Wyze's latest smart bulb is also a camera

The Verge

4 days ago

Wyze's new security camera is attached to a lightbulb. The smart home company has devised a genius, if janky-looking, solution to illuminating your porch or patio with light while also keeping an eye on potential prowlers. The Wyze Bulb Cam ($49.98) is a motion-activated smart light and security camera that doesn't require any power cables or batteries and is powered by a light fixture.
According to Wyze, the specially designed camera can be installed directly into a compatible E26 light fixture, eliminating the need to find power outlets nearby or mess with solar panels or recharging batteries to keep your security system up and running.
The company is also selling compatible Wyze Accessory Bulbs ($16.98). These dimmable, 800-lumen, 3000-kelvin lightbulbs are IP20 rated and can pair with the Bulb Cam via Bluetooth to create a motion-activated smart lighting system. Both products are available now at Wyze's online store.
The Wyze Bulb Cam has the same lighting specs, and its camera is motion-activated. It features a 160-degree field of view, 2K resolution with wide dynamic range, and color night vision. It also has two-way audio, works over 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi, and offers local storage via an onboard microSD card (sold separately, up to 256GB). The device works with Wyze's app, and the company offers cloud recording starting at $3 a month, which adds smart alerts for things like people, packages, and pets.
Wyze says the camera is also compatible with Wyze's new AI-powered features, including descriptive alerts that summarize motion events and its 'NBD' Filter that aims to cut down on notifications — but you'll need to pay for Wyze's $20 a month Cam Unlimited Pro subscription. The camera and lights are compatible with Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and IFTTT.
This isn't Wyze's first attempt at leveraging existing outdoor lighting fixtures to power cameras. The company sells a lamp socket solution for $17 that can power a Wyze Cam v3 or v4 and turns any connected bulb into a smart bulb. The Bulb Cam is slightly more elegant as it does away with the wires.
While there are several no-name bulb / camera combos available on Amazon, very few established security camera companies offer this solution. Lorex recently released a 2K Wi-Fi Smart Lightbulb Camera, with the camera embedded in the bulb, which looks a little less odd, but also makes for a huge lightbulb. The Lorex can automatically rotate 360 degrees, whereas the Wyze cam can only be manually adjusted. Lorex's bulb camera does cost more, at $70, and doesn't have the option of local recording.
The downside of connecting a security camera to an existing light fixture is that light is probably controlled by a switch, so you'll face the same problem smart bulbs inside the house have: when someone turns off the switch, the power to the camera will be cut, as well.
However, Wyze's smart bulbs can be activated by motion via the camera or set on timers and to a schedule, so you shouldn't need to operate them with the switch. Another issue you might run into is that a lot of exterior lighting today uses embedded LEDs and not a screw-in socket, so check yours before considering a product like this.