Wyze has updated its budget camera to the v4 version. Its resolution is now 2.5K. It also includes better night vision and a bigger optical sensor. Together, they create a clear image that compares to some of the best security cameras. Apart from that, the camera has a built-in siren and a projector. With this in mind, the Wyze v4 may become a successor to its previous counterpart, Wyze Cam v3, which was considered the best budget security camera.
Price compared to competitors
Wyze Cam v4 was introduced on 26th March 2024, priced at $35.98. And at the moment of writing this article, it was on sale, and it cost $29.99. However, even $35.98 is cheaper than its direct competitor, the Blink Mini 2 from Amazon, priced at $39. The Wyze Cam has more resolution and a built-in waterproof plug. So you won’t have to buy a separate power supply to power outside, unlike Blink.
Design
The Wyze camera got quite a few updates. It’s now available in light gray or white. The rounded corners on the camera give it a more modern look. If one trusts Wyze, the camera’s body has a rating of IP65, which means it can withstand harsh and extreme weather conditions from -20°C to 50°C, along with rain.
Located on the front panel above the Wyze Cam v4 is a projector. The camera lens is at the center. A little below are the status LEDs and microphones from both sides. The back panel at the top part is where the acoustics are. The outdated Micro USB cable is at the center in the back. The user needs to plug the flat 180cm long power supply shipped with the camera. The cable might be hanging between the power supply and the camera.
The lower part of the camera is where the connect button and the microSD card slot are, along with a folding leg with a magnetic base. The Wyze camera can attach itself to the wall thanks to the leg mentioned. You can extend the leg from the bottom part for additional height or to change the camera angle relative to the wall. You can rotate or tilt the camera to create a precise viewing area. Wyze also includes adhesive 3M rings, which easily stick to the bricks or the siding and then attach the camera via the magnetic leg.
Image and sound quality
The Wyze cam has a resolution of 2560×1440 or 2.5K and high productivity in dark places, an advantage compared to its budget competitors. The optic sensor creates a bright and clear view during the day and night, thanks to the saturated colors during night vision. The camera shows a formidable view even with high-contrast lighting.
It isn’t uncommon for budget cameras with low-resolution overload at rapid lighting changes, causing them to flicker or lose their color balance. Since the Wyze camera focuses on the main view rather than background items, that issue doesn’t persist as much.
The Wyze cam, having 2.5K resolution, has more pixels than the average 1080p camera for clear video quality.
A new feature based on artificial intelligence is called Smart Focus. When enabled, the camera automatically zooms in and keeps people in its field of view. So, the built-in AI not only detects what object is visible (a person, a parcel, a vehicle, or an animal), but the AI also tracks it for a few moments.
Of course, one can disable Smart Focus to ensure a wild field of view without zooming in, but the camera detects events and focuses on details so well that I recommend keeping it on. The Wyze cam quickly detects motion and pushes a notification in less than two seconds when the object hits the camera’s point of view. If you don’t have Wyze’s subscription, you will only get a screenshot of what triggered the event, and you will have to wait five minutes to get an update. That long waiting period can be disheartening, especially if you were to miss an important notification.
But Wyze offers an alternative solution. The camera supports saving recordings locally on an SD card, which does not require a subscription.
The camera detects motion well at night since it has plausible IR vision. Also, you can use the built-in LED projector at 72 lumens to light the field of view with a bright white light, which warrants saturated-colored night vision with realistic shading. The colors on this camera are almost as saturated as professional models with HDR support.
Another advantage of this camera is the audio. Human language or even sounds like barking all sound natural, albeit slightly compressed during playback, since the camera is trying to clear background noise, such as cars or the wind. You can hear someone talking during a dual-sided conversation or understand what one said in video recordings.
Wyze Cam v4 and the mobile app
The Wyze app has a simple and comprehensive interface that displays all your cameras and recorded clips on a single screen. It also has versatile settings. The first thing to load is the main page, which shows miniature icons of all your Wyze cameras. The button for the routines tab at the top so that you can click on the “I’m away” button to control cameras with one click. Near the settings are helpful tips encouraging you to experiment with your Wyze devices. For example, you can turn on the lights if a camera detects motion or your phone connects to the home network.
Tap the camera icon to open its live feed almost instantly. From here, you can control its spotlight, microphone, siren, or record using the buttons. You can access advanced features using the settings icon. These include changing the resolution, setting up motion detection zones, or setting up sound triggers or even baby cries.
Security concerns and conclusion
Truth be told, Wyze has gotten into trouble quite a few times. For example, in 2022, hackers could get into Wyze Cam v1’s feed thanks to its vulnerabilities. Back then, the company stopped support for the camera and didn’t even warn clients about the vulnerabilities. And in February this year, Wyze said that its clients could see video from strangers’ cameras. This issue was covered by both Ukrainian and international media.
In conclusion, the security methods of this company are questionable at best, but some clients are already speaking out about it. They say that if you use the camera outside and save recordings to the SD card only, you wouldn’t find a better camera for the price. So, I assume many will appreciate the news that Wyze Cam v4 is now available for sale.
It’s still an open question whether Smart Focus or other AI-enabled features, like human motion recognition or object detection, will work if a customer has not purchased a cloud plan. I’ll keep you posted and add additional information to this review if I get more.
