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Roku expands to a new frontier as the company unveiled its upcoming line of smart home devices, created in collaboration with Wyze.
At first glance, it looks like the company just repackaged Wyze products and stuck the Roku label on them. The hardware is indeed the same, but all devices are supported by Roku’s own software. In total, there will be multiple devices (opens in new tab) matching the modest pricing of Wyze, a subscription service that adds more features and a companion mobile app that lets you take care of everything. The devices are divided into three main categories: cameras, lamps and sockets.
Most of these devices work right out of the box with the Google Assistant, and support for Amazon Alexa is expected in early November. All but two of them can be pre-ordered today from Roku’s online store. Most of the cameras will ship on October 17, while the lights and plugs will ship on October 26.
Roku’s Smart Home line is only available in the United States, and there are no known plans to expand elsewhere at the time of 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 both motion and sound. A direct feed from the lens can be viewed on a Roku TV or player. Two-way audio is also supported on all devices.
Differences between the cameras come down to the specific roles they perform. For example the Indoor Camera SE ($26.99) (opens in new tab) is your base model, which does everything we just described. Then you have the Indoor Camera 360° SE ($39.99) (opens in new tab) adding automatic motion tracking and a much wider field of view. The outdoor options have been made weatherproof. a wired Video Doorbell & Chime SE ($79.99) Combo (opens in new tab) is available, so that you can immediately see who is at the door. The wireless option will be launched in December.
Soon the Floodlight Camera SE ($99.99) (opens in new tab), which as the name suggests, has these two bright LED floodlights next to the lens. However, no launch date was given.
The cameras are the only devices to get some improvements from Roku’s new Smart Home Subscription (opens in new tab) service ($39.99 per year). This gives the cameras 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 is no video storage, only still images.
For lighting, you can choose between light bulbs and strips. What makes them “smart” is the ability to control their color and brightness levels with the Roku Smart Home app. The Smart Light Strip SE (from $22.99) (opens in new tab)in particular, can sync with music using a smartphone microphone.
Finally, you have indoor and outdoor models for the wall plugs. It allows you to remotely turn off forgotten devices or create custom schedules for them through the Smart Home app. The difference is that the outdoor model has been made weatherproof.
Safety in mind
Some of you may be concerned 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 huge one data breach in 2019 (opens in new tab) 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 may have been accessing user content. Needless to say, people might still be a little hesitant to trust Wyze and it seems that Roku was aware of this.
According to an Fast company (opens in new tab) interview with Roku CEO Anthony Wood, Roku will be responsible for the security side of things through “two-factor authentication and [data] encryption.” However, Wyze will still manage the cloud services.
If you’re interested in what else the company has to offer, be sure to check out TechRadar’s list of the best Roku deals for October.