Wyze is launching a follow-up to its flagship Cam v3 device, with an upcoming Pro model that is “smarter” and “faster” than before.
The company has made a name for itself in the smart home industry by providing cheap, mid-range alternatives for security devices with in-demand features. But what Wyze lacks in its catalog are powerful cameras; devices that have standout features like 2K video. However, it appears that attitude is changing with the Cam v3 Pro (opens in new tab).
In this new offering, the Pro will be able to record in 2K resolution (2560×1440 pixels), adds new software features, and have the hardware changes to back it all up. Any smart home product line that gets a Pro model usually gets a price hike to go along with it and this is no exception. You can purchase the Cam v3 Pro right now for $49.99 or $99.98 if you want two, but it won’t ship out until November 4.
New features
The newfound speed on the Cam v3 Pro comes from a combination of a new dual-core 1.2 GHz processor and Edge AI allowing it to quickly identify people who come into view of the lens. On the older model, the camera has to first upload an image or recording to the cloud for processing before telling you what it sees on the Wyze app. That extra step is gone. Person detection is near-instant thanks to the onboard CPU/AI combo, according to the company. Plus you don’t even need to be subscribed to Wyze’s Cam Plus service.
Speaking of the Wyze app, it’s also getting an update. The user interface will include new tools to control the v3 Pro’s embedded spotlight and a redesigned recording timeline that Wyze claims will be easier to navigate. You can even create “customized detection zones” to tell the camera where you want it to watch. But the crowning feature has to be Smart Focus, which adds a miniaturized feed on the app while the camera focuses on someone. Think of it like the picture-in-picture feature on YouTube.
Other notable new features include a motion-activated spotlight that shines at 80 lumens and an 89-decibel siren to sound the alarm at would-be trespassers.
Migrating over
Besides the new features, a lot of the Cam v3’s existing ones are migrating over to the Pro with some getting an upgrade. Color night vision, for example, can also record in 2K resolution. Its two-way audio system will have noise and echo cancellation for a cleaner sound. The lens gains 8x digital zoom but comes at the cost of a smaller 116-degree field of view (the older model had a 130-degree field of view).
Unchanged is the IP65 water resistance rating, meaning the camera is totally protected against dust as well as streams of water. So you can use the v3 Pro outside although Wyze recommends purchasing the Outdoor Power Adapter (opens in new tab) as the one it comes with can’t handle the elements as well. And upon purchase, you get a free three-month trial of Wyze’s Cam Plus service (opens in new tab) adding extra features like package detection plus 4x fast-forwarding.
If you’re not totally convinced by Wyze’s new offering and want to shop around a little, be sure to check out TechRadar’s recently updated home security camera list for 2022.
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