The Ultra is Arlo’s most advanced security camera so far , closely rivaling the Nest Cam IQ Outdoor. Assuming your home’s Wi-Fi meets Arlo’s minimum requirements for streaming 4K cameras, the Ultra is an awesome camera with video streaming crisp enough to form out even the best details. Find more in Arlo Ultra – 4K UHD Wire-Free Security 3 Camera System Review.
The Good The Ultra improves on Arlo’s last-gen indoor/outdoor security cameras with 4K streaming, auto-zooming and -tracking and a bigger 180-degree field of view. It works with Alexa and Google Assistant — and has person, package, vehicle and animal detection. Arlo gives Ultra customers a free one-year subscription to the Arlo Smart service.
The Bad It costs $600 for a two-camera pack. Its 4K resolution takes up tons of bandwidth and should not mesh well together with your current Wi-Fi setup if your connection is spotty. The seven-day free cloud storage Arlo offers on its other cameras isn’t available with the Ultra.
Arlo Ultra – 4K UHD Wire-Free Security 3 Camera System comparison
| Arlo Ultra | Nest Cam IQ Outdoor | |
| Price | $400 (one-camera kit); $600 (two-camera kit) | $349 |
| Color finish | White | White |
| Weatherproof | Indoor/outdoor | Outdoor |
| Connection type | Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi |
| Power source | Rechargeable battery | Plug-in adapter |
| Resolution | 4K | 1080p |
| Image sensor | 8-megapixel | 8-megapixel |
| Digital zoom | 12x | 12x |
| Live streaming | Yes | Yes |
| Continuous recording | Yes, with Arlo Smart | Yes, with Nest Aware |
| Cloud storage | No free cloud recording; optional Arlo Smart subscription service starting at $3 per month | Yes, free three-hour image history; optional Nest Aware subscription service starting at $5 per month |
| Local storage | Yes, via the included base station (microSD card not included) | No |
| Mobile app | Yes | Yes |
| Web app | Yes | Yes |
| Night vision | Yes | Yes |
| Alerts | Motion and sound; person, package, vehicle and animal with Arlo Smart | Motion, sound, person; facial recognition with Nest Aware |
| Activity zones | Yes, with Arlo Smart | Yes, with Nest Aware |
| Third-party integrations | Amazon Alexa; Google Assistant | Amazon Alexa; Google Assistant |
Arlo Ultra – 4K UHD Wire-Free Security 3 Camera System Review
It packs in other advanced capabilities, too, like customizable motion zones, person detection and auto-zooming and tracking, all of which worked well during my testing. the most downside is that the price — $600 for 2 cameras and, after one free year of the Arlo Smart subscription service, you will have to start out paying a monthly fee to stay Arlo Smart and still access the Ultra’s most appealing features.
Arlo also got obviate the seven-day free cloud storage service it offers on its other cameras, just like the Arlo Pro 2. meaning you’ll either need to buy Arlo Smart when that year of free service is up, or choose Arlo’s local storage option (we’ll get into that more later).
Overall, the Ultra may be a good camera with a good field of view and prompt custom alerts, but ditching that seven-day free cloud storage will postpone tons of potential buyers. Still, Arlo’s 4K camera is worth considering if you do not mind grabbing your footage off of a microSD card — or paying for Arlo Smart.
Arlo’s 4K camera
I specifically tested the $600 Ultra kit, complete with two 4K cameras, two rechargeable batteries and adapters, a base station, two stands and corresponding installation hardware. There’s also a $400 one-camera kit. Learn more about your options.
Note: Previous-gen Arlo base stations won’t work with the Ultra — you will have to shop for the new base station that comes with the kit. Older Arlo cameras will work with the Ultra base station, though.
Arlo says its Ultra base station “enables 4K video, Auto Track and Zoom, local live streaming, and a simplified onboarding for Arlo Ultra,” consistent with this support page. it is also alleged to help conserve camera battery life.
The cameras themselves are easy to line up: Simply download the Arlo app, create an account (if you do not have already got one) and follow the prompts to configure the bottom station and therefore the Ultra camera(s). I particularly just like the design of this Arlo unit — press a button on rock bottom of the camera to separate the front of the camera from the rear to either remove or replace the rechargeable battery.
I haven’t finished my long-term battery test yet (stay tuned for updates on that), but Arlo says its Ultra cameras should last from three to 6 months on one charge and can take between three to four hours to completely charge. I’ve had mine online for 6 days thus far and both cameras show a 98% charge.
Because the Ultra is such a versatile camera which will go inside or outside — and doesn’t require an influence adapter — its installation will vary for every customer. Fortunately, Arlo makes it easy with one magnetic mount and another traditional swivel stand and hardware for attaching them to walls, fences, trees — wherever you would like . Just confirm you test the standard of your Wi-Fi connection before you put in your camera — two Ultra cameras need a minimum upload speed between 2 to 4 Mbps per second.
Performance
I tested the Wi-Fi speed and got a mean upload speed of about 27 Mbps, so livestreaming two cameras at an equivalent time wasn’t a problem . Neither was lag time. I got quick alerts that quickly appeared as saved clips within the app’s library for later review.
It’s easy to look at live video feeds and make motion zones within the Arlo app.
I did have some issues with the camera’s custom alerts, though. Person detection worked extremely well, but vehicle and package detection were problematic. I drove my car up and down the driveway within the camera’s field of view and it regularly returned the generic “motion” alert. The package detection never worked correctly, but the app says it’s in beta mode, so we’ll forgive it for now.
The Arlo Ultra is additionally alleged to send a custom alert when it sees an animal, but I did not have a pet available to check this out.
And, to enable the Ultra’s auto-zooming and -tracking capabilities, you will need to pick Settings then My Devices. From there, click on a camera and choose Video Settings. That’s where you’ll toggle the Auto Zoom & Tracking feature, which zooms in on specific activity it detects and follows it around within the camera’s field of view.
It’s also worth noting that the Ultra, like other Arlo cams, is extremely much a home security camera. you’ve got to arm the system via the app for it to send you alerts — or create a custom mode on your own. then , you’ll set the camera’s built-in siren to sound if activity is detected. and therefore the camera’s built-in concentration is going to shine when it detects motion.
I also tested out the Ultra’s Alexa and Google Assistant commands. I specifically tried it with a second-gen Amazon Echo Show and a Lenovo Smart Display. After adding the Arlo action to Google Assistant i used to be ready to say, “Hey/OK, Google, show me the Front Yard/Deck camera.”
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