Not the best, but better than the last

In the roughly seven years since its first camera release, Wyze has seen a meteoric rise in popularity as an affordable home security solution with its dynamic range of indoor and outdoor cameras. Where other cameras cost hundreds of dollars, Wyze has kept its devices squarely under $100 without making substantial sacrifices to quality.

The Wyze Cam v4 is the newest addition to the brand’s core series of cameras. It promises some new features, including the most detailed image quality in this series to date and a new spotlight. You’d think the new camera would be 15-20% more expensive than its predecessor, but no— this latest generation is just $36, the same MSRP as its predecessor. With the Cam v3 now discounted in the wake of its new sibling, is it worth buying the new Cam v4?

Price, availability, and specs

Since its release in late March this year, the Wyze Cam v4 has been widely available from most online electronics retailers. You can get the Cam v4 directly from Wyze or from your preferred online store, such as Amazon, Best Buy, or Home Depot. Its MSRP is around $36.

What’s good about the Wyze Cam v4?

The features and specs of this camera are truly impressive, given its price range. A visitor or passerby’s likeness won’t be quite as tack-sharp as it is on higher-end cameras, but the Cam v4’s 2.5K QHD resolution offers a clear enough image that important details, like faces, are kept pretty detailed up to about 10 feet.

So, as an outdoor surveillance camera, the Wyze’s greatest strength is in up-close monitoring, like a porch. Much further away, and minute details start to become muddled. The below example shows a passerby from about 15-20 feet away from the outdoor camera, uncropped vs. cropped.

Installation is quick, easy, and versatile. Wyze includes an option to install the camera via a magnetic base that you attach to the camera with a 3M strip. While I couldn’t think of any useful applications for myself, this seems like something that would benefit some users and that I haven’t seen offered by other cameras.

With guidance from the Wyze app, getting the Cam v4 up and running indoors took less than five minutes — just stand it up where you want, plug it in, and follow the steps on the app. Installation outside is a bit more involved, as there’s mounting and finding a spot with good Wi-Fi and a strong signal to fuss about, but my outdoor Cam v4 was still in business within 10 minutes.

My experience with the Cam v4 indoors is pretty simple and nearly identical to the Cam v3. Because of the closer proximity, images of pets and people are even clearer. The spotlight didn’t really get much use indoors but unexpectedly became a very useful motion-activated nightlight.

The new motion-activated spotlight is 72 lumens bright and offers two brightness levels. At 72 lumens, the bright level isn’t enough to blind unexpected visitors at night, but it’s certainly enough to get their attention. The same goes for the remotely activated siren; a solicitor or trespasser will certainly know they’ve been detected, but you won’t wake the neighbors.

Now, onto the app. An unexpected perk of the Cam v4 release was that the Wyze mobile app seemed to get a substantial update timed for the launch of the new camera. This update cleaned up some navigation and general UI issues I encountered in my year as a Cam v3 user. But if the Cam v4 is your first Wyze device, and you are new to the app, you will find a smooth, easy-to-use platform that makes live streaming, using two-way audio, viewing images or video history, or adding schedules a breeze.

One note: Buying a new Wyze device gets you a free trial to Cam Plus, a subscription service that gatekeeps several features like cloud video storage and activity discernment between people, vehicles, and animals.

However, if you buy two Wyze devices — for example, one for inside and one for outside — they won’t be included in your Cam Plus trial. Only the one activated first will get the temporary perks, so consider that when setting up your new products.

While you can subscribe to cloud-based video storage, it’s not necessary. The Cam v4’s onboard MicroSD slot can store up to 512 GB of archived footage. Wyze is one of the few security camera brands I’d say is worthwhile when used without a subscription, thanks to that local storage and the fact that even without a subscription, the app will store a screenshot of motion detected in case you can’t access the live stream in time.

I like that professional monitoring is an optional add-on to the Wyze ecosystem and is competitively priced. Lastly, one of my favorite app features is the preset rule menu. Here, you can set up instructions for the cameras to follow when you’re home or away, and these preset rules become handy widgets at the top of your app’s home screen.

