This tiny phone accessory gives you a fantastic superpower, and it’s $50 off right now

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Hand holding InfiRay P2 Pro

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET

I’m a big fan of Android smartphones with built-in thermal cameras, such as the awesome Ulefone Power Armor 18T.

But I also understand that some people just don’t want to have to swap out their smartphones in order to get access to this useful superpower.

Also: This $30 ‘magic arm’ is a game-changer for photos and videos

If you don’t want to have to buy a new smartphone, then this is the tool for you, and right now you can get it for $50 off with the coupon offered: InfiRay P2 Pro.

InfiRay P2 Pro tech specs

  • 256×192 IR resolution.
  • 256×192 IR resolution.
  • -20°C to 550°C ± 2°C temperature range.
  • Small design: 27mm × 18mm × 9.8mm and weighs 9 g.
  • Battery-free design.
  • Support Android 9.0 and above.
  • USB-C interface.

The InfiRay P2 Pro consists of a tiny thermal camera and a magnetic snap-on macro lens that allow the camera to be bought super close to the item being examined.

Also: This $10 plastic film gives me a superpower to detect counterfeit items

And the camera is indeed tiny. Measuring 27 × 18 × 9.8mm and weighing in at a minute 9 grams, it’s smaller and lighter than a charging cable.

The InfiRay P2 Pro in hand

The InfiRay P2 Pro is tiny.

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET

Setting up the P2 Pro is easy — download and install the P2 Pro app from the Google Play app store, fire up the app, pop the camera into the USB-C port, and away you go.

Hand holding Android smartphone with InfiRay P2 Pro

The InfiRay P2 Pro fitted onto Android smartphone.

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET

If your Android smartphone is the ruggedized type, you might have problems fitting the camera and need to get your hands on a USB-C extender

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Then you can start exploring your environment.

InfiRay P2 Pro selfie of a man

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET

A feature of the P2 Pro app I really like is that along with crosshairs at the center of the image are two more that pick up the highest and lowest temperature in the shot. 

Thermal information on the P2 Pro app

The P2 Pro app gives you a raft of thermal information.

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET

Then there is the macro lens.

Closeup of hand holding the magnetic macro lens for the P2 Pro

Magnetic macro lens for the P2 Pro.

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET

Popping the macro lens onto the front of the camera allows you to get up close and personal with what you’re looking at, giving you better resolving power to really home in. 

Using the macro lens to home in on a circuit board

Getting up close with the macro lens.

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET

Closeup of information about thermal image

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET

The software offers a lot of customization options without being packed with unnecessary features.

The P2 Pro software features

The P2 Pro software is well thought out.

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET

This thermal camera is awesome, especially considering the price.

Also: This handy Bluetooth device adds satellite messaging to your smartphone

Not sure what you can do with one? Here are just a few things you can do with a thermal camera:

  • Find overheating electrical components (faulty components usually run hotter).
  • Diagnose all sorts of HVAC problems, from windows that leak heat to radiators that aren’t warming up properly to AC units that aren’t cooling.
  • Find dangerously overheating rechargeable batteries.
  • Find radiator pipes underneath floorboards.
  • Find overheating power cables.
  • Find problems with cooling systems on desktop and laptop systems.
  • Spot binding brakes on cars.

My tip for learning to use a thermal camera is to use it to look at things when they aren’t faulty — your radiators, car brakes, electrical stuff, anything — and that way you get to know how things should look, so you can tell when things aren’t working right.

Also: This is the perfect mini electric screwdriver

I find the thermal camera so useful that I turn to it without thinking about it. Just now I wanted to know if an electrical appliance was getting power. Instead of reaching for a multimeter, I used my thermal camera to see if anything was warming up on the inside. Once I saw components heating up, that eliminated a load of possible problems.

I’ve been testing a number of thermal cameras — both cameras that are standalone and cameras that attach to smartphones — and the InfiRay P2 Pro is the best. It’s small, the macro lens makes it super flexible, it’s fast and accurate, and it doesn’t need to be charged up separately.

This is a fantastic addition to any repair toolkit, and thanks to the coupon available on Amazon you can get $50 off the list price of both the Android and iPhone versions.



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