We finally got our hands on the latest upgrade to the very successful Wyze Cam. It’s called the Wyze Cam V2. Except for a very slightly different finish on the casing, it looks exactly the same as the original Wyze Cam. However, the changes are all under the cover with better internal hardware and software features.
A review of the Wyze Cam V1 was published on our site back in late 2017. We were impressed at how good the camera was for the price. Was it as good as the cameras costing ten times the price? No. But for the price, the included features and reliability were impressive.
On a thankful note, the Wyze Cam V2 and V1 share the same app. That’s smart. We all have too many apps on our phones and tablets as it is.
Let’s see how they improved the Wyze Cam V2.
Software
The most notable, and also the only app enhancement is what they call Motion Tagging. When the camera spots any motion, a small box appears around the subject and it follows them until they exit the video. Don’t really understand the purpose of it. It’s pretty cool for the first 20 seconds. After that, it’s kind of bothersome. Perhaps there’s a greater purpose to it we aren’t getting?
Another welcome improvement is the reduction in lag when getting into the live view. When opening the app, then selecting the camera to view, the amount of time it takes to get that video up on your phone is noticeably less.
The last thing to mention which really is an almost meaningless point is the date and time watermark is more easily read. It’s crisper and not as pixelated.
Hardware
This is where the majority of improvements have been made. From the outside, the Wyze Cam V2 and Wyze Cam V1 look the same, except the newer version has a duller finish. You can see the two next to each other in the photo that accompanies this article. The dull finish isn’t noticeable unless you look at it in your hand in bright light.
So it’s the inner working that have changed. We’re pleased to report, it’s all for a better viewing experience.
The Wyze Cam review that appeared on our site for the V1 complained a bit about the quality associated with the 10 frames per second video. The Wyze Cam V2 increases the FPS rate to 15. You wouldn’t think it would make much of a difference, but it has a significant positive effect. The older version would occasionally pixelate with fast motions. The V2 doesn’t suffer from this effect.
They added a new CMOS sensor that improves day and night video. We definitely see the improved video clarity in both environments. Colors are more vivid and the images are crisper. Using the two versions side by side, the image quality improvements are very noticeable. They compare favorably to much more expensive mainstream models such as Nest Cam.
Audio quality has also improved thanks to an upgraded chip and amplifier. The Wyze Cam V2 picks up audio better than the previous version. Distant sounds are more easily heard and the audio is louder when heard in the app.
Wyze Cam V2 Verdict
Opt for the Wyze Cam V2. The improvements are noticeable and improve the ownership experience. If you already have a Wyze Cam V1, consider the upgrade if the pixelation effect from the 10 FPS video bothers you. Otherwise, stick with the older version.