Roku is expanding into a new frontier as the company revealed its upcoming line of smart home devices made in collaboration with Wyze.
On the surface, it looks like the company merely repackaged Wyze products and slapped the Roku label on them. The hardware is indeed the same, but all the devices will be supported by Roku’s own proprietary software. In total, there will be multiple devices matching Wyze’s modest prices, a subscription service adding more features, and an accompanying mobile app where you can control everything. The devices are split into three main categories: cameras, lights, and wall plugs.
The majority of these devices will work with Google Assistant out of the box with support for Amazon Alexa coming in early November. All but two can be pre-ordered from Roku’s online store today. Most of the cameras ship out on October 17, while the lights and plugs ship on October 26.
Roku’s Smart Home line will only be available in the United States with no known plans to expand elsewhere at the time of this writing.
The Smart Home line
Each of the new Roku cameras can record in 1080p resolution and offer color night vision with the ability to detect motion as well as sound. A direct feed from the lens can be viewed on a Roku TV or Player. Two-way audio is also supported across all devices.
Differences between the cameras come down to the specific roles they fill. For example, the Indoor Camera SE ($26.99) is your base model, which does everything we just described. Then you have the Indoor Camera 360° SE ($39.99) adding auto-motion tracking and a much wider field of view. The outdoor options are made to be weather-resistant. A wired Video Doorbell & Chime SE ($79.99) combo is available so you can see who’s directly outside your door. The wireless option launches in December.
Coming soon is the Floodlight Camera SE ($99.99), which as the name suggests, has these two bright LED floodlights alongside the lens. No launch date was given, however.
The cameras are the only devices that gain some enhancements through Roku's new Smart Home Subscription service ($39.99 annually). With it, the cameras gain better detection features, including being able to specifically detect people and packages, and video cloud storage for up to two weeks. Motion and sound detection are still present in the free version but there's no video storage, just still images.
For lights, you have a choice between bulbs and strips. What makes them “smart” is the ability to control their color and brightness level with the Roku Smart Home app. The Smart Light Strip SE (starting at $22.99), in particular, can sync up to music using a smartphone mic.
Finally, you have indoor and outdoor models for the wall plugs. With them, forgotten devices can be turned off from a distance or you can create custom schedules for them via the Smart Home app. The difference is that the outdoor model is made to be weather-resistant.
Security in mind
Some of you may be worried about the security of Roku's Smart Home line after hearing that Wyze is involved.
The company has had multiple security controversies. The big one was a massive data breach in 2019 that leaked the information of 2.4 million users. And earlier this year, Wyze found itself in hot water again after reports emerged that bad actors were potentially accessing user content. Needless to say, people may still be a little hesitant to trust Wyze and it appears Roku was aware of this.
According to a Fast Company interview with Roku CEO Anthony Wood, Roku will be responsible for the security side of things by adding “two-factor authentication and [data] encryption.” Wyze, however, will still manage the cloud services.
If you're interested in seeing what else the company has to offer, be sure to check out TechRadar's list of the best Roku deals for October.
