Getting a security camera for the home can lead you on a path to many choices, but with Arlo’s latest, the company is focusing on the essentials. Almost literally.
There are some things a security camera should have in this day and age.
For starters, it needs to be a camera, and pretty decent at that side of things, able to capture images not just in the daylight, but at night as well. It typically needs to be user friendly and be accessible from a phone, because almost everything else is these days.
Plus security cameras need to be able to be mounted in many places, because they’ll be protecting a whole bunch of things. Most consumer-focused security cameras are focused on protecting the home, but they can be used for businesses as well, and may be used in more places than just the front door. They might be on the back, a side path, a garage, and possibly a tree.
Security cameras should also have an ability to function as every things. They might tell you when someone has walked on by, they might trigger a siren if someone is doing something they shouldn’t, they might shine a light on that someone doing something, and they might send a message to a smart speaker in your home.
Bizarrely, not every security camera does these things. While many of these features are what you might describe as essentials for a modern day security camera, not every system handles these.
Arlo’s security system has evolved to support these features, though, and in its latest security camera, the former division of Netgear (and now its own company) is focusing on these features as just that: essentials.
In fact, they’re so essential that the company is launching a camera made with these in mind as the Arlo Essential Spotlight Camera, another of Arlo’s wire-free rechargeable security cameras that includes a 1080p Full HD video feed, support for night vision, a speaker and microphone to engage in two way communication with anyone the camera sees, and even an integrated spotlight, which can be triggered by motion or controlled by the Arlo app.
Like Arlo’s other cameras, the Arlo Essential Spotlight Camera is weather-resistant and mountable on practically anything, even a tree, and includes aspects that make it more like a security system, such as the built-in siren and motion detection alerts. There’s also support for the major two smart assistants at home — Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant — and in a nice twist, it doesn’t require an Arlo base station already.
Technically, the Arlo Essential Spotlight Camera can be used with an existing Arlo base station and system, and may improve range and battery life with one, though Arlo says it doesn’t need one, and can latch onto a WiFi network without the Arlo hubs. That should put the Arlo camera within reach of more people, and with a starting price of $229, means a starter security system is something that doesn’t cost too much to buy into.
“The Essential Spotlight Camera is a simple, plug and play solution that delivers families peace of mind by keeping an eye on what’s happening in and around home,” said Brad Little, Vice President and Managing Director of Arlo in the Asia-Pacific region.
While the Arlo Essential does look like an easy way to jump into security at home, it may take a month before it gets here, with Arlo advising a September 2020 release date for Australia. When it does land, however, the Arlo Essential Spotlight Camera will retail for $229 for one camera or $429 for two, found at electrical stores across the country.
