Wyze Cam Pan Review

Promised Features

Wyze Cam Pan Features Breakdown

I must say that the Wyze Cam Pan seems like a really unique camera. It features:

• 1080p HD video
• Integrations with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and IFTTT
• 360-degree rotation
• 120-degree field of view
• Eight times digital zoom
• Infrared night vision
• Two-way audio

For under $40, this seems like a really good deal. I’m excited to take the camera out of the box and see what’s in store.

Necessary Features

Now it’s time for my favorite part of any camera review— our Necessary Features Test. Let’s see if the Wyze Cam Pan can pass!

Video

I’m impressed that the Wyze Pan has 1080p HD, the ability to zoom in eight times, and a field of view of 120-degrees. Of course, you have to keep in mind that the camera can turn all the way around, so it’s more like a 360-degree field of view when you really think about it.

Now, while you can make the camera pan remotely using the app, you can also set it to pan on its own periodically. This feature is called Pan Scan, where you set up to four waypoints (basically stopping points) for the camera. When Pan Scan is activated, it pans around, stopping at the set way points for a few seconds to give you a general overview of the camera’s surroundings.

Night Vision

The camera comes equipped with six infrared LED sensors that make for a really clear picture, even in the dead of night. I prefer infrared light over color night vision because it’s a lot less conspicuous than a bright white light. If I’m recording someone, I don’t want them to know about it, less they try to unplug my camera. Infrared night vision gives me the stealth I need to stay safe at night.

The Wyze Cam Pan v3 features color night vision in addition to infrared night vision. Instead of using light to illuminate its surroundings like most color night vision cameras, the Wyze Cam Pan v3 relies on its CMOS Starlight sensor. This method, however, means that it can’t see in color in complete darkness; just when there’s low light.

Audio Quality

I’m not going to lie: the Wyze Cam Pan’s audio isn’t the clearest I’ve ever heard. Still, I appreciated its two-way audio. If nothing else, it’s good to know I can always tell my dog to get off the couch, no matter where I may be.

Storage

Wyze gives you free local storage through a microSD card. It used to offer cloud storage for up to 14 days through the Wyze Cam Lite plan, which was a name-your-price type plan starting at $0. Sadly, Wyze is saying goodbye to Cam Lite. If you want cloud storage, you’ll have to cough up $2.99 per month or $19.99 per year for the Cam Plus plan.

Smart Platform Integration

The camera integrates with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and IFTTT. This is great if you’re already in the Amazon or Google ecosystems, but if you’re an Apple HomeKit user, you might want to check out something else.

>> Read More: Best Security Systems for Apple Users in 2024

Artificial Intelligence

When I say artificial intelligence in reference to home security cameras, I’m typically talking about person detection, which differentiates between people and other moving objects to give you notifications that actually matter. Wyze Cam Pan now has person detection, which is great! However, it’s only available with their Wyze Cam Plus subscription service, along with cloud storage.

The camera also offers smart sound recognition for smoke and CO alarms, so you can turn your old devices into smart ones and receive mobile notifications.

Convenience

The Wyze Cam Pan was easy to set up. The entire process took only about three minutes. First I plugged in the camera then connected it to Wi-Fi in my Wyze app. After scanning the QR code on the back of the camera, it synced up with my app, and voíla! The Wyze Cam Pan is ready to rock.

Value

Now, a lot of the times that a camera pans it can feel a little flimsy, but that was not the case with the Wyze Cam Pan. On the contrary, it was light but very sturdy, and for a little over $30, this camera is definitely worth it overall.

Video Review

The Wyze App

To access your Wyze Pan remotely, you’ll use the Wyze app, available on both the Apple and Google Play stores. The camera has ratings of 4.5 and 4.3, respectively – pretty solid. The score wasn’t always that high (I can remember a time when it was hovering around three stars). It seems like Wyze has fixed bugs, added features, and made users happy.

On the Wyze app, you’ll be able to livestream footage, review video history, use two-way audio, receive push notifications, and create time-lapse videos. In other words, it’s your portal to the Wyze Pan, completely on-the-go.

Comparisons

Now I want to compare the Wyze Cam Pan to its competition, the original Wyze Cam. Let’s take a closer look.

Wyze Cam

You know I wasn’t going to review the Wyze Cam Pan without comparing it to its predecessor, the original Wyze Cam! Now, the main difference between the two is — you guessed it, the Wyze Cam Pan’s ability to turn all the way around and pan 180 degrees. Aside from that, the cameras are almost exactly the same; the Wyze Cam Pan just costs a few dollars extra. Since this is such a small difference, I would buy the Wyze Cam Pan over the Wyze Cam so you get that superior video. But make no mistake, these are both great cameras.

Want more information? Read our review of the Wyze Cam.

Recap of the Wyze Cam Pan

If it wasn’t clear, I think the Wyze Cam Pan is a fantastic security camera for your home. Not only is it only a touch more than $30, but it has almost all of the Necessary Features that I want in a camera, not skimping on quality just because it’s affordable.