Xiaomi Put a 6MP Sensor in a Budget Security Camera

Most budget security cameras cap out at 2K resolution, which is the quiet compromise between affordability and image clarity. You get enough pixels to confirm motion, identify that someone is near your front door, and review general activity patterns. What you don’t get is the ability to read text on a package label from across a room, spot fine details on clothing, or zoom into recorded footage without watching the image degrade into blocky artifacts.

Price:£38.99 (UK) , €49.99(Spain)
Where to Buy: Xiaomi

That’s been the trade-off for years, and it’s shaped what people expect from cameras priced under £50. Xiaomi’s Smart Camera C500 breaks that expectation with a 6MP sensor that captures at 3,200 x 1,800 pixels, marketed as “3.5K UHD,” and it costs £38.99 in the UK and €49.99 in Spain. It’s the first 6MP camera Xiaomi has released, and it went on sale with almost no announcement.

The launch was quiet. No press event, no marketing campaign, just product pages that appeared on Xiaomi’s UK and Spain online stores in December 2025 after showing up on the brand’s global website earlier that year. A broader European rollout hasn’t been confirmed, and there’s no indication the camera will reach North America or other regions anytime soon. Xiaomi hasn’t explained why the C500 is limited to two markets, but regional launches like this typically test demand before wider distribution.

So the real question isn’t whether budget cameras can deliver higher resolution at this price point. It’s why this specific resolution jump is arriving now, in these markets, when most competitors are still selling 2K models at similar or higher prices.

What It Is

The Xiaomi Smart Camera C500 pairs its 6MP sensor with an f/1.6 aperture and a 1/2.45-inch image sensor, which Xiaomi says produces a larger light-sensitive area than most cameras in this price bracket. Eight infrared LEDs handle nighttime recording when ambient light drops below usable levels. The higher resolution means text on objects stays legible even when zoomed in, and fine details remain visible instead of blurring into compression artifacts, at least according to Xiaomi’s specs.

A bidirectional gimbal mount lets the camera physically rotate to follow detected motion across its field of view, which avoids the quality loss that comes with digital zoom and crop. If you look at the spec sheet, the sensor size and aperture combination sits above what’s typical for sub-£50 cameras.

The white plastic housing measures 79 x 79 x 119 mm, compact enough to sit on a shelf or mount to a wall. A physical privacy shutter covers the lens when the camera isn’t recording, which is one of the most requested features for indoor cameras. Two-way voice calling works through the companion app, letting users speak through the camera’s built-in speaker from their phones.

Connectivity includes dual-band Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0, a step up from the Wi-Fi 5 standard most sub-£50 cameras still use.

Xiaomi HyperOS Connect integration lets the C500 trigger other smart home devices automatically when motion is detected, like turning on smart lights or sending notifications to connected displays. Voice control through Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant is supported, though setup requires linking accounts through the Xiaomi Home app first. Storage options include local microSD cards up to 256GB, network-attached storage devices, or Xiaomi’s cloud service, which requires a subscription after a trial period. The microSD card isn’t included in the box, and neither is wall-mounting hardware beyond a basic adhesive pad.

Who This Is For

Budget-conscious smart home users in the UK and Spain who want higher resolution than the typical 2K indoor camera will find the C500 appealing at its sub-£40 price point. The 6MP sensor captures more detail than most cameras at double the cost, and the Wi-Fi 6 support future-proofs the device for faster network environments.

The physical privacy shutter and local storage options make it a fit for users who prefer not to rely entirely on cloud services. If you already own other Xiaomi smart home devices and want integration through HyperOS Connect, the C500 slots into that ecosystem without requiring additional hubs or workarounds.

The motion-tracking gimbal is useful in larger rooms where a fixed camera would miss significant portions of the space, though it’s less helpful in smaller rooms where a wide-angle lens would cover most of the area anyway.

Price:£38.99 (UK) , €49.99( Spain)
Where to Buy: Xiaomi

You should skip this if you need outdoor durability, battery power, or availability outside the UK and Spain. The C500 is an indoor-only camera with no weatherproofing, and it requires constant power through the included cable, so there’s no option for battery operation or outdoor installation. If you’re looking for a camera that can handle rain, dust, or temperature extremes, this isn’t designed for that. If you need a camera for a region where Xiaomi doesn’t officially sell this model, importing it complicates warranty support and introduces potential compatibility issues with regional network standards.