Okay, so I finally caved and got the Reolink Trackmix with solar panel after seeing all the hype. Here’s my honest take after using it for a few months.

The GOOD: This thing is a beast when it works. The dual-lens view is insane—I can see my whole backyard AND zoom in on suspicious squirrels like some kind of surveillance ninja. The solar panel actually keeps it charged (most days), and the auto-tracking legit follows my dog around like he’s starring in his own reality show.

The BAD: When winter hit? Disaster. Below freezing and this “all-weather” camera turned into an expensive ice sculpture. Also, the app has more mood swings than my teenage niece—one minute it’s working fine, next minute it’s pretending my cameras don’t exist.

PRO TIP: If you live somewhere cold, just get the wired version. Learned that the hard way after three support tickets and a replacement unit that still froze (literally).

Final verdict? Amazing tech when it cooperates, but be ready for some troubleshooting. Still better than my old Blink cameras though!