Wyze has announced an unorthodox approach to outdoor security cameras with its new Window Cam that monitors your yard and property from inside your home. This Rear Window approach to security means the camera doesn’t need batteries, Wi-Fi range extenders, access to an exterior power outlet, or weatherproofing. The company already offers window mounts for its indoor security cameras, but the Wyze Window Cam is purpose-built for the task with infrared and LED lighting completely removed to reduce glare and reflections. It’s available now from Wyze’s online store for $34.98.
The Window Cam features a 1080P HD sensor paired with a lens offering a 101-degree horizontal field of view that’s limited to 53.9 degrees vertically. It also features “enhanced color night vision,” according to Wyze, that takes advantage of a wide f/1.0 aperture to capture color footage with minimal ambient light.
The included mount uses a large black bezel to minimize glare from indoor lighting. While the camera is attached using generic hook-and-loop fastener, the mount itself adheres to a window using an adhesive sticker. The sticker isn’t designed to be reused(you’ll actually need a hair dryer and a scraper to remove it), but Wyze includes two of them if you later decide to reposition the mount.
A 10-foot long microUSB cable is included for connecting the Window Cam to power, but you’ll need to provide your own microSD card, up to 512GB in capacity, if you opt for secure 24/7 local recording. The camera does have a built-in microphone and speaker, but its two-way communication capabilities and ability to record audio of outside events will be less effective behind a window than with a security camera mounted outside your home.
The Window Cam offers motion detection alerts that can include AI-generated descriptions of what’s seen if you subscribe to the company’s $19.99/month or $199.99/year Cam Unlimited Pro service.
You can also use the Window Cam with Wyze’s cloud storage that’s available through subscription plans ranging in price from $2.99/month to $19.99/month, if you’re comfortable with the company’s recent efforts to improve its security practices. Wyze had a serious security breach last year that let thousands of customers briefly see into other people’s homes, and before that, it failed to disclose vulnerabilities in now-discontinued products that could have theoretically let hackers access video feeds over the internet.
