It is an excellent camera for monitoring the inside or outdoor of your home, and since it only costs under $40, it is easy to suggest it as our new Editors’ Choice Award winner for affordable security cameras. Since releasing its game-changing home security camera a few years back, Wyze has constantly upgraded its flagship product, adding an outdoor version with the Wyze Cam Outdoor while keeping its outrageously cheap pricing. The best features of those two cameras are now seamlessly combined in the Wyze Cam v3, the company’s first indoor/outdoor camera. Although it initially seems like not much has changed from one edition to the next, the camera has seen a minor upgrade. This third version is still a roughly 2 x 2 x 2 inch cube, but the edges have been softened and the black face has changed from a circle to a square. On the interior, bigger alterations are to be discovered. The addition of color night vision is the most important of these. In comparison to the Wyze Cam v2, the v3 can capture 40% more light thanks to a Starlight Sensor and a larger 1.6 aperture. Simply put, it “sees” more clearly at night. you can read our article on Wyze Cam V3 review.
Wyze Cam V3 review: Design
The Wyze Cam v3 resembles earlier models in that it is a simple white cube with edges that are roughly 2 inches wide, but this time the edges are softened. The bottom of the camera features a telescoping mount that create it easy to tilt the camera in the direction you like. The face of the camera is black. The mount can be screwed into a wall or ceiling, but the business also sells magnetic discs and double-sided tape if you don’t want to attach it permanently. Since it is water-resistant, the Wyze Cam v3 looks slightly different than the Wyze Cam v2. The v3’s power source is hard-wired into the back of the camera, and a 6-foot microUSB cable links it to a USB adaptor socket. It gives you more mounting options for the camera outside, albeit not as much as the Wyze Cam outside, a totally wireless gadgets that is on our list of the best outdoor security cameras. The Wyze Cam v3 does, however, have one disadvantage in that, unlike the v2 model, it cannot be equipped with the Wyze Sense, a compact module that enables you to link the camera to motion and door/window sensors. It doesn’t matter if you don’t already have one because the Sense is no longer available.
Camera
The Wyze Cam V3’s CMOS Starlight sensor manages to capture passable-looking 1080p video when keeping an eye on things. Although there is sufficient detail to allow for object recognition, the 20 fps capture rate struggles with moving objects, which causes additional blurring. However, in our experience, the issue only arises when there is less ambient light present. Another issue is dynamic range, which results in overexposed highlights. The Wyze Cam V3 truly distinguishes itself from the majority of the competition at night. It appears that the sensor can capture more light, producing crisper details. Even more so than the film from during the day, in our opinion. However, its color night vision, which dabs some color into the footage with the help of some ambient light, is what most impresses us. Given the low cost of the V3 camera, this feature is truly impressive. You won’t find better night vision for the price anywhere, and we thoroughly tested all of the leading rivals.
Wyze Cam V3 review: Wider security features
Cheap cameras typically have few features. With the Wyze Cam v3, that is not the case at all. This demonstrates to us that it can maintain the security of our flat without our being there. First of all, Wyze is equipped with the controls we require to meet our needs. There are a good number of options, including the ability to record in response to motion or sound detection, setting detection zones to reduce false alerts, adding custom schedules and automated operations, and more. Even the capability to send notifications when smoke or carbon monoxide sirens go off is available. All of this demonstrates that the company has a deeper comprehension of the security and privacy requirements of users. We enjoy that there is the option for local storage via its microSD card slot, even if there is 14 days of cloud storage that saves 12-second clips. Because it can record time-lapse videos of practically any length, just like the Wyze Outdoor Cam, we advise making use of the microSD card. Two-factor authentication, a built-in siren that can be activated through the app, and a choice to electronically turn off the camera through the Wyze app round out the features.
Video and Audio Performance
Over the previous version, the Wyze Cam v3 features a lot of improvements. The camera has the same resolution as the Wyze Cam v2 but a wider field of view (130 vs. 110 degrees), a lower aperture (f/1.6), a higher frame rate (20 fps day/15 fps night), and better night vision because it has twice as many infrared LEDs. The Wyze Cam v3 also has a new speaker that can produce an 80-decibel siren and simultaneous (or full-duplex) two-way communication. Additionally, you can read our review of the Wyze Cam V3.One of the newest and most impressive features of the Wyze Cam v3 is colour night vision. Even though it is not quite as precise as daytime, colour night vision is generally accurate. We could see the house across the street, our orange pants, and the blue pots on our front porch. The camera’s motion sensitivity was sufficient for it to start following us from a distance of roughly 40 feet even at a 39% setting. At a distance of around 8 feet from the camera, we could make out what we were saying, but the audio quality was subpar. We could clearly see every single leaf in the trees outside our home throughout the day, and the fall foliage’s hues were very vibrant. Audio from a distance of 8 feet was somewhat choppy, similar to the night video, but still audible. The Wyze Cam has a restriction that any movies it records can only be up to 12 seconds long with a 5-minute break in between each clip. However, if you choose Wyze Cam Plus, you’ll receive limitless video lengths and no cool-down times. A 32GB microSD card can be inserted into the camera to enable continuous video recording and time-lapse videos if you want longer videos but don’t want to subscribe.
Wyze Cam V3 review: App
The Wyze app is packed with helpful features for home security. Unfortunately, some of them require a Wyze Cam Plus subscription in order to access, which may or may not be a deal-breaker for you. Each connected camera’s screenshot is displayed in the Home tab; you must tap the screenshot to connect to the camera and authenticate it before you can view through it. You can adjust the video resolution, record or take a picture of what is on the feed, sound the siren to frighten someone away, turn on two-way talk audio, or turn off the camera on the same page. Additionally, each camera’s specific settings are available. The event sensitivity or what causes a notification can be customized. For each camera, you can set “Rules” that control things like when a camera turns on daily or when alerts are sent out when a person or a door opens. Additionally, each camera feed is divided into 144 detection zones, allowing you to focus its notifications so that they only sound when motion is detected in a specific area of the screen. Overall, we didn’t run into many issues using the Wyze app. If we had to pick something, tapping an event notification sometimes isn’t very clear. When you tap the pop-up that says “A person was detected at 12:00” you are sent to a live broadcast. However, by then they might have already left, so you’ll need to switch from the live feed to the events tab. The new event won’t appear until you refresh the page, at which point you can tap it to return to the live stream and scroll back to the previous motion. Why the notification doesn’t take you right to this screen is currently unknown. If you have a real smart home, you can use an Alexa or Google Assistant command to turn on or off the Wyze Cam v3 or use IFTTT to have its motion alerts turn on your smart lighting.
Price and availability
One can be imported, but some functionality might be restricted, into places like the UK. For instance, a US phone number is required for two-factor authentication. With the Wyze Cam Plus subscription service, which costs $2 per month or $20 per year, you can detect people and record for as long as you like (without it, the camera can only record for 12 seconds at a time).
Conclusion
It is simple to recommend the Wyze Cam. It is reasonably priced, reliable, and offers two weeks of cloud storage at no cost. If you like, you may also utilize a microSD card for local storage. There are certainly more advanced cameras available, but Wyze continues to dazzle us with its high-quality, low-cost smart home products, and this latest Wyze Cam is no exception. If you live in North America and are considering purchasing a smart home security camera in 2022, we highly suggest the Wyze Cam v3. Wyze has not yet committed to expanding its service offerings to consumers outside of the United States and does not currently support other regions. However, this does not imply that the Wyze Cam v3 won’t function outside of the United States.
