coming in or going out of your property.
Benefits
The trail camera can be beneficial in so many ways. A few of them are discussed below:
1. Unlimited Range
These cameras would use the same network of cellular towers that lets mobile phones to work. So, with the cellular network these cameras can send you photos over vast distances. Even if your camera in inaccessible but as long as it is in the cellular service location it will send you images. This way it is beneficial for homes located in secluded areas and hunters. It is seen that these trail cameras appeal to deer hunters
You can use it on your own hunting property or your leased hunting property. As long as there is cellular service in the camera location, you can receive photos no matter what the distance is.
2. Instant Alerts
The best part of a cellular trail camera is its ability to instantly email a photo to its owner. So, you don’t have to go to the place where you installed the camera to access the photos or neither you have to wait for it. These cameras are usually installed in forests and left here for months to get the picturesque view. People also install them outside their residential properties to keep an eye on their house if they are not there. It comes as the best gameplay for hunters as they can check what is happening in the wilderness without even going their. Moreover, most of the time the trail cameras are fixed in difficult terrains where it is impossible to access them quite often.
The instant notification alert that these camera comes with posses a huge benefit for the hunters and homeowners. Most of the time, if you come to visit your property after months by that time records may be gone. A cellular camera trap can give notification to the authorities.
3. Data Plans
The trail cameras work on mobile data plans or some other kind of wireless connectivity. They need some kind of cellular service to function and to send alerts/notifications. The service cost is the same amount you pay for mobile phone service. On the other hand, there are a game camera with a monthly service charge. This means you need to pay them monthly and in exchange, you will get a certain number of photos.
4. 3G or 4G Services
The cellular game camera has two options a 3G or a 4G. The G here stands for generation. The 4G is the newest generation so its data speed is much more than the 3G services. Both types use cellular networks. Nevertheless, to send you photos/videos they both work flawlessly. The 5G device is about to come in the market so if you are looking to buy a new one consider going for the 5G and it would be again much faster than 3G or 4G.
How Does It Work?
The Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless camera can be used at a fair distance from the camera itself. They connect to a smartphone app over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. So, you won’t be able to use the device through which you are connecting it. We advise you to use it on a separate device other than a personal device.
Next, you need to install the corresponding app on your phone. All these cameras have a limited connectivity range. Most of them work within 50 to 80 feet. So, you can have access to these cameras if you are in this range. That said these cameras are good for security surveillance.
Cellular camera works similar to mobile phones. They act as mobile phones to send you photos/videos. The photos are sent over MMS texts though a few advanced ones have advanced functionalities like accessing the photos through an app or on the web. The most advanced ones even let you control the entire camera from anywhere remotely.
The cellular camera works on a sim card and needs a cell phone signal. In most of the cases, you need to buy the cellular plan for them to function 24*7. Most of the trail camera companies come with a free sim card and few data plans. You can choose the data plans as per your need. Nevertheless, a few companies have sims that function only in US. So, you need to make sure the camera you are buying works in your area or not.
New Feature added to the AT&T GoCam - Video Transmition. Spartan Camera is leading the way with the introduction of the Spartan GoCam GC-A4Gb powered by AT&T.
Ready to Use Out of the Box: Simply activate the service from HCO, use the camera menus to set your desired picture parameters, and your camera is ready to use. No Contract, Pay As You Go: The Spartan GoCam uses an AT&T DataConnect Pass mobile broadband plan 1 . Activate, deactivate, or reactivate the plan at any time without getting a new SIM card.
Security: Pictures can be transmitted with or without AES 256 encryption. For added security, use encryption to transfer your images. GoWireless: The GoCam is compatible with HCO GoWireless web and mobile portal, an ultimate camera and photo management solution.
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2. How do wireless trail camera work?
The wireless trail camera work through a network or through Bluetooth connectivity. For the cellular wireless trail camera, a network is a must. They work on sim card and data plans. For the bluetooth ones, you just need to connect the camera to a phon via bluetooth.
3. What trail cameras send pictures on your phone?
Al the trail cameras send pictures to your phone. Not only this the high quality ones even record videos and send it your phone. The purpose of the trail camera is to send photos. All the product mentioned in our list are capable of sending photos without any lag or much delays.
The battery life obviously depends on the battery quality and the camera quality. If you go for a good camera quality there are chances that your battery would last for 6 to 12 months.
5. How do I choose the best trail camera?
Choosing the best one is a difficult task until you go and personally check them which we know is impossible. That is why we have done all the work for you. We would suggest you to go through our buying guide sort out your requirements and quote a budget. After you are done with these things choose any one from our list matching your needs.
Final Talk
As you have read above, the best wireless trail cameras are dominated by cellular technology. For hunters the cellular technology cameras are the best bet. For outside surveillance or your surveillance you can definitely go for a wi-fi or bluetooth connectivity trail camera. The cellular cameras have certain amount of operating costs. You need to pay for the cellular plan and you also need to change their batteries.
So, to receive pictures on your phone. You should know what kind of budget you have. If you have a good budget you can invest in a trail camera that clicks high-quality photos and record videos well. So, the ball is in your court you need to sort out your needs and your budget. Our list have all the variety of cameras from the affordable ones to the expensive ones. Choose as per your wish. Till then, happy shopping.
Spartan HD Go Cam – Best 4G Editor's Choice
4.9
Summary
Spartan Go Cam is a 8 megapixel cellular trail camera that can send audio and video both on your phone. The Spartan GoCam design focuses on durability, usability, and outstanding performance.
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