Wyze is pretty popular for its affordable range of home security and smart home control gadgets. One of their latest lineups includes Wyze Smart Thermostat that comes with powerful controls at very affordable pricing. We just had an opportunity to have their Wyze Doorbell Camera hands-on.
Is the Wyze Doorbell camera worth the pricing and features it offers? Let us take a deep look into the Wyze Video Doorbell in this detailed review.
Content
- Wyze Doorbell Camera: Overview
- Wyze Doorbell Camera Specifications
- Wyze Doorbell Camera: Design
- Wyze Doorbell Camera Installation
- Video Recording and Motion Detection
- Connectivity and App
- Video Storage (Local & Cloud)
- Wyze Doorbell Camera: Pros and Cons
- What Is in the Box
- Pricing and Availability
- Wyze Doorbell Camera Review: Final Verdict
Watch Wyze Doorbell Camera vs. Ring Doorbell Wired Comparison Video:
Wyze Doorbell Camera: Overview
Wyze Doorbell camera is a tiny doorbell with a compact-sized camera sensor and an accessible bell switch on top. The WiFI video doorbell connects to your home WiFi and syncs with the cloud storage without you even paying for the cloud. The doorbell camera from Wyze measures just 3.25 x 1.5 x 0.625 inches (HxWxD) and comes in a small box.
A wireless indoor chime is also included in the package, for free. If you’ve tried cheap doorbell cameras before and were left dissatisfied, this product from Wyze might just be the one for you. It’s not perfect, and it does have issues, but it’s the best cheap doorbell camera you can buy right now.
Wyze Doorbell Camera Specifications
| Specifications | Wyze Smart Doorbell Camera |
|---|---|
| Brand | Wyze |
| Camera Quality | 2K (2048 x 1536) |
| Recording Quality | 1080p Video |
| Aspect Ratio | 3:4 Aspect Ratio |
| Night Vision | IR Night Light |
| Audio | 2-way audio, built-in mic & speaker |
| Connectivity | 2.4GHz WiFi, Sub1G: 906.8MHz (for chime) |
| Weather Resistance | IP65 Weather-resistant |
| Local Storage | 16GB |
| Cloud Storage | Free rolling 14-days storage |
| Security | E2E Encryption, AES 128-but encryption, HTTPS |
| Electricity Requirements | Wyze Video Doorbell: 16V-24V AC Wyze Chime: 100V-240V Standard Power Outlet |
| Chime | 16 Tunes chime |
| Dimensions | Wyze Video Doorbell: 1.5” x 3.25” x 0.625” (WxHxD) Wyze Chime: 1.9685” x 1.9685” x 1.37795” (WxHxD) |
Wyze Doorbell Camera: Design
At the first glance, we loved the design of Wyze Video doorbell camera. Not because it sports a luxurious design, but the Wyze doorbell comes with a simple, yet neatly packed design for a doorbell camera. We, at MashTips, have reviewed many expensive doorbell camera devices that come in bulky design and whatnot. However, this one here, it hits different in my mind.
The boxy design does not make a cheap feel and is the best for minimalists. The doorbell design goes well with any house, especially the ones with contemporary style. There is no inbuilt battery in the Wyze’s video doorbell, so you have to hardwire or use the existing 16-24V AC doorbell supply.
The doorbell package includes a free chime from Wyze as well. Since the Wyze doorbell camera cannot be clubbed with your existing chimes, you need to use the Wyze chime that comes along with it. This doesn’t mean you have to hardwire the chime into the existing chime wiring. The chime unit comes with a US standard plug, which only requires a wall outlet to work. The Wyze Chime also has a simple and minimal design with the chime speaker within it.
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Wyze Doorbell Camera Installation
The first step to get the Wyze doorbell camera working is to install it, and immediately it presents you with a problem. The installation process requires hard-wiring the camera because there is no battery option. As you do that, the wired chime on the other end of the system also has to be disabled. You have to use the wireless chime from Wyze included in the package.
The Wyze app guides you through the process, so you’re not left clueless. Wyze also provides the necessary jumper wire and the wire caps. The wireless chime works well. You can hear your doorbell in the basement, for example, where your wired chime can’t be heard. The wireless chime even offers up to 19 different sounds to choose from.
There is no hardwiring required for the wireless chime. You only have to plug the Wyze Chime into a wall socket. This does not need to be your drawing area, unlike the conventional chimes. You can plug the chime unit at wherever you want, be it your kitchen or basement area.
Video Recording and Motion Detection
The Wyze doorbell camera produces high-quality full HD (1080p) video with good quality and sharpness even at the night. Unlike most other video doorbell camera units in the market, the Wyze doorbell camera record footages in a 3:4 aspect ratio. Wyze claims it to be better to get the head-to-toe vision of whoever is at the front door. Even though it seems to be true, the video aspect ratio is really annoying when I want wider footage of my frontage.
