Sometimes with technology the differences aren’t in the technical specifications, but in the totality of the package, and in the case of the Arlo Pro 5 it feels very much like it’s the Arlo brand you’re buying into and their Vision (pun intended) for the future with their Security systems.
As someone fortunate enough to have a large number of Arlo cameras around and inside our home, it’s an area of technology I not just enjoy but rely on. The peace of mind that comes from knowing we’ve got every angle covered is something you cannot put a price on.
But this also means I’ve got everything from the entry level “essentials” cameras, through to the “Ultra” range, as well as the Pro models as well. Pro 5 is an incremental step up in specifications, but perhaps most importantly ushers in a whole new era for Arlo users with a brand new Arlo app interface that should lead us to the release of the more non-camera based Security gear in the year ahead. But, let’s just park that and stick with present day.
I installed two Arlo Pro 5 units at our home, one in the backyard connected to an existing Arlo solar panel. The other inside the front door running entirely on battery.
One of the key upgrades here is the move to a 12 bit colour sensor over the 10 bit, improving colour reproduction. I think this is best noticed in the bright sun of sunset or sunrise, though where I have the cameras that’s not normally an issue.
What you do get though is the colour night-vision. This uses a small spotlight on the camera to shed some light and offer a coloured view as opposed to the traditional black and white night view.
Here’s our Backyard in the Daytime:
And here’s a late night view with lights on the home to try to present some contrast
While night-time isn’t a direct reproduction the value from knowing what coloured shirt the intruder was wearing could be the difference between police making the break on your case or not.
Using a Solar Panel is the smartest move for your outdoor cameras, as it means they are literally set and forget.
In the Foyer, I think an ideal spot for an inside camera – the Arlo Pro 5 is capturing quickly the motion detected, and as you can see here I can clearly identify that person as yours truely who’s lost his car-keys:)
I’ve noticed a fantastic battery life on that indoor placement of the Arlo Pro 5, thanks to the 30% better battery life of the Pro 5 series.
Bottom line, there’s an improvement in quality but not highly noticeable over previous generations to the basic eye, but battery life is where it’s at on the choice of the Pro 5 – no question.
So what’s all this about a vision for the future then?
Well, Pro 5 users will be the first to see the new interface for the Arlo App – the Arlo Secure app is where you see your cameras and recorded video.
And I’ll be straight up with you, I’ve had these two cameras as part of our system for a full month now, and the app is mind-blowingly different, and will be jarring to the point of frustration for existing Arlo users.
The reason is, it’s bloody simple. It’s designed for new customers who don’t need or want to have a degree to use their security cameras.
Everything in the app is now separated into easy to find sections.
The Dashboard is where you choose what cameras you want to see at a glance and bingo that’s there. This does NOT have to be all your cameras, and you can make it so some appear large, others small in this view.
I really like this view, because in reality there’s only a few cameras I regularly check and this makes it easy. This is also where you simply and easily now arm your system or disarm.
This is a fundamental change for Arlo, moving from a MODE where you would operate on a schedule, geolocation or just setting a system to Armed, to a more traditional old-school security setup of “armed”.
Armed Away sets your main cameras to record, Armed Home has them recording but not sending notifications, and Standby is when you’re all good and don’t need things running.
I struggled with this concept, as I had a very strict schedule setup and refined over many years. Now that’s all gone.
However, when I look at the home security products Arlo has launched overseas with a keypad with these very buttons on it, I get excited, because in reality just “arm and disarm” buttons near the front door so we can set it to armed when we are out, home when we go to bed and such.
Baby steps, but just know, if you’re adding an Arlo Pro 5 to an existing system, this will be a steep learning curve.
Feed is the new location of all your recordings. They appear like a social feed for you to watch.
Devices lists all your devices as per the older app’s home-screen,
While routines is where I’ll be tinkering most to setup new smart activations for the system based on smart home or time based schedules. It’s a vast area of opportunity i’ve not dipped even my toe into.
For now, we switch from Armed overnight to Armed Home when we’re awake.
All the same functions are available on the web too, in fact I’ve had troubles using Routines on Android, so have been using the web for that mainly.
On the web you can also get that control room shot of a larger number of cameras if you wish.
All-in-all, it’s a mega upgrade, something that will be complimented by many new home security options in the years ahead.
For now though, Arlo Pro 5 offers the best 2k solution from Arlo, and in my book, is the pick of the Arlo lineup on value and usability.
Of course, to save recordings and get item recognition, you do need a subscription, but the Arlo plans are now unlimited with Arlo Secure built in, so the value has actually never been better.
Sometimes you just wanna watch your robot lawnmower do all the work for you huh:)
