Wyze Cam v3 Review

This option might be a cheap security camera, but its features aren’t. This camera comes with stuff we’d expect from a device that costs $100 more, such as color night vision. That’s right, color. (Most night vision is smudgy black and white.) This way, you can see what color clothes people are wearing.

Wyze Cam v3 indoor camera features: 

The Wyze Cam v3 even has something we don’t usually see: simultaneous two-way audio.

Most security cameras work similarly to a walkie-talkie with two-way audio. You have to press a button to talk, and you can’t hear what the other person is saying while you’re talking.

The two-way audio works more like a phone call, where you and the other person can talk back and forth without saying “over” at the end of your sentences.

The Wyze Cam v3 doesn’t require a monthly cloud storage subscription. This camera has local storage if you insert a microSD card, and you can view the livefeed anytime for free.

If you do want cloud storage, the Wyze Cam v3 comes with 14 days’ worth of rolling cloud storage for free. But you might want to subscribe to a monthly subscription plan anyway so you have access to smart features like person detection.

The Wyze Cam Plus plan gives you access to person, package, vehicle, and sound detection.

The Cam Plus plan also eliminates the Wyze Cam’s cooldown period. Normally, the camera will wait five minutes between motion triggers, which is a long time to go without recording. You might miss some key action not captured in the initial 12-second clip.

As long as you subscribe to a Cam Plus plan, your Wyze Cam v3 will be able to tell the difference between a person standing in your yard and a package sitting on your doorstep. Wyze's free plan will get you motion detection, but it won't be able to distinguish the source of the motion.

Most security cameras can’t tell the difference between a car and a box, and the ones that can are pretty pricey (like the Nest Cam Outdoor.) But even with its measly price tag, the Wyze Cam v3 has AI features worth three times its price.

With sound detection, the Wyze cam v3 can also tell you if it hears your smoke alarm or carbon monoxide detector go off.

Pricier cameras like Nest and Arlo still require a monthly subscription plan to access their smartest features, and, not surprisingly, their plans cost more than Wyze’s Cam Plus option.

The Wyze Cam v3 isn’t just smart, it’s versatile. You can adjust this camera to go just about anywhere its power cord can reach, including flat spots like shelves, upside down on ceilings, in front of windows, or on magnetic metal surfaces.

All of Wyze’s products are known for their low price points, and the Wyze Cam v3 is no different. Still, even for Wyze, it’s downright suspicious this camera doesn’t cost more than its $36 price.

To be honest, we really are a bit suspicious of Wyze’s low price points. This camera has features we see in $150 to $300 cameras, and it costs less than $40? Interesting.

Potential deviousness aside, it’s an unbeatable price. You will not find another security camera this smart that’s also this cheap. Even if you subscribe to a Cam Plus plan, that’s a mere $2 extra per camera per month. That’s hardly a bank-buster.

Wyze has a few different smart home integrations, including Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, and IFTTT. You can pull up your camera’s livefeed on a smart display, like the Amazon Echo Show. And Wyze cameras will work with smart routines you set up through your Echo or Google Nest Hub as well.

The Wyze Cam v3 doesn’t work with Apple HomeKit, but not very many cameras do. If you’re a homekit fan, we recommend Eufy cameras.

The Wyze Cam v3 is outright unbeatable for its price. We’re not sure how Wyze manages to charge so little while offering so much. You’ll get smart features we expect from much more expensive cameras, as well as versatile mounting options and innovative bonuses like color night vision and 24/7 continuous video recording.

• Features: The Wyze Cam v3’s features are incredibly good for the price. Most pricier cameras don’t even have color night vision or 24/7 continuous recording, but the Wyze Cam v3 has both. Plus, if you subscribe to a Cam Plus plan, you get access to AI features like package detection.
• Pricing: Security cameras don’t go for much lower than the Wyze Cam v3’s $36 price point.
• Home automation: The Wyze Cam v3 works with Alexa, Google, and IFTTT. It’s easy to fit into other smart routines, and you can control your other Wyze devices from the same mobile app.

Not sure if the Wyze Cam v3 is for you? Check out our Best Cheap Security Cameras Review for other options.