The Wyze app lets you download the video in a vertical 3:4 aspect ratio. The downloaded video has a resolution of 1296 x 1728 pixels. The app also supports two-way audio, so you can communicate with your visitor.
One of the things I loved about this doorbell from Wyze, an LED light on the doorbell. The LED light lights up when it detects someone approaching and functions as an indicator that the door is under surveillance. This is a very good feature, especially when you want brighter images and footage during nighttime.
The motion detection works pretty well, but it keeps getting triggered at the movement of trees blowing in the wind. Fortunately, there is an option to turn down the sensitivity of the motion detector on the Wyze Video Doorbell from the app. However, tweaking sensitivity too much leads to the camera missing people walking in front of it. The situation with the phantom alerts is even worse at night or in conditions of low visibility. This could possibly improve with software updates over time.
Connectivity and App
Wyze, as they aim to produce high-quality smart home gadgets under one umbrella, offers a unified app for controlling all Wyze gadgets. If you have already gone through our Wyze Smart Thermostat Review, you must be already familiar with the Wyze app.
Wyze app offers connectivity to all your Wyze gadgets. You can link and connect to your Wyze Doorbell Camera through the Wyze app from your mobile phone. Make sure to connect the doorbell camera to the 2.4GHz WiFi network, as it does not support 5GHz. Use the app from the local network or from the remote to get the recorded footage right on your phone.
Video Storage (Local & Cloud)
Wyze Doorbell Camera comes with an inbuilt flash storage of 16GB limit. Unfortunately, there is no option to expand the storage with an external SD Card. However, you get 14 days of storage for 12-second video clips in the Wyze cloud. After 14 days the videos are deleted automatically.
You can download the recorded footage through the Wyze app to locally store them for as long as you want. This allows you to use the video doorbell free of cost without paying the monthly subscription fees.
However, you do have to pay the subscription fees if you want an improved person detection. For the $2 per month subscription fees you also get the ability to save longer clips on the cloud. With the subscription, the camera will record clips that last the entire duration of the detected motion. Without the subscription, there is also a 5-minute cooldown after motion detection.
So the camera won’t record any video, or notify you if more motion is detected within 5 minutes of the first one. So if the camera gets triggered by a tree blowing in the wind, it will not record any actual human movement in front of it for 5 minutes. The 3:4 aspect ratio helps you see even packages left at your door. But then the 5-minute cooldown period means you won’t see someone stealing the package within 5 minutes of it being delivered.
Related: MECO Smart Video Doorbell Review: No Need to Pay for Cloud Storage Any More!
Wyze Doorbell Camera: Pros and Cons
Before making a decision, here we list the best things we liked and disliked about the Wyze video doorbell camera.
What we like:
- Compact design
- affordable pricing
- Free cloud storage (limited)
- Free chime
What we dislike:
- 3:4 aspect ratio for videos
- False detections, reliability issues
- Cooldown period misses motions (with free subscription)
- No external memory card slot.
What Is in the Box
Let us see what do you get with the whole retail packaging of the Wyze Video Doorbell Camera.
- 1x Wyze Doorbell Camera
- 1x Wyze Chime
- 1x Wall plate
- 1x Wedge
- 4x Wire caps
- 2x Bracket Screws
- 2x Screws and expansion tubes
- 2x Expansion wires
- 1x Fuse
Pricing and Availability
Wyze doorbell camera comes at an affordable price tag, and probably has the lowest price tag among most other video doorbell camera. With all these features including the motion detection, free cloud storage, and a head-to-toe video recording, you must be expecting a higher pricetag. Surprisingly, you get Wyze doorbell camera just under $50 from Amazon or Wyze Online Store.
You can buy the Wyze video doorbell with Wyze Chime included from Amazon. You also get bundled offers from Wyze when you purchase from Amazon if you want to save more on smart home gadgets.
- Instant Notifications: Never miss another visitor. Unless you want to. Receive instant push...
Wyze Doorbell Camera Review: Final Verdict
For under $50, the Wyze doorbell camera is definitely not a bad product, considering the competition at this price point. The ability to record and download videos without a subscription is also pretty great. With a Ring security camera, for instance, no video is recorded without a subscription at all. Subscription costs for such products are tricky because within a few years the subscription costs you more than the initial cost of the device itself.
Therefore, if you’re willing to live with the limitations of not having a subscription, the Wyze doorbell camera can be used for free. However, the issues with performance, especially motion detection are something to consider. Perhaps you should wait to see if these issues are fixed with an update before you purchase. The 5-minute cooldown period can also be a pretty huge security flaw. If you require security with peace of mind, you’ll probably still need to go for the more expensive options.