Reolink OMVI 3i review: wide panoramic views meet 4K tracking

Reolink OMVI 3i: two-minute review

Shenzhen-based firm Reolink is a well-established brand in the home security market having gained a solid reputation for well-built, user-friendly cameras and video doorbells at an affordable price. I’ve reviewed quite a few models for TechRadar in my time and have generally been very impressed. One particular favourite is the recently launched Reolink Solar Floodlight Cam which combines a solar panel with two powerful spotlights either side of the main unit, as well as a loud onboard siren.

Like the Solar Floodlight Cam, the OMVI 3i also features powerful spotlights (there are eight in total) plus an ear-piercing 110dB siren. However, the key difference is that rather than relying on solar power combined with a built-in lithium-ion battery that can be recharged, the much bulkier Reolink OMVI 3i is mains-operated only and can’t be powered by battery or solar. This means it will have to be located near an AC power supply which isn’t always possible outdoors.

Two versions are available, a wired Power of Ethernet (PoE) version and the Wi-Fi model that we tested. Unlike some cheaper models, the OMVI 3i supports both 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi — though the 5GHz frequencies are recommended for outdoor use. Practically identical to one another, both models are very bulky, requiring careful mounting on a wall using a drill in conjunction with brackets, screws and wall plugs provided.

Whereas most security cameras rely on cloud-based processing to identify objects, this latest Reolink features powerful integrated edge AI. This onboard intelligence allows the camera to easily distinguish between people, animals, and vehicles, letting you independently adjust sensitivity settings for each category to help dramatically reduce false alarms. Particularly clever is the smart tracking option alongside advanced package detection, which can alert you if a parcel is removed from a specific zone – making it a potentially useful tool in the fight against porch pirates.

When viewing footage via the easy-to-use app, two screens are displayed – one from the top panoramic camera producing a 180-degree image from two separate lenses and the other from a motorized pan-and-tilt camera that can rotate horizontally up to 355 degrees and vertically up to 50 degrees. Rather usefully, if you spot something untoward on the panoramic display such as an intruder, you can simply identify the area with your finger and it will then hone in on that area using the pan-and-tilt camera underneath.

Finally, where security camera manufacturers usually make their money is in selling you a monthly subscription to store your video footage in the cloud. Not only is this a potential cybersecurity risk, it can also get very expensive over time. With the Reolink OMVI 3i, there’s the choice between storing on a MicroSD card slot (not supplied) or subscribing to Reolink’s cloud service from just £2.71 (about $3.60 / AU$5.10) per month (yes it’s a strange amount). And because this OMVI 3i is mains-operated, the camera can record 24/7 if you want it to without having to worry about the battery losing its charge. This makes it ideal for business as well as consumer use.

Reolink OMVI 3i: subscription options

Reolink Cloud, Single Device Plan: Up to 30-day cloud video history, one camera, unlimited cloud storage, unlimited rich notifications, AI Video Search. £2.71 (about $3.60 / AU$5.10) per month.

Reolink Cloud, Standard Plan: Up to 30-day cloud video history, up to five cameras supported, unlimited cloud storage, unlimited rich notifications. £2.87 (about $2.80 / AU$5.40) per month.

See https://cloud.reolink.com/cloud-plan for further details

Reolink OMVI 3i: price and availability

• How much does it cost? $329.99 / £259.99 / AU$439
• When is it available? Available since June / July 2026
• Where is it available? UK, US, Australia, and select global markets via Amazon and Reolink’s official store.

When you consider everything that the Reolink OMVI 3i camera has to offer, including dual panoramic lenses, a 4K pan-and-tilt mechanism, integrated edge AI and powerful spotlights, this security camera simply is fantastic value for money — especially as it’s pretty well built too. A few years ago, a device like this would have set you back nearer to £400 in the UK where I’m reviewing it, yet at the time of writing Amazon is offering it for just £220.

And while there are of course cheaper models on the market, none that I’ve seen offer anywhere near the same levels of performance. In fact, the Reolink OMVI 3i substantially undercuts commercial-grade monitoring systems, making it the ideal choice for small businesses/shops that want to use it for monitoring their premises.

Furthermore, even if you opt for cloud storage, the subscription fee isn’t that bad coming in at under £3 a month. Better still, you can avoid ongoing costs completely by buying your own MicroSD card for local event logging, 24/7 continuous recording, or audio capture, making it a remarkably cost-effective long-term investment.

Reolink OMVI 3i: design

• Triple-lens configuration (10MP panoramic top lenses + 4K 8MP PTZ bottom lens)
• Heavy-duty weatherproof (IP66) housing with drilling template included
• Mains-powered only

Unlike many modern compact outdoor security cameras, the OMVI 3i is one heck of a big beast! Tipping up the scales at 2.4lbs / 1.1kg for the Wi-Fi variant and 2.9lbs / 1.3kg for the PoE version, it’s a really bulky unit. Installation isn’t the easiest either. Because of its weight and the way it protrudes from the wall, it requires a very secure mount. It’s not a camera you can casually stick up with a couple of small screws. Instead, you’ll need a drill, screws, wall plugs and the mount to ensure it stays firmly anchored.

