I think the camera itself is a solid product especially for the bargain basement price. However, the limited range renders it almost entirely useless. I put it through several tests. The furthest I could get from the base station with completely clear line of site was 60 feet. This use case and scenario is unrealistic for most customers. The furthest I could get from the base station with standard drywall, an exterior wall, and vinyl siding obstructing line of sight was 19 feet which is unacceptable and cannot be expected to fulfill most customers expectations. I have perfect WiFi coverage within a 150 ft perimeter of my house. Can we maybe get the option to connect directly to WiFi rather than using the base station?
Now, I need to respond to people calling these “security cameras” and expecting them to perform as such. These are NOT “security” cameras. They are “surveillance” cameras at best, Most accurately they are video monitoring cameras. Yes there are absolutely differences between all of those types of cameras both technically and, in some cases, legally due to compliance standards. I have engineered and deployed enterprise level security camera systems consisting of over 500 cameras which required an SLA of 99.99999% availability and a plethora of regulatory & security certifications to guarantee the integrity of footage for real-time and forensic usage. You’re not doing to see anything like a Wyze cam. Even at medium size business Office building, I wouldn’t even dream of using a Wyze camera for security or surveillance. For that, You’re looking at cameras that can cost several thousand dollars and require an extensive network, server, and power infrastructure to operate. Plus, you then need specialized software to run the whole thing.
For home, I have several Wyze cam v2’s and pan scans for monitoring the inside of my house. I’m not relying on them to save my life though. These cameras are not meant for it. What are they meant for? I like to call them “peace of mind” cams. They are very easy to use, very cheap, have excellent features (like person detection) that is still considered a premium feature in entry level security camera systems, and they are great when you need to move them around house. I can check in on my pets, see if a package was delivered, etc. Basically, I can keep a general sense of situational awareness. The world doesn’t end because one of the cameras doesn’t work for a few minutes.
If you want a true security camera system for home, you have to invest in the correct equipment. I’m not saying you need to spend $500 per camera and thousands on networking equipment and servers though. You can get a quality security camera system for home without breaking the bank if you do some research BUT expect some trade offs too. It’s pretty common that these systems lack a robust mobile app with easy remote connectivity, you may have to spend extra if you want “smart” features like person detection, etc.