Wyze Cam Pan Review
One of the most affordable cameras we've reviewed, the Wyze Cam Pan doesn't skimp in terms of quality.
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Last Updated on Jul 15, 2024
What We Like
- Excellent video, audio, and night vision: The Wyze Cam Pan may be affordable, but it meets our high standards in terms of video, audio, and night vision.
- Cloud and local storage: Choose the method that works best for you with dual storage.
- Alexa, Google Assistant and IFTTT integration: The Wyze Cam Pan is smart home ready.
What We Don't Like
- Doesn't have Apple HomeKit integration: We’re nitpicking here, but if you’re on the HomeKit ecosystem, it’s not the camera for you.
- Boxy design: It wasn’t a problem for us — in fact, we liked it — but some folks will prefer their indoor cameras to have curves rather than the Wyze Cam Pan’s boxy, tower-like design.
- Artificial intelligence comes at a price: It’s good that the Wyze Cam Pan supports features like person detection and pet detection, but those features require a Cam Plus subscription.
Bottom Line
We loved being able to pan all the way around and even tilt 180 degrees with the aptly-named Wyze Cam Pan. It's Alexa, Google Assistant, and IFTTT integrations didn't hurt, either.Editor’s Note: Wyze cameras are affordable, but we recommend spending the money on an affordable home security system. You can pick and choose the devices you need to protect your home while scoring special discounts up to 87-percent off and free cameras.
If you haven’t heard of Wyze, you will soon. It was founded by former Amazon employees who were disappointed with the home security cameras on the market at the time. While the more technologically advanced cameras were pretty pricey, the more affordable cameras lacked quality. Wyze sets out to have the best of both worlds, affordability, and incredible technology.
The Wyze Cam Pan is one of the company’s best-sellers, and in 2023, the newest iteration (v3) of the pan-and-tilt came out. Now, I tested the Wyze Cam Pan v1, and as far as I can tell, this nifty little camera is only getting better. The v3 has better night vision and more rugged construction, but the features I liked on the first go-round remain. As a bonus, the price remains at an affordable $33.99.
In this Wyze Cam Pan review, we’ll cover the camera’s features, what I thought of it, and whether it matches up with our Necessary Features Test. Let’s jump in!
Promised Features
Wyze Cam Pan Features Breakdown
| Camera | Wyze Cam Pan |
|---|---|
| Price | $33.99 |
| Field of vision | 120° |
| Resolution | 1080p |
| Zoom | 8x |
| Two-way audio | Yes |
| 24/7 recording | Yes |
| Night vision | Yes |
| Cloud storage | Yes |
| Local storage | Yes |
| Battery or Wired | Wired |
| Learn More | View on Amazon |
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.
First Impressions
I’m impressed by the Wyze Cam Pan’s design. Two white rectangular prisms with a shiny, black circular camera, it is super sleek and minimalist, a look I prefer. Plus, it can pan 360 degrees horizontally and 180 degrees vertically, hence the name. This allows you to see basically an entire room, which is awesome. Of course, the camera has a microphone and speaker enabling two-way audio, plus a slot for a micro-SD card. The camera plugs in, which means you won’t have to worry about replacing a battery anytime soon. All in all, I’m really satisfied with how the Wyze Cam Pan looks, but let’s see what it can actually do.
One Downside To Watch Out For
While the Wyze Cam Pan is shaping up to be a solid camera, it has one downside: When it’s not panning or tilting, its field of view is set to only 120-degrees, which is less than optimal. We recommend indoor cameras with at least a 130-degree viewing angle, so if the pan-and-tilt feature isn’t necessary to you, we suggest picking an indoor camera from these highest-rated options.
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.
| No Cam Plus Subscription | Cam Plus Lite | Cam Plus | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Length of Recorded Videos | Snapshots only | 12-Seconds | Unlimited |
| Person detection | No | Yes | Yes |
| Back-to-back recordings | 5-minute cooldown | 5-minute cooldown | Back-to-back |
| Monthly | $0.00 | Name your price starting at $0 | $2.99 |
| Yearly | $0.00 | Name your price starting at $0 | $19.99 |
FYI: Still have a Cam Pan v1 or v2? You may be able to snag a Cam Plus Lite subscription. Contact Wyze customer support for help.
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.
Our Wyze Cam Pan Research and Data
The following is the data and research conducted for this review by our industry-experts. Learn More.
Encryption
| In Transit | Yes |
|---|---|
| At rest? | Yes |
| All network communications and capabilities? | Yes |
Security Updates
| Automatic, regular software/ firmware updates? | No |
|---|---|
| Product available to use during updates? | Yes |
Passwords
| Mandatory password? | Yes |
|---|---|
| Two-Factor authentication? | Yes |
| Multi-Factor authentication? | Yes |
Vulnerability Management
| Point of contact for reporting vulnerabilities? | https://auth.wyze.com/ |
|---|---|
| Bug bounty program? | Yes |
Privacy Policy
| Link | https://wyze.com/privacy-statement |
|---|---|
| Specific to device? | No |
| Readable? | Yes |
| What data they log | Account information like name, email address, password, payment information, birth year, height, weight, gender, device used, camera footage, persona detection, operating system, network information, location, IP address, cookies, information from third-parties, video, audio. |
| What data they don’t log | n/a |
| Can you delete your data? | Yes |
| Third-party sharing policies | Shares information with third parties |
Surveillance
| Log camera device/ app footage | Yes |
|---|---|
| Log microphone device/ app | Yes |
| Location tracking device/ app | Yes |
Parental Controls
| Are there parental controls? | No |
|---|
Company History
| Any security breaches/ surveillance issues in past? | Yes |
|---|---|
| Did they do anything to fix it? | Yes |
Additional Security Features
| Anything like privacy shutters, privacy zones, etc.? | Yes |
|---|
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.
I’d buy the Wyze Cam Pan if you’d like…
- Excellent video, audio, and night vision
- Cloud and local storage
- Alexa, Google Assistant and IFTTT integration
- Smart sound recognition for smoke and CO alarms
- 360-degree pan and 180-degree tilt
- Person detection with Cam Plus
But it’s not for you if you want…
- Apple HomeKit integration
Wyze Cam Pan FAQs
-
Is there a monthly fee for the Wyze Cam Pan?
There’s no required monthly fee for the Wyze Cam or the Wyze Cam Pan. However, if you want full recording of motion events, you can pay $2.99. Otherwise, you’ll miss out on key features, including cloud storage.
-
Is the Wyze Cam Pan wireless?
No, the Wyze Cam Pan is not wireless. Rather, you’ll need to plug it into power.
-
Can the Wyze Cam Pan be mounted upside down?
You can mount the Wyze Cam Pan upside down. To flip your video feed go into Advanced Settings and turn “Rotate Images 180 Degrees” to be on. I recommend using the magnetic base to mount it upside down.
