Aqara Camera Hub G350 Review: The First Matter Camera
Read our Aqara Camera Hub G350 review to see if the first Matter 1.5 security camera is worth buying. Discover compatibility, features, and alternatives.
By Team Gimmie
Updated August 27, 2026
The Smart Home Utopia is Here, But You Might Want to Wait for the Next Bus
We have been promised a smart home utopia for years. It is a world where your Apple iPhone talks to your Google Nest hub, which seamlessly manages your Amazon-enabled lights. This dream is built on a standard called Matter, and for a long time, security cameras were the missing piece of that puzzle. Now, the first-ever Matter-compatible camera has arrived: the Aqara Camera Hub G350.
It is a landmark moment for tech enthusiasts, but being first comes with a heavy burden. After spending time with the G350, I have realized that while it technically breaks the seal on a new era of connectivity, it is not quite the plug-and-play revolution we were hoping for. If you are thinking about buying this as a gift or an upgrade for your own home, you need to know exactly what you are signing up for.
The Technical Gatekeeper: Understanding Matter 1.5
To understand why the G350 is a bit of a headache right now, we have to talk about the technical fine print. Matter is essentially a universal language for smart devices. However, like any language, it has different versions or dialects. The Aqara G350 speaks Matter 1.5.
The problem? Most of the major smart home controllers we actually use—like Apple Home and Google Home—have not learned that specific dialect yet. As of today, only Samsung’s SmartThings platform is fully ready to talk to a Matter 1.5 camera.
In plain English, this means if you are an Apple or Google user, the biggest selling point of this camera is currently useless to you. You can still use the camera through Aqara’s own app, but that defeats the purpose of buying a Matter-certified device. It is like buying a universal translator that only works in one specific city; eventually, the rest of the world will catch up, but right now, you are stuck waiting for a software update that might be months away.
What You Get Today vs. What You Are Promised
The G350 is a powerful piece of hardware. It features 4K resolution, a 360-degree pan-and-tilt view, and a built-in hub for other Aqara sensors. But when it comes to the actual Matter integration, the experience is currently very thin.
