Wyze Cam v3 Pro review: Pint-sized powerhouse

Although Wyze is relatively new to the Australian market, having launched at the end of 2022, the company has been making waves in the US since 2017. After spending the last month testing the Wyze Cam v3 Pro, it’s not difficult to see why. The Cam v3 Pro packs a lot of value into a surprisingly petite package—one that is just at home outdoors as it is indoors.

The only additional purchase you may need to make is an outdoor power plug, which does not come included with the Wyze Cam v3 Pro. You could probably jerry-rig some sort of extension-cord monstrosity to achieve the same goal, but if you’re that set on using it outdoors, you might as well save yourself the effort (and, let’s face it, fire risk) of Magyver-ing your own solution and grab the outdoor power plug for around $30.

Wyze’s security cameras all tend to share a very similar aesthetic: compact and blocky. The Cam v3 Pro doesn’t stray from this aesthetic, resulting in one of the smallest security cameras we’ve ever seen. In fact, it’s so small that, upon unboxing it, we were worried our review unit was missing its stand. But no, it was there, folded up and hidden away neatly at the base of the camera.

We also liked that the camera came with a matching white power cord and plug. It seems like such a petty thing, but white stands out significantly less against neutral-toned or white walls than the standard black cord you’ll find with most cameras.

Setup was as simple as plugging it in, downloading the Wyze security app and following the prompts. All told, it was good to go in less than five minutes. Like most security cameras that offer local storage, the Wyze Cam v3 Pro doesn’t ship with a microSD card, so if you want to save your footage, you’ll need to buy one separately and insert it into the slot at the base of the camera.

Considering its price and small size, we were pleasantly surprised at just how well the Wyze Cam v3 Pro performed, bringing high-quality video and premium features that are usually gate-kept by other security camera brands to their more expensive models. There’s also very little lag when loading the live feed, which in most cases loaded in around 3 seconds after opening the app.

Once you do load the live feed, you’re greeted with crystal-clear 2K footage captured at 20fps during daylight and 15fps after dark. The video quality is exceptional at all times of day and night, with the Starlight sensor allowing for colour footage in low-light conditions, the infrared LEDs for sharp black-and-white footage, and the inbuilt spotlight for crisp, colourful night vision. The only downside in terms of the camera itself is its comparatively narrow field of view—just 116°. For reference, the cheaper base model (the Wyze Cam v3) offers 130°.

One of the Wyze Cam v3 Pro’s best features is its ability to alert the user when a nearby smoke alarm or carbon monoxide alarm has been triggered. When the camera detects one of these alarms, it sends a notification to the user, enabling them to take quick action if they happen to be away from home (or, in the case of one Reddit user, their elderly parents sleep through the alarm). We also love that this feature is available for free rather than being locked behind a paywall.

In addition to alarms, the Cam v3 Pro can also be triggered to record video when it detects sounds like crying, barking and meowing. The spotlight can also be triggered when the camera detects motion or sound, and there’s a siren that can be activated manually from within the app to deter any potential intruders.

Don’t let its minute appearance and low price fool you—the Wyze Cam v3 Pro is a true powerhouse, offering fantastic video quality and some unique safety features. As a 2K indoor security camera, it falls just short of our top pick, the Tapo C225. However, its indoor-outdoor versatility will likely put it on top for many on the lookout for a high-quality, affordable security camera.