Get 5% off this thermal camera so sensitive it can see you breathing

I’ve covered quite a few thermal cameras over the years, some standalone units and others integrated into smartphones. For the average user, they offer more than adequate performance and sensitivity.

But sometimes you need something that goes beyond “more than enough.”

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This is where the Xinfrared T2S Plus comes in.

THE T2S Plus that I am testing is for Android smartphonesbut there is a separate version for iPhone which features a Lightning connector.

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Xinfrared T2S Plus

The T2S Plus Thermographic Imager provides high definition images with full screen temperature measurements (Max, Min, Center Points), perfect for spotting electrical faults, mechanical failures, water leaks, insulation issues and HVAC, and much more.

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Xinfrared T2S Plus technical specifications

• Resolution: 256X192
• No pixels: 12μm
• Field of View (FOV): 44.9° x 33.4°
• Frame rate: 25Hz
• Sensor: InfiRay industrial grade high performance sensor
• Focus mode: 8mm macro lens
• Temperature measurement range: -20°C ~ +450°C
• Measuring accuracy: ±2°C or ±2%
• Weight: <18g
• Size: 26x26x24.2mm
• Energy consumption: <350mW

A few things immediately stand out about T2S Plus. It’s much larger than other standalone units I’ve used, but at less than 18 grams and one cubic inch, it fits easily into a pocket.

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It also comes with a very nice carrying case to protect the device from drops, and this also contains the adapter cables.

What are adapter cables used for? Well, even though the USB-C connector fits many Android smartphones, the ports on some smartphones, especially rugged smartphones, like the Blackview 8900 Pro (just ignore the fact that this smartphone already has a built-in thermal camera) – are too buried to accept the camera.

This is not a problem with the T2S Plus. The cables not only offer an adapter for USB-C smartphones with a buried connector, but also for smartphones using micro-USB.

The Xtherm application (for Android And iOS) also has some nice features. I particularly like the information on the screen and the ability to drop dots to read the temperature, draw areas and even draw a line.

Then, in a fit of awkwardness, I pointed it at my face and was shocked to discover that he could “see” me breathing.

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You can see my nostrils darken when I breathe in cool air and turn white when I breathe out warm air.

This is super cool – I’ve tried this with other thermal cameras, and while they can “see” some changes, the quality is nowhere near what the T2S Plus can offer.

The image update speed, as well as the image quality, is simply incredible, and there is rarely any lag in the display. It is creamy, which makes troubleshooting much quicker and easier.

And if you want to get close to things – really close – rotating the focusing platform lets you do that. Here is a very close macro photo of the camera array on my iPhone 14 Pro Max.

I like Xinfrared T2S Plus a lot. It’s fast and accurate, the apps it connects to are well-designed and have professional-grade features, and the refresh rate is one of the fastest I’ve seen on a thermal camera. You can get close to things easily – making it much easier to diagnose dead components – and the quality of the result is excellent.

Also: Are smartphone thermal cameras sensitive enough to discover PIN codes?

It comes at a price, and it’s a whopping $339. And if you buy now and use the exclusive ZDNET promo code zdnetbf5 to benefit from a 5% reduction!