What’s bad about the Wyze Cam v4?

Outside of the shortcomings the Cam v4 faces strictly due to its residency in the budget range, there are a few complaints to note about Wyze’s latest camera. Starting with the most minor annoyance first: Why did Wyze release the Cam v3 in black or white models, but the Cam v4 in white and a light gray that virtually passes as white as well?

I received one of each color camera for this testing and, as seen in this review’s images, which show both the white and gray cameras, the difference is barely perceivable. I generally prefer black housing on my electronics to hide evidence of dust, finger smudges, and pet hair — so I wish a black model had become a permanent option for Wyze cams moving forward after the v3.

It also seems a bit misleading that the fourth-generation Wyze cam is an indoor-outdoor camera, but doesn’t come ready for outdoor use straight out of the box. The USB-C to USB-A power cable included with the Cam v4 is not weatherproof. Sure, this is more than likely stated somewhere in the pamphlet’s fine print, but it seems prudent to throw up a Hold your horses, partner; do you have the designated weatherproof outdoor power adapter? when a user indicates on the app that they’re installing a new outdoor camera.

Instead, you probably won’t realize you don’t have everything you need for outdoor use until you’ve got the camera mounted, powered with the cable apparently only safe for indoor use, and activated on the app — if you even realize it at all. So you need this additional $6 power adapter to “safely” use the Cam v4 outside, but it’s not clear that this is a necessity.

My outdoor Cam v4 had been plugged in and running for days with its default power cable and block, so I’ll be sure to report back if I or my house’s electrical infrastructure fry as a result. (This issue predates the Cam v4 and applies to the v3, so if you don’t have a weatherproofed outdoor cable, better get one!)

Competing outdoor cameras, like the Blink Outdoor 4, still cost double or triple (at least) the Wyze Cam v4, even with the added adapter purchase, so the inconvenience is overshadowed by affordability.

The Cam v4’s automatic color night vision was spotty at times. Color night vision can be set to permanently on, off, or automatic and can be triggered in dusky (moderately low light) or dark (very low light) conditions.

No matter which light condition preference I set, the cam seemed to flip-flop between color and B&W night vision at random, despite no changes in light conditions, as seen below, where the camera recorded most instances, except one, in B&W despite my preference being set to automatic color vision and this being the middle of the night. On the plus side, it looked excellent when the color night vision was on.

A few more quick points: Wyze has an imperfect reputation regarding security and user privacy. There’s more background on the most recent (February 2024) security issue in previous Android Police reporting, but this could very well be a deal breaker for users who value airtight security and privacy in a home security brand’s history. Also, while Wyze cams play nicely with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, they unfortunately don’t integrate with Apple HomeKit.

Should you buy it?

After the recent privacy scare, it’s tough to recommend Wyze’s newest camera for indoor use. There are indoor camera alternatives, like the 2nd gen Ring Indoor Cam, that don’t have a recent security scandal to be accountable for. For shoppers who didn’t close this review and remove the Cam v4 from their shopping carts after reading about the security issues, I think this camera is an excellent choice for outdoor close-quarters surveillance like a small yard or patio/stoop. Of course, without a wireless battery, outdoor use may not work for you.

If you need a wireless camera, the Wyze Cam v4 isn’t for you. This series of cameras does not offer a battery-powered model and probably never will since Wyze has its own family of wireless cameras. This doesn’t really make a difference when using the Cam v4 indoors, but wired cameras could be a challenge for outdoor use, depending on your home’s layout.

Wyze’s features are highly competitive, with cameras that cost three to four times as much. A side-by-side footage comparison between the Cam v4 and a higher-end camera would expose the former’s weaknesses in detail retention and clarity. Still, if you’re confident in the safety of your neighborhood and don’t need a crystal-clear view of everyone walking by, then the Wyze Cam v4 is a perfectly fine choice.