Arlo is making its Essential Indoor Camera, which has a privacy shutter built-in, available in the UK. The mains-powered security camera is available to pre-order now and is priced at £119.99. It will go on sale at the start of April, and marks the first indoor security camera in Arlo’s Essential range of low-cost cameras.
The Arlo Essential Indoor security camera, which has already been launched in the US, has 130 degree field of view and will record FullHD video if it detects motion. If you want to stop the camera and microphone recording at any time, you can activate the privacy shutter, which covers the whole camera lens, from the app.
Alternatively, the camera also has a geofence option that will see the privacy shutter automatically raise, and the camera begin recording, any time you leave your property. Similarly, when you return home, the privacy shutter will be reactivated.
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Detailed video
The Arlo Essential Indoor camera, which can be used free-standing or mounted on a wall, records colour video during the day, and black and white footage at night as it doesn’t have a built-in spotlight like Arlo’s low-cost battery-powered cameras.
It comes with a three-month free trial to Arlo Smart, the brand’s subscription service that stores video clips in a secure area online so they can be reviewed for up to 30 days after they’ve been recorded. The subscription service can also identify whether the motion has been caused by a person, animal or other source, and allows you to set ‘activity zones’ so you’re only alerted when motion is detected in those areas. Once the trial expires, Arlo Smart costs £2.49 per month.
Small but mighty
The indoor security camera connects directly to your home Wi-Fi network, rather than using a smart hub like Arlo’s other home security cameras. Although it can be connected to an existing hub if you have one from other Arlo products - this would let you store video clips locally rather than in the cloud.
The camera also has a built-in siren, which can be automatically triggered when motion is detected or sounded manually from the app, and the camera works with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, HomeKit and IFTTT so it can be set to activate other smart home devices - such as lights - when motion is detected.
Low cost but fully loaded
Arlo makes some of the best home security cameras on the market, but they’re also some of the most expensive which can put them out of reach for some, so we’re pleased to see this low-cost camera range made available in the UK. The privacy shutter will also be a welcome addition for those that feel uncomfortable with an indoor security camera potentially recording their every move.
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