Wyze gained attention in 2017 by launching its first $20 security camera. Since then, the company has been rolling out upgrades, including the Wyze Cam v3 in 2020. Its insanely affordable smart home gadgets forced big tech players and other startups to seriously rethink their pricing strategies. Now, Wyze is back at it again,introducing a fresh take on the original Wyze Cam, dubbed the Wyze Cam v4.
Wyze Cam v4
The Wyze Cam v4 may look like the v3 at first glance, but there’s a lot going on once you dig a bit deeper. 2.5k resolution and full-color night vision highlight some of the technical improvements, and a motion-activated light paired with IP65 water and dust resistance are the headlining changes from a hardware perspective. Even with all that, Wyze will retail the Cam v4 at the same $36 price tag as the last generation, taking this handy little security camera into impulse-buy territory.
Wyze’s newest security camera retails for $30 initially, but it’ll bump up to $36 later on. The company has given this one a serious facelift, revamping both the exterior and a good chunk of the tech inside. Now, it boasts 2.5K video capture, a jump from the previous 1080p resolution. Plus, just like the last model, the Cam v4 is still rocking an IP65 rating, meaning it’s tough enough to handle the elements.
The Cam v4 comes with a fresh image signal processor, adding HDR and promising sharper visuals that Wyze says get closer to real-life. However, it looks like Wyze has made a trade-off as the field of view (FOV) has shrunk a tad. Now, it has a 115.8° diagonal FOV, 98.5° horizontal FOV, and 53.1° vertical FOV, compared to the Cam v3’s wider 180° vertical FOV and 121° diagonal FOV.
Wyze’s new camera packs some upgrades, but is security a concern?
The latest Wyze model boasts Wi-Fi 6 support, giving you an additional 20 meters of range, improved handling of network congestion, and faster connections. That said, it still sticks to 2.4GHz networks, asconfirmed by a company representative, who explains that this is “because 2.4 GHz works better over long distances and also has better wall penetration.”
The Wyze Cam v4 features onboard Edge AI processing, delivering speedier notifications and basic AI person detection without needing to send images to the cloud. However,Wyze is up frontabout it not being as robust as itsWyze AI Person Detectionincluded inCam Plusand Cam Protect.
Wyze Cam Pan v3 review: Panoramic value
Wyze’s first indoor-outdoor pan-tilt camera is crazy good for 40 bucks
The latest version also comes with a motion-activated spotlight and voice warnings triggered by motion, features you can also find in more expensive Wyze cameras like the Wyze Cam Floodlight Pro. Once activated, the camera belts out a friendly “Hi, you are currently being recorded” voice prompt. Plus, it boasts beefed-up audio quality, cranking up the volume to 99db with its amplifier, a step up from the Cam v3’s 80db, making it a serious competitor to thetop wireless security cameras with two-way audio.
All of these upgrades are nice, but existing and prospective Wyze Cam owners will want to know one thing before making a purchase: Is Wyze as committed to upgrading security as it is with camera hardware? The brand clearly has some work to do on this front, after dragging its feet on a security issue that left cameras vulnerable to an attack that couldlet strangers see into your home. Even after catching flak for its lax approach to security in 2022, the company found itself in hot water again just last month, whena security incident following a service outageshowed some customers the events and thumbnails from other people’s cameras.
Wyze has built a reputation for offering affordable smart home products, but it has some work to do in order to regain user trust following these security issues. After all, what good is a security camera if it’s not actuallysecure? If you’re thinking of scooping up a Cam v4 for its attractive price tag and feature set regardless, you might want to take advantage of that IP65 water resistance and keep it outside your home — or at least somewhere less private than a bedroom.
