I rely on thermal cameras while testing phones to identify hot spots and see just how much they heat up while gaming. I used Thermal Master’s P3 in the past, and the brand’s latest P4 camera has a lot of the same features, and a new dual-lens system that takes photos in visible light, which is an interesting addition.
The P4 usually costs $399, but it is down to $299 ahead of Prime Day on Thermal Master’s website. You can get an additional 10% discount by using the code THERMALBF10, bringing the price down to $269. The Amazon link still shows as $399, and the brand notes that it will go down to $269 (with the included code) from June 22, when Prime Day starts in earnest.
Like other Thermal Master products, the P4 is quite diminutive, and setting it up is as easy as plugging it to your phone and installing the Temp Master mobile app. It works with all Android phones, and I didn’t have any issues using it with my Vivo V70 Elite and X300. You also get a cable extender in the box if you need a little more headroom to position the camera, and there’s a hard shell carrying box to store the P4 when it’s not in use.
Coming to the thermal imaging, the P4 is able to measure from -4℉ to 1112℉ (-20℃ to 600℃), and it’s quite good at identifying heat spots on gadgets — this is what I used it predominantly in the month I had it. I tested it with the Redmagic 11S Pro (which has a built-in fan), and it showed that the fan on the device was blowing hot air away from the phone in real-time, and that was interesting to see.
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The P4 has a fixed-focus lens, and the sensor has a resolution of 512 x 384, which is pretty decent in this category. The visible-light sensor is a great addition this time, and it works in conjunction with the IR lens to make it easier to identify any overheating issues.
You get 12 color palettes, and the image quality itself is a smidgen better than previous Thermal Master cameras I used. On the whole, it’s a reliable product that gets a lot right, and if you need a thermal camera that you can use with your phone, the P4 gets my recommendation — particularly now that it’s down to $269.