This New Arlo Video Doorbell Is Battery Powered For Easier Installs
Arlo has launched a new video doorbell, and this time it's going completely wire-free for those who don't want to run cabling to their front door. The Arlo Essential Wire-Free Video Doorbell keeps the 180-degree lens and HD resolution camera of its wired counterpart, but pairs it with a battery for much easier – or even temporary – installation.
It's the latest in Arlo's Essential series of products, which cut down on some of the frustrations of previous installations. The Arlo Essential Spotlight Camera launchd in June, for example, had the wireless, battery-powered connectivity of its siblings, but did away with the need for a dedicated bridge.
The Arlo Essential Wire-Free Video Doorbell doesn't need the Arlo bridge either, connecting directly to your router via WiFi. The rechargeable battery is rated to last for three to six months, depending on use; or, if you'd rather, you can hard-wire it to power. For that, you'll need new or existing powered doorbell wiring between 8-24V AC.
The housing is weather resistant, and there's an angle mount so that you can line up the camera for the best angle. The picture itself is 1:1 aspect ratio, which Arlo says makes it easier to see not only parcels on the front step but the faces of taller or closer visitors. There's also night vision, and HDR to help balance lighter and darker areas of the frame.
Two-way audio is supported, and the camera calls your phone directly with a video call to avoid latency or delays in connecting after someone has pressed the button. You can also respond with a prerecorded message, or visitors can leave voice messages – like voicemail, but for your front door – if you're not able to answer.
Arlo's software supports motion alerts, while Arlo Smart – the company's subscription-based cloud package – adds in the ability to get different notifications based on whether it's a person, vehicle, animal, or package in the frame. It also adds 30 day rolling cloud recordings of the video itself.
The doorbell can be switched to silent mode, disabling all notifications when you simply can't be distracted from a Netflix marathon, and there's an integrated siren which can be triggered automatically or manually. Come Q1 2021, Arlo says, it'll have a new Arlo Chime; that will connect directly to WiFi, and link with the Essential Wire-Free Video Doorbell to offer a range of different tones and melodies in the house, for those who don't have a phone with the app installed and logged in.
Arlo's new video doorbell goes up for preorder today, priced at $199.99. The company says it'll be shipping in time for the holidays, complete with a three month trial of Arlo Smart. After that, the optional cloud subscription is priced from $2.99/mo for a single camera, or from $9.99/mo for up to five cameras.