Image 1 of 2

Advertisement

Using the template provided I drilled holes for the sturdy mounting bracket, placing the unit high up on my outside wall overlooking the garden. But there’s no getting away from the fact this is a big unit designed for high performance rather than looks. Another major problem is that it needs to be plugged into the mains. Thankfully I already have a mains socket outdoors, but if you don’t, you will run have to connect the cabling to a plug indoors.

Essentially the design comprises two main elements — the upper part with twin lenses for panorama mode and the single lens pan-and-tilt camera underneath. Round the back of the unit is a waterproof rubber flap housing a MicroSD card slot and reset button. The maximum supported MicroSD card size for the Reolink OMVI 3i (both WiFi and PoE versions) is 512 GB. Alternatively you can subscribe to store recorded footage in the cloud or buy a Reolink NVR (network video recorder).

Reolink OMVI 3i: performance

• SyncTrack enables the Pan-Tilt camera to automatically lock on and follow subjects
• Integrated edge AI for people, animals and vehicles
• Removed item alerts and 24/7 continuous recording capability

When it comes to performance, the Reolink OMVI 3i Wi-Fi is certainly one of the best I’ve ever seen. Freed from battery limitations, it can focus completely on offering high-definition recordings from the triple-lens set up, rather than having to compromise on image quality to save battery power.

Indeed, visual performance is exceptionally strong. The 4K 8-megapixel pan-and-tilt camera delivers crisp, high-definition clarity that lets you easily zoom in on distant facial features or car number plates. Furthermore, the 10MP panoramic lenses on top provide an ultra-wide 180-degree overview, delivering the ultimate ‘best of both worlds’ setup where nothing escapes your field of vision. When an event occurs in the panoramic overview, you can simply tap or click on a specific area within the wide feed, and the 4K PTZ camera will instantly ‘pinpoint’ and swivel to that exact spot, zooming in to provide close-up detail without losing track of the broader context.

Even at night, picture quality remains exceptional. Infra-red night vision provides sharp monochrome clarity, while the multiple integrated spotlights proved amazingly powerful, bathing my garden in light late at night to ensure color recordings. Also on board is a powerful 110dB siren for startling unwanted trespassers, as well as two-way audio so you can tell intruders to get off your land!

But that’s not all. Particularly impressive is OMVI 3i’s built-in local AI processing. Rather than relying on sluggish or privacy-invasive cloud servers, the camera runs intelligence directly on the device. This allows it to distinguish between people, animals and vehicles with impressive accuracy. You can also independently fine-tune the motion sensitivity for each category, which dramatically cuts down on the nuisance false alarms that plague many security cameras.

Although I didn’t test the feature, removed-item alerts enable you to get a notification if a parcel is lifted from a marked doorway zone (handy in the fight against porch pirates!) while if you want continuous coverage, you can set the camera to record 24/7 or configure it to record audio by default.

Yet despite these standout strengths, the camera’s performance is not entirely without flaws. One small issue I encountered during testing is that the software stitching between the two top cameras for the 180-degree panorama occasionally fails, disrupting the seamless wide-angle view (this can be corrected with software within the app). Additionally, while the automated tracking of people, vehicles and animals is generally smooth, fast-moving targets can cause the pan-and-tilt mechanism to stutter or momentarily lose tracking if they dart across the frame too quickly.

Finally, because the camera captures such a massive, wide-angle view, it does demand careful positioning. If you have limited private space, its lenses can easily spill over into neighboring properties or public walkways, requiring you to use the detection exclusion zones software provided.

Should you buy the Reolink OMVI 3i?

Buy it if

Don’t buy it if

Reolink OMVI 3i: also consider

How I tested the Reolink OMVI 3i

• I used the camera outdoors for seven days
• I set it up myself using the fittings provided by the manufacturer
• The security camera was installed facing my back garden.

Usually when testing outdoor security cameras, I like to install them on my summer house which doubles as a home office and gym. This gives me a great view of the garden back towards the house. However, for the Reolink OMVI 3i I had to change things around for a couple of reasons.

Firstly, the size of the camera meant that I couldn’t be sure that the wooden-built summer house would hold the weight. Secondly, although I have power inside the summer house I would have needed to run power quite a long way to the outside of the building which wasn’t possible with the cable provided.

So, instead, I opted to drill the camera bracket into the wall outside my kitchen and face the camera the other way towards the end of the garden. This had the added advantage of the camera not being visible to the neighbors. I tested the camera for several days and nights, using the onboard AI to capture people and animals in the garden, though thankfully no intruders made it into my heavily fortified property.

First reviewed September 2026

Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.