There are so many home security rooms nowadays. Some of these are totally wireless, but very few can actually work without a WiFi connection. Arlo GO is among them. Here because.
Before even seeing the main feature of this room, which is that it can be used anywhere, inside and outside, at home or on vacation even without WiFi, let's evaluate its aesthetics.
In terms of shape it does not differ much from the other Arlo cameras already on the market, except for being wider. It offers a very particular shape, with rounded edges, especially on the back. The room has a door inside which the battery is housed, as well as a MicroSD and has a data SIM, mandatory for the correct functioning of the device.
On the front it is covered with black plastic, while the rest is totally white. On the upper part a small button that is used for initial pairing, as well as a second button that is used instead to open the door. On the bottom a classic screw connection to fix it to the wall, thanks to the bracket included in the sales package.
From an aesthetic point of view, in short, it is not totally original, and indeed follows the now iconic design chosen by Arlo for many of its security cameras. It has dimensions of approximately 10 x 0.52 x 18 Centimeters, with a weight, including battery, of approximately 322 grams.
First pairing
The first pairing with the smartphone is simple and intuitive, even if we had to insist a few more minutes in one of the pairing phases. And in fact, after inserting the data SIM, it is necessary to click the pairing button, and follow the information that appears on the screen on the smartphone, after installing the Arlo app, available for free on iOS and Android.
In one of the phases it is necessary to frame the QR code that appears on the smartphone display. Here, an acoustic signal warns the user of the correct pairing, even if we had to insist several times before being able to set the room correctly. Obviously the screen too bright, or too close / far, prevented immediate recognition of the camera.
Technical features
The Arlo Go Mobile security camera is primarily equipped with a SIM data slot and support for LTE 3G and 4G networks. This means that the room necessarily needs a Sim for its operation, and therefore does not rely on the home WiFi network. It does not offer a double connection mode, 4G or WiFi at the user's choice, but obliges to use a sim with an active tariff plan. Those wishing to use it at home, where a wireless network is always available, can then rely on other solutions, while Arlo Go is designed for those who need complete monitoring in areas where WiFi is not available.
It integrates a sensor with 720p recording capacity, therefore “only” Full HD resolution, while the autonomy is entrusted to a 3660 mAh battery, which unfortunately ensures probably about 10 days of use, but which of course could vary depending on the actual use made of it. Furthermore, it is equipped with two-way audio, therefore with the possibility of listening to the sounds of the environment in which the room insists, but also of using the room as a real intercom to send audio messages.
It obviously works even at night and in the absence of light, as well as being waterproof and therefore suitable for outdoor installations. In addition to recording on the cloud, which requires a special subscription plan, it is also possible to record videos locally on the MicroSD, which however is not included in the package.
As already mentioned, for operation it is necessary to insert a SIM with an active data plan. The manufacturer declares that on average, for a monthly use, less than 1GB of data is used.
Of course, the smart side of this room allows the user to be notified of the movements recorded by the camera's eye, or of the noises captured, via push notifications.
Daily use
Arlo Go has always shown itself ready in daily use, without any uncertainty, certainly also thanks to the good signal enjoyed by the data Sim. The camera has always detected movements correctly, just as it has always recognized suspicious noises. Push notifications on the smartphone have always been accurate and fast.
The video quality reaches 720p, therefore not Full HD, a resolution that can certainly satisfy for indoor uses, but which may not be all that sufficient outdoors.
The camera can record 10 second clips and keep it in the cloud for 7 days. Through extra subscription plans it is possible to extend the time spent on the video in the cloud.
Among the many functions of the room, truly appreciable, is that of geofencing, which allows it to be activated and deactivated automatically, when the user enters or leaves the house. The location function is not very fast, and when you enter the house, before the room is deactivated, notifications will arrive for the detected movements, a signal that the room takes some time to deactivate itself.
The camera is not detected by IFTTT, while it is compatible with the Google Assistant, which allows you to view the video stream without the need to open the Arlo app, but directly within the Home app.
Conclusions
The Arlo Go room certainly has the possibility of operating in outdoor environments without WiFi. It is easy to think of a use for observing from inside and outside the second home, the villa by the sea or in the mountains, where of course it is easy for there to be no permanent internet connection. Of course this increases costs, because the user will still have to keep an active data plan in the SIM, which in any case turns out to be a much more versatile subscription than a fixed line subscription.
The camera works really well, but it certainly isn't cheap. At the time of writing it is discounted at 277 euros, an important figure, if we consider, for example, that it is a “only” HD camera. It is clear, the price is justified by the build quality and its flawless operation, by the waterproof factor. In short, the solution is ideal for those who do not have a WiFi connection in the places in which to install it, while obviously it is not preferable for normal use at home with a WiFi network always available: for that there are many other models also within the same. Arlo family.
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Retail price
Arlo Go costs 277 euros on Amazon and can be purchased directly at this address.
