This tiny accessory gave my Android phone thermal vision superpowers. Here's how it works | ZDNET

'ZDNET Recommends': What exactly does it mean?

ZDNET's recommendations are based on many hours of testing, research, and comparison shopping. We gather data from the best available sources, including vendor and retailer listings as well as other relevant and independent reviews sites. And we pore over customer reviews to find out what matters to real people who already own and use the products and services we’re assessing.

When you click through from our site to a retailer and buy a product or service, we may earn affiliate commissions. This helps support our work, but does not affect what we cover or how, and it does not affect the price you pay. Neither ZDNET nor the author are compensated for these independent reviews. Indeed, we follow strict guidelines that ensure our editorial content is never influenced by advertisers.

ZDNET's editorial team writes on behalf of you, our reader. Our goal is to deliver the most accurate information and the most knowledgeable advice possible in order to help you make smarter buying decisions on tech gear and a wide array of products and services. Our editors thoroughly review and fact-check every article to ensure that our content meets the highest standards. If we have made an error or published misleading information, we will correct or clarify the article. If you see inaccuracies in our content, please report the mistake via this form.

The InfiRay P2 Pro.

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

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

Also: This ultra-thin battery pack I tested is a must-have travel gadget (and it works with MagSafe)

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 $80 off if you're a Prime member: InfiRay P2 Pro.

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

Also: This 12-in-1 electric screwdriver is my go-to tool, and it's available for less than $50

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 is tiny.

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

Here is the InfiRay P2 Pro fitted onto an Android smartphone.

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.

Also: The best travel gadgets of 2024

Then you can start exploring your environment.

Here's an InfiRay P2 Pro selfie.

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.

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

Then there is the macro lens.

Here's the magnetic macro lens for the P2 Pro.

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

Let's get up close with the macro lens.

Here's a closeup thermal image.

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

The P2 Pro software is well thought out.

This thermal camera is awesome, especially considering the price.

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

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: I recommend this $50 anti-spy camera finder and bug detector to anyone traveling

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 if you're an Amazon Prime member, you can get $80 off the list price of the iPhone version, while the Android version is currently discounted to $219.