Arlo’s new security camera keeps watch over LTE or Wi-Fi

• November 4, 2021

If you’re looking to set up a security camera that can keep watch in areas without Wi-Fi, or that’ll still be able to keep an eye on things if your home internet goes out, Arlo’s new LTE-powered camera may be of interest. The $250 Arlo Go 2 LTE / Wi-Fi camera is built to go in somewhat remote places, like on a barn, cabin, or boat dock, and features full HD video recording (though saving that to the cloud will require a subscription, more on that later), weather resistance, and a rechargeable and swappable battery.

The original Arlo Go was significantly more expensive at around $400, didn’t support Wi-Fi (and therefore couldn’t use its cellular connection as a backup to your home internet like the 2 can), and also only recorded in 720p. For the second generation, it’s been bumped up to a more modern 1080p, letting you get a clearer view of what’s going on. Arlo says the camera’s batteries will last up to three months if you’re using cellular, and up to eight if you’re using Wi-Fi, though that’ll obviously depend on how often the camera is activated.

Image: Arlo

Arlo has also added GPS to the Go 2 (to help you find it in a large area, or if it’s stolen), added a spotlight to let you see nighttime events in color instead of black and white, and upgraded the audio — you can now have a real-time conversation with someone in front of the camera, rather than the radio-like push-to-talk system from the first generation. Basically, it’s similar to Arlo’s Pro 4 camera, but with a focus on being able to put it anywhere there’s cell service.

Unfortunately, you’ll have to pay for Arlo’s Secure Subscription if you want to have easy access to recorded footage or use the camera’s person, animal, and vehicle detection — though the camera does come with a free three month trial. The basic version of the service costs $3 a month for one camera, or $10 a month for unlimited cameras (there’s also a premium $15 option that includes emergency response). While the Go 2 will be able to record to a microSD card if you don’t want to pay for a subscription, you probably won’t want to go pull it out of the camera every time you want to review footage — part of the Go 2’s appeal is that it can be placed in somewhat remote places.

While subscriptions are becoming standard across cameras, you’ll definitely want to take note of the monthly cost for the Go 2 — you’ll also need to pay for a cellular plan to take advantage of its LTE capabilities. From Verizon, the only carrier the camera is launching with, that’ll cost anywhere from $5 a month (for adding the camera to a shared data plan) to $20 a month for unlimited data. Arlo does say it’ll make the Go 2 available through more carriers next year.

Despite those caveats, the Go 2 doesn’t have a ton of competition from traditional smart home camera companies. And, given its lower price, and the utility of being able to just put a camera wherever, you are getting a lot for your willingness to put up with a subscription.

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If you’re looking to set up a security camera that can keep watch in areas without Wi-Fi, or that’ll still be able to keep an eye on things if your home internet goes out, Arlo’s new LTE-powered camera may be of interest. The $250 Arlo Go 2 LTE / Wi-Fi…