Home security cameras can get expensive quickly, especially once subscriptions enter the picture. Wyze is taking a more affordable approach with its new Indoor Cam Pan, a $39.98 security camera that combines 2K video with motorized 360-degree horizontal movement.
The Wyze Indoor Cam Pan can continuously rotate horizontally and tilt through 103 degrees vertically. Rather than leaving one part of a room permanently outside the camera’s view, users can remotely look around or have the camera automatically follow movement.
Wyze also lets users configure four custom waypoints through its app. The camera can cycle between these locations, which could be useful for monitoring different parts of a large room without installing multiple cameras.
Motion tracking is one of the bigger selling points. Wyze says the camera can identify and follow relevant movement while ignoring things such as robot vacuums. Users can also create custom detection zones to reduce alerts caused by movement in areas they do not care about.
The camera records 2K video at up to 20 frames per second during the day and 15 frames per second at night. For nighttime monitoring, Wyze uses 940nm infrared LEDs designed to provide visibility in dark rooms without the noticeable red glow produced by some infrared cameras.
Privacy gets a clever physical solution. Activating Privacy Mode causes the motorized lens to roll down into the camera housing, physically blocking its view. Turning the feature off brings the lens back up and returns it to its previous position. For an indoor camera that might be pointed at a living room or other private area, being able to actually see that the lens is covered is reassuring.
Perhaps more interesting at this price is the microSD card slot. The Indoor Cam Pan supports cards with capacities up to 512GB and can continuously record footage locally. That means buyers who primarily want basic recording and playback don’t necessarily have to pay for cloud storage every month.
There is still a subscription component for people who want additional features. The Indoor Cam Pan works with Wyze Cam Plus and Cam Unlimited, which provide access to additional Wyze Intelligence features. These include Descriptive Alerts that summarize detected motion and sound events rather than simply sending a generic notification.
Other features include two-way audio, a built-in 95dB speaker, a manually activated siren, and support for Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. Live camera feeds can be displayed on compatible smart displays.
Wyze says it has also made the pan-and-tilt motor quieter, which could matter when using the camera around sleeping children or pets. A security camera following someone around the room isn’t particularly discreet if its motor announces every movement.
At $39.98, the Indoor Cam Pan has an appealing combination of features. The ability to record locally is particularly welcome in a market where inexpensive hardware can sometimes become considerably less inexpensive after recurring subscription fees are factored in.
The Wyze Indoor Cam Pan is available now from Amazon for $39.98.
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