The new Eufy Smart Display E10 is the perfect home security companion, with one big catch

I enjoy using this wireless security camera display, but it could be so much better

Eufy Smart Display E10 (The Independent / Alistair Charlton)

When I’m asked by friends and family which home security cameras to buy, I often suggest Eufy before any other. There’s a huge range of products at affordable prices, great 4K video with solar power, and no monthly subscription fee, since videos are stored locally.

Just a few months ago, the system was made even more attractive by the new Eufy Smart Display E10. This £179 device is an eight-inch touchscreen that sits on a dock and shows live footage from all of your Eufy security cameras, including a video doorbell.

The screen lights up, alerts you and instantly starts a live video stream when motion is detected or when someone presses the doorbell. It can also show video from up to four cameras at once and displays a neat timeline of everything that happens each day – from motion events and doorbell presses, to doors opening and alarms being triggered.

It has a battery and a fold-out stand, so can be used away from the dock – I’ve found the battery lasts two or even three days – and it can even be wall-mounted too. If I’m working upstairs with headphones on and my phone switched to silent, the E10 sits on my desk, ready to alert me when a visitor presses the doorbell. Add in the rest of Eufy’s product catalogue – door/window sensors, motion detectors, sirens, all manner of cameras, local expandable storage and a wall-mounted keypad – and you have an impressive security and alarm system.

But there’s a catch. Actually a few catches, and they’re all related to the E10’s inability to work with more devices.

(The Independent / Alistair Charlton)

Firstly – and surely the simplest to address – I wish it would work with Eufy’s robot vacuum cleaners. Clearly these aren’t security products, but since Eufy recently bundled its security and cleaning systems into one app, where both can be controlled, I’d like to see robovac controls on the E10 display. Instead of reaching for my phone, I could then simply tap the screen (which is usually docked on the kitchen worktop) and start the robot vacuum and mop after we’ve finished dinner.

I’d also like extra information on the screen, like the weather forecast and current outside temperature. It’s handy seeing the time and date at a glance, but I’d like a bit more information on the E10’s display when it isn’t being used to stream camera footage.

But the biggest limitation is this: I wish the E10 could connect to smart home devices from other companies, via a communication support like Matter. Already a potential smart home game-changer, Matter helps devices from different companies all speak the same language, so they can be controlled from a single point, instead of each needing their own app and, in this case, touchscreen.

The TP-Link Tapo H500 does this, acting as a Matter controller or bridge and ready to control third-party smart plugs, bulbs and more. Apple’s long-rumoured smart home display is expected to work in a similar way, allowing broad integration with devices from other companies.

Up to four live cameras feeds can be viewed at once (The Independent / Alistair Charlton)

Eufy’s approach is that of a walled garden, and while that can work well – look at how effectively iPhones, Macs and iPads work together – in the smart home sector more compatibility is always better than less. I also appreciate how it’s simpler to secure sensitive devices like cameras and doorbells when they all belong to one closed system, instead of each bringing their own software to the party. But that’s exactly the sort of interoperability headache Matter is supposed to address, so Eufy embracing it would have been welcome.

As well as the TP-Link H500, which uses your own tablet as its display, and Apple’s rumoured smart home hub, other rivals to the Eufy E10 include the £170 Amazon Echo Hub. This wall-mountable touchscreen also acts as a smart home control centre and security camera monitor, but with Alexa compatibility it works with a wide range of other smart home products, including heating systems.

If I had spent time investing in an Alexa smart home system, the Echo Hub would absolutely be my go-to choice for a device like this. Similarly, if I was in the HomeKit system, then whatever Apple is cooking up would be top of my shopping list. I have a bunch of Eufy cameras and the company’s smart home system, so the E10 was an obvious choice. I just wish it had unlocked a longer runway of functionality and device compatibility, instead of keeping me locked inside the walled garden. I hope Eufy now sees Matter support as an obvious next step for the E10’s successor.