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Jerry Peebler photo
Israel
1 Level
743 Review
51 Karma

Review on πŸ“· Arlo Essential Spotlight Camera - 1 Pack, Wireless Security, 1080p Video, Color Night Vision, 2 Way Audio, Wire-Free, WiFi Direct, No Hub Required, Compatible with Alexa, White - VMC2030 by Jerry Peebler

Revainrating 1 out of 5

Somewhere between Arlo Pro 2 and 3 - plus Wi-Fi

This camera is perfect for what it does. This gives you all the benefits of an Arlo camera (battery powered, great app, reliable smart alerts, etc.) without the need for a base station. In my case, I have a very large property and most of it is covered by outdoor hotspots, so my Wi-Fi coverage is MUCH larger than my base station coverage. I have three Arlo Pro 2s that cover this area, and I have two Arlo Gos (which send data through Verizon instead of WiFi) that cover locations outside of my base station's coverage area. With the Essential camera, I can easily replace the Go camera. The bottom line for me is that they are ideal for those with a large area and are convenient for setting up access points (I recommend Ubiquiti's line of switches, gateways and access points). The reason I'm giving 4 stars instead of 5 is because I think this camera is frolicking around uselessly. The first issue is that it has a micro-USB port for charging instead of the Arlo Pro 3's magnetic charging option. The second problem is that the battery is not removable/replaceable. For some, this can be a deal breaker, and for me it almost does. I can only hope they release an Essential Pro camera with direct WiFi connection, as well as a removable battery and magnetic charger.

Pros
  • Arlo Secure - Includes 3 months of Arlo Secure for 30 days of cloud recording, advanced object detection, advanced notifications, cloud activity zones and more. Plans start at $2.99 per month for a single camera and $9.99 for unlimited cameras.
Cons
  • There are nuances

Comments (2)

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April 20, 2023
Somewhere between an Arlo Pro 2 and 3 -- plus Wifi
April 16, 2023
It is a bust, wouldn’t recommend purchasing.