Wyze Cam v3 Pro: Specifications
Camera resolution: 2K 20fps day / 15fps night
field of view: 116 degrees
Size: 2.05 x 2.05 x 2.3 inches
searchlight brightness: 2 spotlights of 70 lumens
WIFI: Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n at 2.4GHz
It’s been a few years since Wyze released its first security camera for under $20 and it did well enough for the price. They’ve come a long way since then, offering budget products across a range of smart home categories. But at its core lies its security camera. For about two weeks, I tested the Wyze Cam v3 Pro—the company’s $50 camcorder that offers 2K video quality, improved nighttime recording, and a slightly tuned design.
And what was the result? I am again baffled by Wyze and how they are able to put this level of performance and quality into a $50 device. It is easily one of the Best home security cameras at this price.
Wyze Cam v3 Pro review: Price and availability
You can buy the Wyze Cam v3 Pro direct from Wyze for $50, or you can save a little money by buying two sets of cameras for $96. It’s not a huge discount, but it’s better than nothing I suppose.
Wyze Cam v3 Pro review: The design
The Wyze Cam v3 Pro uses the familiar cube-inspired design we’ve seen from Wyze in the past. The v3 Pro’s housing is 2.05 inches wide by 2.05 inches deep, with a fold-out stand under the base that allows you to rotate and position the camera, making it slightly taller than its true square form factor, at 2.3 inches.
The front of the camera is where you’ll find the subtle difference between the Wyze Cam v3 Pro and the standard Wyze Cam v3. Instead of a white frame, the entire front of the v3 Pro is black, save for the two lights just above the lens. The housing is rated IP65—similar to many of the best outdoor security cameras—meaning it can withstand the occasional dust or water from a storm.
On the back of the camera is a small speaker that is used for two-way audio along with an 89dB siren that you can activate in the Wyze app to draw attention to something or scare someone away.
Below the speaker is a recessed microUSB port. The cable that came with the camera is designed to sit deep enough in the port housing to provide power and to keep water or dust out. Unlike some other outdoor security cameras, like the Blink Outdoor and Nest Cam (battery), which can run on battery power alone, the Wyze Cam v3 Pro must be connected.
When you lift the bottom of the camera off the mount, you’ll find a button that puts the camera into setup mode and a microSD card slot covered by a socket.
The bottom of the mount has a hole for a mounting screw, or you can mount the camera magnetically if you prefer. Inside the box is a mounting screw along with a circular metal plate with 3M adhesive to the metal plate.
Wyze Cam v3 Pro review: Video quality
In addition to a minor design tweak over the standard v3, the Wyze Cam v3 Pro features video improvement. The v3 records at 1080p, while the Pro version upscales the video quality to great-looking 2K video quality.
Seriously, the first time I watched a clip I was impressed with how clear the video was. Version 3 Pro records video at two different frame rates. During the day, video is recorded at 20 frames per second. At night, when using the camera’s color night vision, video is recorded at 15 frames per second. That’s a bit lower than some more expensive home security cameras like the Nest Cam (battery), which records video at 30 frames per second.
However, video during the day and at night looks smooth, lacking any stuttering or stuttering that can occur at lower frame rates. Especially on devices that tend toward the more expensive end of the spectrum.
My only complaint about the Wyze Cam v3 Pro is that the 70-lumen spotlight is very weak. If you’re looking for a camera that can really light up a dark area, the Wyze Cam Floodlight, Ring Spotlight, and Ring Floodlight are better options.
To put 70 lumens of brightness into perspective, consider that the Ring Spotlight Cam delivers a total output of 750 lumens, or more than 10 times what the Wyze Cam V3 Pro has. When the lights on the V3 Pro are on, they’re bright enough to illuminate an object a few feet from the camera, but their effectiveness basically stops after that.
Wyze Cam v3 Pro review: Motion detection
I had an initial hiccup with motion detection which ended up being a great learning experience. I’ve had the V3 Pro monitor my backyard, which is a fairly busy area as I have two dogs and three kids and it’s part of the path I take to go to my home office in a separate building. A road I walk several times a day.
With a free two-week trial of Cam Plus, I created animated alerts for pets, people, and packages. Things seemed to be going well for the first few days of testing until I woke up one morning and saw a motion alert that someone was on the back porch at 2am. My heart is racing, as my public area has recently had several break-ins during the night.
After watching the video a few times, complete with looking at the green box to indicate where the person or motion was detected, I realized it was a false alarm.
Around that time, the flashlight that was visible to the V3 Pro’s camera turned on, and there was a reflection on the table highlighted by the camera. I thought it was weird that the alert was classified as a person and not a movement.
I reached out to Wyze to find out what could be causing the false alarm. After sending me some logs and a sample video, the Wyze team got back to me—the bike helmet in the video was tricking Wyze’s AI into thinking there was a person in the shot.
Fast forward another week, and after clearing the table, I have yet to get another false alert. In fact, the alerts I received were instant.
Wyze Cam v3 Pro review: Video storage
When it comes to storage, you have two options. You can pay Wyze for the Cam Plus service or use a microSD card for local storage. With Cam Plus, you get 14 days of cloud storage for unlimited events. However, with a microSD card, you can get continuous recording and event recording, both of which are stored on your card. While the card is full, old snapshots are deleted to make space. Wyze estimates that you’ll get 15 days worth of footage on a 128GB card.
The cost of Cam Plus depends on how many cams you own. For a single camera, it’s $1.99 (currently on sale for $1.67 per month), billed annually. This is much less expensive than other home security camera cloud storage plans.
Out of the box, with no additional storage space or subscription, the camera will store footage of motion or sound-triggered events. Each take has a 5-minute period between each take.
With a microSD card or Cam Plus plan, event video length is unlimited and the 5-minute waiting period is removed, allowing the camera to capture back-to-back events. In addition, you will get the advantage of fast detection of parcels, vehicles and pets. Finally, you’ll be able to access a Wyze webview for your camera stream.
Wyze Cam v3 Pro review: The verdict
After two weeks of using the Wyze Cam v3 Pro, I’m more impressed with the Wyze Cam than ever. The 2K video quality looks great and is a huge improvement over 1080p over fellow Wyze Cam models. Add the option of continuous local recording via a microSD card or at $24 a year, 14 days of cloud storage and advanced motion detection — and there’s a lot to like without having to spend a ton of money.
If you don’t want or need all the bells and whistles that come with a more expensive home security system, the Wyze Cam v3 Pro is a very affordable option that still blurs the line between affordability and performance.