If you live in a van or on a boat, where wired internet is scarce, Arlo’s new security camera sounds tailor-made for a nomadic lifestyle.
Netgear’s new security camera is the $US250 ($AU338) Arlo Go 2, and its selling point is a combo of wifi and 4G LTE connectivity, which can serve as backup to a wifi connection or as the sole connection method. It’s an upgrade to the first-generation Arlo Go camera, which only had a cellular connection and cost $US400 ($AU540) when it launched in 2017. It was also limited to a 720p resolution.
The Arlo Go 2 captures footage at 1080p. It has a 130-degree field of view, and there’s a built-in siren, which you can trigger remotely or have automatically go off when it senses repeated motion. The Go 2 boasts a “wire-free” design with a swappable rechargeable battery. It has night vision, along with a spotlight that lets you see nighttime events in colour, which is helpful if you’re out in the pitch-black wilderness.
The camera also has IP65-rated protection from the elements, and there is GPS baked in to help you locate the camera in a remote area and recover it in case of theft. Bears love to swipe security cameras from unsuspecting campers. How else will they watch over their honey pots while they’re out from their caves?
Arlo removed the Arlo Secure subscription requirement, and you can record footage with a microSD card inserted locally instead of in the cloud. Though be aware that if you opt not to sign up for Arlo Secure, you could be relegated to Arlo’s no-call tier for customer service.
You at least get a three-month trial of Arlo Secure when you buy the Go 2, which includes access to Arlo’s emergency response feature. Arlo will dispatch emergency services like fire and medical responders to the camera’s location when you tap a button in the app. It’s an enticing offer if you’re looking for a bit more security while you’re out on the road, but if you want to continue paying for the emergency service, it requires an Arlo Secure Plus plan, which is $US15 ($AU20) a month. By comparison, the base Arlo Secure subscription for one camera is $US3 ($AU4) a month, or you can pay $US10 ($AU14) a month for an unlimited number of cameras. Those two plans include video cloud storage and 2K recording for 30 days, plus interactive alerts and priority support, but not emergency services.
The Arlo Go 2 will also require an LTE data plan before you can use it, which adds to the cost of an already pricey security camera. Currently, Verizon is the only carrier offering the Go 2. Plans start at $US5 ($AU7) if you have a Verizon shared plan. Arlo plans to make the Go 2 available through other carriers next year.
Arlo has an edge by being one of the first major manufacturers in this space. There aren’t many other security cameras that offer this kind of remote surveillance and protection. But since #vanlife is taking off and there’s long been a need for cellular-only capable security cameras, we’ll likely start to see some more affordable competition. For now, it seems the Arlo Go 2 is the one to consider if you need a high-resolution camera without wifi requirements.
Editor’s Note: Release dates and prices within this article are based in the U.S., but will be updated with local Australian dates and prices as soon as we know more.