There is a wide range of home security cameras available on the market today. In this review, we will be looking at the Arlo Pro 4 and its range of features.
The Arlo Pro 4 is a 2K security camera. We have been testing the device out over the last week and have tested its range of features. The camera is available to buy in the UK for £220 as a stand-alone camera. It will connect directly to your WiFi.
What hardware does the Arlo Pro 4 have?
The Arlo Pro 4 is a 2K camera with HDR. It comes with an integrated spotlight, a security siren, and night vision, there is also a replaceable rechargeable battery.
Video on the camera can be recorded in up to a 2K resolution, and the device can sense motion and can tell the difference between people, animals, and vehicles.
In the box, you get the cameras, a magnetic charging cable, and a magnetic mounting point that you place on your wall. The camera is then mounted on this and can be easily removed and moved as it connects with magnets. It also comes with a magnetic charger, and it is supplied with a magnetic charging cable.
Here are the specifications:
- 2k Video with HDR
- 160-degree field of view
- Rechargeable battery
- Connects to WiFi
- Enhanced night vision
- Color night vision
- Built-in security siren
- Magnetic charging cable
- 2-Way audio
How do I set up the Arlo Pro 4
It is a good idea to set up your camera before installing the device on your wall. The Arlo Pro 4 is straightforward to set up.
You will need to download the Arlo app to your smartphone or tablet; you will then need to set up an account for the app. Once this is done, you can easily set up the camera with the app.
Open the Arlo app on your smartphone or tablet and connect to your WiFi, then select Add New Device, and you will be able to add this camera to your account.
Once you have connected to WiFi, place the battery in the Arlo Camera and click Continue on the app, the camera will now start blinking blue, click continue again, and you will be shown a QR code on your smartphone or tablet. Place the camera in front of the QR code; you will hear a chime when it recognizes the code.
You will need to connect your Arlo Pro camera to a 2.4 GHz WiFi network. Your camera will then take a few seconds to set up. Once it is set up, it will appear on your Arlo app, and you will then be able to see what the camera sees in the app. You can now install the device on your wall or anywhere else around your home.
How easy is the Arlo Pro 4 to install?
The Arlo Pro 4 is one of the most straightforward security cameras you can install at your property. All you need to do is install the magnetic mounting point on the wall. The device comes with a single screw and raw plug; a plastic stopper needs to be installed. Make sure you install the plastic stopper with the screw, as the mounting point is attached to this.
Once this is installed you can then attach the mounting point to the plastic stopper and screw, and it will be firmly attached to the wall. The front of the mounting point is magnetic, and your Arlo Pro 4 camera also has magnets; this is how it connects to the mounting point.
This is a useful feature as it makes it easy to take the camera off the mounting point if you need to charge it, replace the battery, or if your want to reposition the device. The camera comes with a magnetic charging cable, although this is not long enough to charge the device when it is installed.
What features does the Arlo Pro 4 camera have?
The Arlo Pro 4 comes with a range of great features; it can be set up to detect motion at your property and identify different types of movement. For example, the camera can tell whether the activity is a person, a vehicle, or an animal.
You can also adjust the motion sensitivity on the camera, and you can select what type of motion you will receive Smart Notification. As standard, this is set to pick up people, cars, animals, and all motion. This is a useful feature as you can ignore the alerts of things that are not important, but still receive alerts for other movements on your property. On my camera, I have turned off the animal detection as our neighbor has a cat that likes to walk past the camera regularly.
You can also set up activity zones and select which areas of your property your will receive alerts for, and when the video is recorded, this is a great feature. I set up an activity zone for my driveway on the camera we tested. I wanted it to ignore cars that drove past my house and only pick up people on the driveway.
These features worked very well; it ignored cars driving past my house and people walking past my house and did not record them. As soon as someone stepped onto the driveway, the camera activated and recorded the video of that person. You can also set up more than one activity zone, which is a valuable feature.
It also has a live view feature and two-way audio as standard; not all features are available without a subscription.
What is the battery life like, how do I recharge it?
According to Arlo, their Arlo Pro 4 camera battery will last for between 3 to 6 months; it all depends on what settings you have on the camera and how many times the camera records motion, etc. I have been testing the camera for a week, and the device is at 95% battery life. This is under heavy usage, with around probably 50+ alerts of motion detected on the camera each day.
You can easily remove the camera from the magnetic mounting point to recharge the device. If you want to have it plugged in permanently, Arlo offers an optional 25 ft outdoor magnetic charging cable that is available for £40. This can be left on permanently if you want your camera to have power all of the time.
Conclusion
The Arlo Pro 4 is a great home security camera; it has a range of really useful features. The camera is very easy to set up and install on your property. The battery works well and will last for between 3 to 6 months; if you have a lot of activity at your property, you may need to charge it more regularly, even with a lot of activity, this could be as little as once a month. The camera is good value for money; it is available to buy in the UK for £220. There are also options to purchase multiple cameras at once as a kit of two, three, and four cameras.
The only downside of the Arlo Pro 4 is that you will need a paid subscription to access all of the features on the device, luckily it comes with a three-month free subscription, so you can try all of these features out to see if you need it.
The subscription will cost you £2.79 a month for one camera; you will need to pay £2.79 a month for each additional camera. There is also an unlimited camera option that costs £8.99 a month. The monthly cost is reasonable compared to the monthly fees charged by other companies like Nest and others.
Source Arlo
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