Do you want to find the best thermal camera for your Android?
Portable thermal cameras that connect to Android phones are a great way to capture thermal imagery — and instantly text the thermal images.
In this guide, I will go over...
- My #1 top pick for the best thermal camera for Androids
- Tips on buying the best thermal imaging camera
- And a few pros and cons
Let's get started with this guide!
Image | Product | |||
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Top Pick | Top Pick | #1. FLIR One Pro LT
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| View on Amazon |
#2. Seek Thermal
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#3. Hti-Xintai
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Best Budget | Best Budget | #4. FLIR ONE Gen 3
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| View on Amazon |
#5. PerfectPrime
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| View on Amazon |
My Overall #1 Rated Pick
- High resolution (4,800 pixels)
- MSX technology (adds visual details to thermal images)
- Capture up to 500 images
- Includes carrying case
- Use FLIR app or 3rd party apps
My overall top pick for the best thermal camera for android phones goes to the FLIR One Pro LT. This quality thermal camera is made by world renowed FLIR, has a high resolution of 4,800 pixels, and uses MSX tech to add visual details to thermal imagery. The free FLIR app is very functional but you can also use this camera with 3rd party apps for special uses. It includes a carrying case.
Top 5 Best Thermal Cameras for Android
Short on time? Check out our top 5 thermal cameras for android! Keep reading for the details of each pick and our buyer's guide.
How To Pick The Best Thermal Camera For Android Phones?
When I was a home inspector, I carried around a portable thermal imaging camera for my smartphone. They can be incredibly useful to find electrical problems, missing insulation, water leaks, and other problems. And frankly, it always impresses clients when you have a thermal camera.
Thermal cameras made to connect to Android phones are compact and highly portable. It's a great tool that is small enough to keep in your pocket.
Read Also >> How To Interpret Thermal Images?
Power & Charging
The nice thing about thermal cameras made for android phones is that they don't need batteries.
You simply insert the camera into your phone connector, and your phone powers the thermal camera. There is no need to 'charge' the thermal camera, so it is always ready to use.
One downside to this is that some thermal cameras have connectors that will only work with particular Android phones. The two most common will be USB-C and micro-USB.
However, you can buy connection adapters that will go from Type C to micro-USB, and some thermal cameras even come with the adapter such as the PerfectPrime.
Power Downsides
Another frequent complaint among thermal camera users is that you have to take off the phone case in order to connect the thermal camera.
Usually, the connector coming out of the thermal camera is just too short to be able to connect it with a phone case on.
FLIR is the only brand that has an adjustable connector so you can lengthen it and connect it even with a phone case installed.
Read Also >> What Are The Top Uses For Thermal Imaging Cameras?
Photos & Video
Another great feature about thermal cameras made for your phone is that you can instantly take photos and record videos of the thermal imagery. This means that you can quickly take a thermal (& normal) picture, and then you can text it to someone instantly.
If you had a conventional thermal camera, you likely would have to take out the memory card, insert it into a laptop, and then email the image.
What Can You Find With A Thermal Camera For Androids?
There is one thing that clients frequently ask home inspectors and that has to do with areas of missing insulation.
And quite often, especially in older homes, there are areas of missing insulation. For example, exterior wall electrical outlets are sometimes uninsulated and leaky.
With a thermal camera, you can quickly scan a room for areas of energy leaks.
Read Also >> How Does A Thermal Camera Work?
What Is FLIR MSX Technology?
FLIR Systems has trademarked MSX technology for their thermal cameras. MSX stands for multi-spectral dynamic imaging and it is a way to add visual data to thermal images.
One common problem with thermal cameras is that the infrared image doesn't have enough details to be able to identify key features of the scene.
MSX technology takes certain features of the visual (non-thermal) image, and overlays it onto the thermal image. Basically, MSX makes the thermal image more detailed so you can actually see the details.
With MSX technology, you don't need to take one thermal image, and then an extra visual image.
In home inspection reports, it is common to put one normal image next to the thermal image so you can get a clear sense of what is in the picture. But with MSX from FLIR, this isn't necessary.
Read Also >> What Are The Overall Best Thermal Imagers?
What Is The Best Thermal Imaging Camera For Androids?
Here are my full reviews of the top rated thermal cameras for Android phones. Check it out below...
My #1 top pick for the best thermal camera for Androids goes to the FLIR One Pro LT.
It is a high quality thermal imaging camera that will connect to your Android phone. FLIR is world renowned for its thermal cameras, and this 4800 resolution camera is a great choice for inspections. Whether you want to find electrical faults, hot spots, missing insulation, mechanical defects, this camera is a nice portable option.
FLIR provides a free app to use with this camera (no registration required) or you can even use 3rd party apps for special uses. You can take up to 500 images with the FLIR One and it also includes a carrying case to protect the camera.
The CompactPRO by Seek Thermal is a great thermal camera that can be connected to Android smartphones. Since it is connected to your phone, batteries and charging is never required.
Simply connect it to your phone anytime, and using low power, it will give you nice thermal images from any environment — great for inspectors and engineers.
Use this camera to find missing insulation, electrical faults, HVAC inefficiencies, and water leaks. The Seek Thermal comes with a portable waterproof case.
The Hti-Xintai is a premium thermal camera for Android smartphones. It features a high resolution of 384 x 288 to capture quality infrared images and video.
Use this portable thermal imager to find electrical faults, missing insulation, water leaks, and other problems.
With the Hti-Xintai, you can capture real time infrared videos and images at 25-herz.
Capture thermal video without needing batteries or charging unlike conventional thermal cameras. This camera includes a carrying case.
The FLIR One Gen 3 is a budget friendly thermal camera for androids.
This high quality thermal camera includes MSX technology which overlays visual images with thermal images for more data.
You can use this thermal camera to find electrical problems, energy leaks, moisture stains, and more. FLIR provides a free app to use with this thermal camera.
Since it is connected to your phone, batteries or charging is not required. You can also quickly share images and videos.
This phone includes FLIR's OneFit adjustable connector so you won't have to remove your phone case just to use the camera.
The PerfectPrime is a nice low cost thermal camera for android phones. This budget friendly thermal camera has a resolution of 32 x 32 and with 1024 pixels.
It uses USB-C but also comes with a micro-USB adapter so it works with a wide variety of Android phones.
The PerfectPrime is a great portable option for thermal imaging to faulty mechanical or electrical parts. It has a temperature range of -4-F to 572-F.
My #1 Top Pick: FLIR One Pro LT
My overall top pick for the best thermal camera for android goes to the FLIR One Pro LT. Here's why...
#1. High Resolution
The FLIR One Pro LT has a high resolution of 4,800 pixels which is an important part of diagnosing electrical problems, energy leaks, or moisture issues.
#2. FLIR App
This thermal camera comes with the free FLIR app which is a top notch software made by world renowed FLIR company.
#3. MSX Technology
With FLIR's MSX technology, the camera and app will overlay the thermal image over the physical image so you can get more details and diagnose problems easier.
4 thoughts on “Top 5 Best Thermal Cameras For Android (2024 Review)”
Can it find an animal hiding in the attic or crawl space…
Hi Pat,
The thermal camera can find surface heat irregularities. If the animal is in a den under ground, then the camera probably won’t pick it up. But if it is anywhere near the surface, and if it’s large enough — it should spot it without a problem. Hunters use thermal cameras to find animals at night as well.
Cheers,
Arie
Can any of these be plugged into an android tablet instead of a phone?
Hey David,
The FLIR One Pro LT should work with tablets as long it has a UB-C connector.
Cheers,
Arie